130 
MICROSCOPICAL SECTION. 
21st October, 1861. 
Professor Williamson in the Chair. 
The following gentlemen were elected members of the 
Section : — Mr. Murray Gladstone, Mr. John Whalley, Mr. 
William Henry Heys, Dr. William Roberts, and Dr. Thomas 
Alcock. 
The Secretary presented sixty specimens of soundings 
received since the last Session, from the commanders of various 
steamers and sailing vessels, amongst which were a number 
from the South Coast of Ireland, Banks of Newfoundland, 
Coast of Nantucket, U.S., North Coast of Brazil, &c. The 
Secretary was requested to write a letter of thanks from the 
Section to each contributor. 
The Chairman remarked that these specimens deserved 
the best attention of the Section, not only on account of their 
intrinsic interest, but to show the contributors that their kind- 
ness in preserving the soundings for the Section was fully 
appreciated. 
Mr. Dale offered, with the assistance of the Secretary, to 
prepare the material, by separation from the tallow, & c., and 
Mr. Nevill, Mr. Heys, and several other gentlemen, offered 
their assistance in mounting, examination, and reporting to 
the Section. 
The Chairman observed that the method he employed 
in the preliminary examination of similar specimens, when 
freed from tallow and dried, was to stir the mass in a 
vessel of water, when most of the organic forms rose to the 
surface, in consequence of containing small quantities of air ; 
the creamings off the top of the liquid would be found to 
