PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 
573 
beautiful specimens lie bad presented. A hearty vote of thanks was 
unanimously given. 
Mr. J. E. Ingpen said that not very long ago they were threatened 
with a selenite famine because Montmartre, from which their supplies 
had hitherto been chiefly obtained, was being built over. It was there- 
fore very gratifying to know that there was such a large supply avail- 
able as would suffice to meet the wants of microscopists for several 
generations. 
Mr. G. C. Karop said it would be remembered that at their last 
meeting a note was read from Mr. W. H. Youdale as to some diseased 
beard-hairs, specimens of which accompanied the communication. He 
had not at that time seen the specimens, but hazarded a guess from tbo 
description given that it might be a case of Sycosis. Since that time 
Dr. Hebb had examined the hairs and pronounced them to be an example 
of Trichoclasis, a well-known disorder usually occurring on the hair of 
the face. Apparently the disease was one of nutrition. 
Prof. Bell said that Mr. Lewis’s communications upon the Natal 
Ticks had excited the interest of their humorous correspondent Capt. 
Montgomery, who had sent a letter, extracts from which he read, on the 
subject of chicken lice, ticks from grass, and other parasites. 
Dr. J. B. Nias then read his paper “ On the Development of the 
Continental form of Microscope Foot,” the subject being illustrated by 
diagrams, and by the exhibition of a number of instruments constructed 
as described. 
Dr. Dallinger regretted that Mr. Nelson had been obliged to leave 
the meeting, as his judgment would have been of value, and also that 
the evening was so far advanced as to preclude the possibility of any 
lengthened discussion upon the subject before them. If the reader of 
the paper had closed the subject of the paper after tracing his view of the 
process of evolution in the particular form of “ foot ” which he advocated, 
he should have had nothing to say ; as a matter of history it would have 
been possibly interesting and profitable, but as he had gone further and 
had impeached not only the superior design but even the utility of the 
English stand, and as the English model had now for half a century 
maintained its high position, it was clearly needful that in that meeting 
something should be said as to its claims. 
No doubt it might be held that the question was one which had two 
sides, and it was quite proper that as one side had been stated the other 
should also be heard. But because they heard both sides they should 
endeavour to attach the true weight to what each brought forward. 
They had heard that evening of a Microscope made accurately to 
measurements and created for anatomical purposes to suit the length of 
the human arm and the breadth of the human hand, and if this had no 
other bearing or application than that of showing them an illustration 
of what was considered sufficient to meet the requirements of that period, 
it would have had its uses. But what, he asked, had happened since 
that time? Were the requirements of the modern investigator with 
