PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
207 
described in tbe ‘ Quart. Journal of Microscopical Science,’ No. 7, 
April 1854. I have no desire to make undue claims, but merely 
refer to them as matters of history. 
My original paraboloid was brought before the Microscopical 
Society early in the year 1850. A new generation of microscopists 
has sprung up since that time. Of the original members, whose genial 
monthly greetings I still so well remember, but few are now alive. 
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, 
F. H. Wenham. 
PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
San Francisco Microscopical Society.* 
The regular meeting of the Society was held on Thursday evening, 
August 2. 
Mr. Hanks donated a bottle of Beale’s carmine injecting fluid 
prepared by him, and Mr. Langstroth presented a slide, mounted by 
him, with a Sertularian from Monterey Bay. 
Regarding the luminous larva spoken of by Mr. Kinne at the last 
meeting, Mr. Henry Edwards stated that it was that of the Ellychina 
Californicus, a beetle of the family Lampyridce, and that he had raised 
the perfect insect from similar forms found near crystal springs. 
Mr. Kinne stated regarding the acarus found in the decomposing 
kernel of the coffee-berry presented by Mr. Wickson at the last 
meeting, that a somewhat critical examination of its minute parts had 
confirmed his opinion of its alliance to the sugar insect ; the 
terminal and other joints of the legs, the mouth parts and disposition 
of hairy bristles being almost if not quite identical with the true 
Acarus sacchari. He alluded to the fact that about 15 per cent, of 
the coffee-bean is sugar, dextrine, &c., and was led to say in this 
connection that the opportunity which fortunately had been given him 
to examine many specimens has caused him to believe that most of 
its kind depended on saccharine matter for food, and should be classed 
as varieties and not species. The lemon-tree acarus, described by 
him recently, the colony found in the centre of a sugar-cured ham, 
the barley acarus found in the debris of a mass of that grain, which 
had been slightly moistened and fermenting, and others met with at 
various times with varying habitats, only were possessed of such 
slight variations from that of the true sugar-insect, that the evidence 
was of a convincing character enough to warrant the assumption that 
they were varieties of that acarus, modified by their environment, and 
should not be relegated to species. 
Mr. X. Y. Clark favoured the members with some remarks on the 
Crustacea, in the way of explaining and exhibiting the organ of hear- 
ing in our local lobster, or crawfish, properly speaking, which is one of 
an entirely different genus (Astacus) from that of the lobster (Homarus). 
He stated generally the characteristics of the several special senses in 
* These reports reach us in printed form, but are very incorrectly set up. We 
cannot of course be responsible for errata. — E d. ‘ M. M. J.’ 
