360 FORTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



kind intervention of his agent, the successful visit to the grounds 

 of Syon House. The objects exhibited at the Gossip Meetings 

 have been interesting and sometimes noteworthy, but it may be 

 well to impress upon new members, and beginners especially, that 

 all should make an effort to bring a microscope and some object 

 for display on these occasions. Not only is this a duty owed 

 to their fellows, but a distinct advantage to themselves; they 

 thus become expert in the use of their instruments and in the 

 arrangement of their specimens. 



The work of the Curator, carried on for so many years, recently 

 under great difficulty owing to ill health, and to the insufficient 

 space at his command, is beyond all praise, and the best thanks of 

 the Club are hereby tendered to him for his self-denying labours. 

 The Curator reports that all slides and apparatus in his charge 

 are in good condition, and during the past year a great deal of 

 time has been spent in revision and amalgamation of the collec- 

 tions. There has been a considerable increase in the number 

 of preparations borrowed, upwards of 2,000 having gone out, and 

 even then the number has been unavoidably restricted owing 

 to cramped storage accommodation. 192 slides have been added, 

 72 of them by purchase. The beautiful physiological prepara- 

 tions, accompanied by descriptive letterpress and illustrations, 

 issued by Dr. Sigmund, of w T hich six series have been added, 

 have been in great request. A gap has been filled by the 

 presentation of a series of slides, with illustrated description, by 

 Mr. Whitehead, of Turbellarian Worms, a group previously un- 

 represented in the cabinets. A type collection of Hydrozoa, 

 presented by Mr. Harris, has been put to practical use, and, now 

 that his accompanying paper has been printed in the Journal, is 

 likely to be still further in demand. It is hoped by the issue of 

 additional descriptive sets to still further increase the usefulness of 

 the cabinets from an educational point of view. With the kind 

 co-operation of Mr. Vogeler the Curator has been able to issue a 

 supplementary list of part of the botanical preparations added 

 since the general catalogue was printed. The hearty thanks of 

 the Club are due to Mr. Vogeler for his kind services in printing, 

 also to Mr. Bestow for general assistance rendered the Curator, 

 and to the various donors of slides. The Committee desires to 

 thank the officers generally for the interest they have evinced, 

 and the often hard work they have undertaken in carrying on the 



