i88i.J 
Analyses of Books. 
2 37 
Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South 
Wales. 1879. Vol. XIII. Sydney: Thomas Richards. 
London : Trubner and Co. 
We cannot express ourselves as well satisfied with the work done 
by che Society during the year 1879. The Biological Section has 
given no sign of life ; the Geological and Palaeontological Section 
has been merged in that for Chemistry and Mineralogy ; and the 
amalgamated body has held only four meetings, at which nothing 
of importance took place. 
Among the proceedings of the Microscopical Sedtion we note 
an interesting paper on some recent objedtives manufactured by 
Carl Zeiss, of Zena, communicated by G. D. Hirst ; and notes 
on Tolle’s duplex front f-ioth immersion objective, in comparison 
with Zeiss’s oil immersion i-8th (No. 18) by both oblique and 
central light, by H. Sharp. The writer considers that the Tolies 
lens, compared with Powell arid Lealand’s new formula i-8th, 
has greater working distance, is more achromatic, gives superior 
definition, and in flatness of field is not inferior. “ With water- 
immersion, either by oblique or central light, in resolving power, 
clearness and brilliancy of definition, and extraordinary penetra- 
tion, this i-ioth Tolies is unequalled by any water-immersion 
objedtive I have yet seen.” By oblique light it is somewhat in- 
ferior to the Zeiss, but with direct light the latter is quite eclipsed 
by the Tolies. 
Mr. T. E. Hewett describes an improved dissecting microscope, 
the power being Sir J. Herschel’s plano-convex doublet, which 
has seldom, if ever, been applied to microscopes. 
The Royal Society of New South Wales has, curiously enough, 
a Sedtion for Literature and the Fine Arts, the doings of which 
fill up no inconsiderable portion of the volume. 
The Vice-President, Prof. Smith, C.M.G., in his Anniversary 
Address, referred to the loss which the Society had sustained by 
the death of the zealous geologist, Rev, W. B. Carke, the true 
discoverer of gold in Australia. 
Records of the Geological Survey of India. Vol, XIII., Part 4, 
1880. 
In this issue Mr. W. Theobald describes the Pleistocene deposits, 
of the Northern Punjab, and considers that they afford evidence 
of an extreme climate, and probably of glaciation, during a por- 
tion of that epoch. 
Mr. C. A. Hacket gives an account of the useful minerals of 
the Arvali region. The copper mines of the district appear to 
