768 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 
Mr. Swift also exhibited an improved form of his firm’s new me- 
chanical stage, in which the milled heads were both on the same side, 
as suggested by Mr. Karop ; the stage had also a greater lateral motion 
than in the previous forms, viz., a motion of 2 in. 
Mr. R. Smith said he had found by experiment that it was of some 
advantage to be able to vary the angle of the razor according to the sub- 
stance it was desired to cut, and this alteration in the rocking microtome 
was accordingly suggested. 
Mr. E. M. Nelson said he had seen this beautiful stage exhibited 
by Mr. Swift, and thought it a very great improvement upon many in 
use. It was a very bold design, and there could be no question as to 
the advantage to be derived, in many cases, by the great length through 
which it allowed a slide to traverse. He was sure that practical micro- 
scopists would regard this as a most valuable invention. 
The President said, with regard to the microtome, the way in which 
these improvements had been carried out was certainly most ingenious, 
and it was no doubt a very useful addition to be able to cut sections of 
things imbedded in celloidin. The method of tilting the razor was 
very ingeniously contrived, but whether it would prove of ultimate 
value remained to be seen. He had himself, some time ago, made experi- 
ments as to the usefulness of tilting the razor in this way, but he rather 
came to the conclusion that it was, after all, not of great advantage. 
With regard to the mechanical stage, he was most struck by the feature 
which Mr. Nelson had alluded to, because he felt very strongly the great 
advantage of having such a large traversing motion, especially where it 
was desired to examine a long series of sections. 
Dr. Measures exhibited and described a new mechanical stage, which 
had recently been sent over by Messrs. Zeiss. It would be found to be 
much better protected than the old one, and it would admit a much 
larger plate, like a cultivation plate. It was also fitted with verniers in 
both directions, reading to 1/10 millimetre, so that the position of any- 
thing could be registered without the use of any further finder. The 
arrangement was quite new, and the specimen exhibited was the first 
which had been sent to this country. 
The President thought this was a beautiful stage ; the only thing 
to which he should object was that the screw was rather inconveniently 
placed, but no doubt some slight modification would enable this to be 
readily got over. This stage he was glad to see also gave a very large 
range of movement. 
Prof. Bell read a letter received from Mr. Oliver Collet, resident in 
Ceylon, offering to send over any objects of Microscopical interest from 
that island which might be in request by any of the Fellows of the 
Society. He requested that Mr. Collet should be communicated with 
direct by any of the Fellows to whom he was likely to be of service. 
Dr. W. Aldren Turner gave an interesting lantern demonstration 
illustrating some of the results which had been obtained by staining 
the elements of the central nervous system. The various processes of 
