PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 
135 
stronger than the other. I think the lines might be cut deeper with 
advantage ; the very faintly cut plates are not of much use for Micro- 
scopical purposes ; even the coarse bands are too faint for micrometrical 
work. There is one suggestion I would like to make, viz. that the lines 
be mounted on the slip so that they may be parallel to the long side of 
the slip ; this seems a very small matter, but it is a most important one, 
for the bands are nearly useless as mounted at present. I do not know 
what cement is used for fixing the cover to the slip, but indications of 
crystallization are already apparent. I know nothing whatever about 
microscopical cements, but I am informed that if shellac is present it is 
merely a matter of a year or two before crystals are formed all over the 
cover. I can, however, testify to the loss of valuable slides from crys- 
tallization. Nobert’s bands were fixed with balsam, and were quite 
permanent.” 
Mr. E. B. Green exhibited a large number of drawings and specimens 
of the roots and root-hairs of plants, with their parasites. 
Mr. A. W. Bennett, in reply to the President, said he had nothing 
farther to say on this subject beyond the remarks which he made when 
the matter was before them at the October meeting of the Society. He 
thought the subject was one worth consideration, and that many of the 
points raised by Mr. Green were of considerable interest. As he men- 
tioned before, his own interpretation was not quite in accord with that 
of Mr. Green, but he believed that the investigations upon which 
Mr. Green had entered were not only interesting, but might lead to 
important results. 
The President, in proposing the thanks of the Society to Mr. Green 
for bringing this large collection of specimens and drawings for exhibi- 
tion, trusted that he would continue to pursue the subject, which was 
evidently one likely to prove of considerable interest. 
Dr. R,. G. Hebb said he had placed under a Microscope for exhibi- 
tion some glucose crystals from diabetic urine, which he thought would 
be of interest as they were exercising the minds of the medical profession 
at the present time, because some chemists were of opinion that they 
were a certain indication of the presence of sugar in the urine. In their 
preparation the urine was treated with phenol hydrate and sodium 
acetate, and boiled for half an hour to an hour. He found, however, that 
if they kept on boiling they got one set of crystals down at the boiling 
point which were long and needle-shaped, radiating from spots, and that 
afterwards they got crystals which were formed in small stellate groups, 
and later still, a number of granule-shaped crystals were formed. This 
induced him to think that the deductions drawn from their presence in 
a particular form were not to be implicitly relied upon. As microscopic 
objects, moreover, they were very pretty when successfully made. 
The thanks of the Society were voted to Dr. Hebb for his interesting 
exhibit and remarks. 
Mr. E. M. Nelson read a paper “ On some points in connection with 
Microscopic Drawing,” illustrating upon the blackboard the effects 
referred to as “barrel” distortion and “pincushion” distortion. 
