ANNUAL REPORT, 1862
The Council of your Section in this, the fourth Annual Report, liave to congratulate its members upon its steady progress during the past session ; ten new members have been elected, but two have retired. The loss of Mr. W. C. UNWIN, who has ceased to reside in this city, is to be regretted, as he gave promise of active co-operation in the business of the Section. Your Council have also to congratulate the members upon the work done since the last yearly meeting, the most important and arduous of which was, undoubtedly, the Microscopical Soirée, given to the members of the British Association at their last year’s meeting in this city. The management was entrusted to a sub-committee formed of members of this Section, and it has been considered, even in London, to have been the best exhibition of microscopes and microscopical objects hitherto attempted. With every meed of praise to those to whom the management was committed, the great success of the exhibition is due to the liberality with which the owners of the microscopes placed their apparatus and objects at the disposal of the sub-committee ; and it is gratifying to state that the damage was most insignificant, only two object slides having been broken ; not a single piece of apparatus belonging to 150 first and second class microscopes was known to be lost or injured.
The Section has held, during the Session, eight ordinary meetings, at which several excellent papers and valuable communications have been read ; the most important of which were—
A paper by Mr. John Watson, “On certain Scales of some Diurnal Lepidoptera,” illustrated by drawings by Mr. Joseph Sidebotham.
A paper by Dr. Thomas Alcock, “On the Tongues of the Mollusc",” illustrated by four drawings, in which the author proves that the lingual dentition and internal organization of these animals are more important, as characteristic of species, than their external forms or shells; and he points out several errors into which some eminent naturalists have fallen, in consequence of their different methods of classification.
The before-mentioned papers were considered worthy of recommendation to be printed, with their illustrations, in the Society’s Memoirs, and the recommendations have been adopted by the Council of the Society.
Amongst other communications may be named
A paper by Mr. Thos. G. Rylands, of Warrington, “On the classification of the Diatomaceae,” in which the author enlarges upon the necessity of a reconstruction of the system of nomenclature, &c.
A paper by Mr. Thomas Davies, of Warrington, upon “Crystallization,” in which he describes his method of obtaining flower-like forms in fused films of certain salts, by graduated reabsorption of moisture from the atmosphere.
And a paper by Mr. Petschler, of this city, “On the Vegetable Forms produced by Crystals of Bichromate of Potash in Gelatine with Collodion,” &c., discovered by him in the preparation of photographical plates ; these take the shape of microscopical ferns, mosses, &c., and some of them, mixed with nitrate of silver, are very beautiful.
There can be no question that if these discoveries in crystallization be properly followed up, and experiments made with a variety of salts, and media of various densities, not only may new forms of crystals be obtained for the polariscope, but light may be thrown upon the causes which induce certain compound molecules of matter to assume determinate and characteristic forms. It was observed by one of the eminent chemists of the day, that the revelations of the microscope with regard to certain crystals will necessitate an entirely new course of study to learn their molecular arrangement.
Abstracts from the foregoing papers have appeared in the printed proceedings of the Society, and in the Loudon ‘Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science.’
Since the last Annual Meeting, one hundred and twenty specimens of soundings and dredgings have been received from captains of vessels, from various parts of the world ; they have been arriving lately from distant stations, and it is supposed that many more are on the way. The thanks of the Section are particularly due to Mr. Dale, for his assistance in separating the material from the tallow in which the soundings are mostly imbedded, and for the use of his laboratory and materials.
The previous selection of a subject for discussion upon the evenings when no paper is read, is found to be productive of interest ; that “On the Cause of the Metallic Lustre on the Wings of the Lepidoptera,” brought written communications from Mr. Latbam, Mr. Dancer, and Mr. Unwin, all containing valuable information and suggestions ; it led also to the rediscovery of an important paper on the Lepidoptera in a French periodical, published twenty-seven years ago, a portion of which Mr. Latham kindly translated and printed for distribution.
The Section may be congratulated upon the additions to the cabinet during the past session ; it is now comparatively well supplied with objects, to which Mr. Hurst’s donation of his private collection of microscopical objects has mainly contributed.
A subscription was open amongst your members for the benefit of the widow and children of the late Professor Quekett, but it was found that there were two committees in London with different objects in view, as claimants for the fund ; and also that the Royal College of Surgeons had provided liberally for the family ; your subscription list was therefore cancelled. A local memorial was suggested, and three new lists were opened. For Dr. Beale’s committee the sum of £11 10s. was collected and remitted. Several sums were given for the MANCHESTER QUEKETT MEMORIAL, and that list is yet open. When the amount subscribed was sufficiently large to warrant the expenditure, it was resolved that a microscope should be purchased, to remain in the Society’s room for the use of the subscribers. The microscope is now before you, and it bears the following inscription :—” Purchased by members of the Micro-” scopical Section of the Literary and Philosophical Society, Man-” Chester, in remembrance of the late Professor QUEKETT, April, “1862.”
The Treasurer reports that the expenditure of the Section has somewhat exceeded the income. The Session commenced with a balance in his hands of £3 1ls. 10d. ; the receipts have been £18 5s., and the payments £20 18s. 11 d., so that the balance in favour of the Section is reduced to £1 7s. 11<7.
In conclusion, your Council can only recommend the continued persevering attention of your members to carry out the objects for which the Section was formed ; and it cannot fail to render essential aid to scientific discovery, not only amongst its members, but by presenting facilities whereby other discoverers may make known their researches to the world.
A ballot then took place for the election of officers, when the following gentlemen were duly elected for the session of 1862-3 : — President, William C. Williamson, Professor Natural History, Owen’s College, F.R.S. Vice Presidents, Edward W. Binney, F.R.S., F.G.S. ; Joseph Sidebotham ; Arthur G. Latham. Secretary, George Mosley. Treasurer, James G. Lynde, M. Inst. C.E., F.G.S.
Of the Council:—Thomas Alcock, M.D., Joseph Baxendell, F.R.A.S., John Dale, F.C.S., John W. Madure, F.R.G.S., Thomas II. Nevill, John Parry, William Roberts, M.D., John Watson.
HULL MICRO-PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
THE annual meeting of this Society was held at the rooms of the Royal Institution, on the 5th of November, previous to the commencement of the Sessional Course for 1862-63, constituting the fifth year of its formation, when George Norman, Esq., the president, and other officers, were re-elected. A numerical increase of members appears over that of last year, and the Society, in its various resources, is evidently in a prosperous and progressing condition.
The unpropitious state of the weather during the appointed excursion days tended to some degree of disappointment in making the usual amount and quality of gatherings. The subjects approved as papers to be delivered in bi-monthly course, during the forthcoming Session, are as follow, and promise to be a useful and interesting selection :
