Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-09
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE.
Important Step Taken by the Iron
City Microscopic Society.
A FEDERATION OF LEARNED MEN
Conference of Various Organizations Called
: for November 5.
OTHER SOCIETIES TAKING ACTION

The Iron City Microscopical Society held
its annual meeting in the parlor adjoining
the Pittsburg Library last evening. Rev.
Dr. W. J. Holland presided and II members
were present. Action was taken looking to
a federation of all the scientific societies of
the two cities into an academy of science.
In his annual report Rev. DR.. Holland
referred to the proposition of bringing the
various societies together. He believed that
they could form so strong federation that
they would be able to erect or rent SUBJ
stantial building, where scientific library
could be established, and that such union
would give to scientific studies in this city
strong impulse. The movement was started
by the Microscopical Society, which had, at
former meeting, appointed committee to
correspond and confer with the other organi-
cations. He urged the society TO take some
formal action in the way of extending to the
other societies an invitation to send dele
gates to a conference to be held on some
specified date
Mr.. G. C. Mellor said that he understood
that the engineers and botanlsts had ap-
pointed committees on the matter. The
photographers, he believed, would appoint
a conference committee at their next meet
ing. The Art Society board will meet dur
ing this week and is expected to move in
the matter.
SENDING INVITATIONS.
Later in the session Mr.. George 81. Clapp
moved that the Microscopical Society's Con-
ference Committee be directed to extend to
the secretaries of the Engineers Society of
Western Pennsylvania, the Botanical
Society, the Art Association, the Amateur
Photographers Association, the Society of
Architects, the Allegheny County Medical
Society, the Dental Society and any other
scientific associations which may be in eX-
istence in Pittsburg or Allegheny, an invi-
tation to send delegates to a conference, to ar
range for a federation of the several societies
into an Academy of Sciences, the conference
to be held on Tuesday, November 8. The
motion was adopted by unanimous vote.
The Conference Committee of the Micro
seopical Society is composed of Messrs. G.
G. Mellor, Charles G. Milnor and George
81. Clapp.
This action has been quietly discussed
by members of the scientific societies
Of this city for several months. In
an informal way it has been so
generally approved that there exists no
doubt of its consummation. Assurances have
been received from some of the wealthy and
public spirited citizens of the two cities that
they will literally contribute to the estab-
ishment and maintenance of such an ANAL
gamation. 1t is not designed to unite the
societies into one, but to secure unity in
action and in the establishmentof scientific
library, museum and assembly hall.
In his annual report last night Rev. DR..
Holland complimented the society on its
fourishing condition. In year its member
ship had increased from 73 to SO. Its treas
ury contained balance of S114. The library
had received books valued at $153. Its
meetings had been we'll attended, and valu-
able and interesting papers had been read.
DR.. Holland regretted that no arrangement
had been made for the publication and
preservation of the scientific papers. The
society had recently been entered at the
New York Custom House as an association
entitled to receive books, charts and speci-
mems from foreign lands free of duty.
APPLYING FOR A CHARTER.
Rev. DR.. Holland, William j. Prentice
and c. c. Mellor were elected a committee
to procure charter for the society. The fol-
lowing officers were elected for one year:
President Rev. W. ]. Holland, D. D.. Ph. D.;
First Vice President, William J. Prentice;
Second Vice President, c. C. Mellor; Recording
Secretary, DIR. Hiram DePuy: Corresponding
Secretary, George H. Clapp; Treasurer, G. G.
Minor; Curator, Herbert Walker.
The following specimens, placed under
microscopes, were arranged upon the table
last night. and were examined with much
pleasure by the members of the society:
Section of human lung affected with pneu-
monia, by Mr.. Minor; leaf of deutzia,
stomata in leaf of eucalyptus, stellate hairs
on leaf of shepherds purse and leg of
hypemeces squamosis, by Mr.. Mellor; portu-
lacca seeds, by Mr.. Walker; fern leaf gold,
by Mr.. Prentice, and blood corpuscles of
the proteus, by Prof j. Gordon Ogden.
The leg of the hypemeces, rare insect,
outshines the peacock for brilliancy of
coloring, its scales being Of metallic sheen,
with all the colors of the rainbow. The
blood corpuscles of the proteus, water in
sect, are the largest corpuscles known.
They are 16O times the size of the corpusces
in human blood and are oval in form, with