Oct. 1, 1SG7.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



231 



"ECHOES FROM THE CLUB." 



TJI7*HAT CLUB ?— That depends very much 

 * * upon circumstances. In our own case, and 

 many of our readers', " the club " is represented by 

 the association of fellow-workers at the microscope, 

 which has now for upwards of two years borne the 

 name of the Quekett Microscopical Club. So 

 quickly does Time " move on," that we can scarcely 

 believe it to be twelve months since the issue of 

 the first report of this Association imposed upon us 

 the pleasing duty of placing its claims before our 

 readers. Documentary evidence is strong against 

 us in the issue of the Second Annual Report, which 

 now lies beside us, and we at once proceed to give 

 it welcome. In 1S65 its first announcements ap- 

 peared in our columns, in 1SG6 (page 193) we bade 

 it God-speed, and in 1S67 we renew the strain. 



We have already briefly indicated the origin and 

 progress of this Association up to the period at 

 which we wrote ; we have given an outline of its 

 objects and constitution ; and we have chronicled 

 its unprecedented success. Although it needs no 

 advocacy from us, we esteem it an honour when- 

 ever a suitable occasion presents itself to become 

 the medium of communication between the Club 

 and our readers. It is easy to speak well of a 

 thriving business, to eulogize a successful enter- 

 prize ; and that the present is thriving and success- 

 ful, a few lines from the late report will afford 

 evidence. "Experienced microscopists and students 

 of kindred tastes nave now regular and frequent 

 opportunities of meeting to discuss those special 

 subjects in which they are mutually interested, and 

 frequent Field Excursions, under experienced guides, 

 to well-known localities around the metropolis, 

 afford to the members generally' valuable facilities 

 for becoming more intimately acquainted with the 

 haunts and habits of those living organisms which 

 form the subjects of their study, or serve to 

 recreate their leisure hours." At the usual monthly 

 meetings during the past year no less than nineteen 

 papers have been read on topics interesting to the 

 microscopical student. We need not enumerate 

 them, since the majority have already been named 

 in our pages at the time of their perusal, and some 

 have been published either in copious extract or 

 in full. 



The Excursions announced for the year have been 

 eleven, and " the attendances at those whicb the 

 weather has permitted to take place indicated no 

 abatement in the interest hitherto exhibited." The 

 Library has been augmented both by presentations 

 and purchases, and it is to be hoped that so valuable 

 an adjunct to an Association of this character will 

 continue to interest publishers and authors, and all 

 liberally disposed persons, and lead to a far greater 

 augmentation in the year which has just commenced. 

 The hint which the Committee has given that "a 



commodious oaken bookcase has been secured to 

 the Club, for the safe keeping and proper working 

 of its growing Library," is exceedingly apropos, 

 and we trust will produce the desired eil'ect. The 

 cabinet of objects includes more than double the 

 number of slides which it held in 1866, having now 

 reached a total of 2G3, some of which have been 

 contributed by persons who are not members, and 

 have no personal interest in the Club. This augurs 

 well for the good feeling and kindly disposition of 

 microscopical students, and deserves commendation. 



A new feature has recently been introduced at 

 the ordinary meetings ; " a question-box has been 

 placed on the table for the reception of questions 

 relating to microscopical science ; such questions 

 wdien read to the meetings on convenient occasions 

 having generally elicited satisfactory replies." 



The Committee also announce, with gratification, 

 that " the exchange of specimens has now become a 

 recognized feature, and scarcely a meeting takes 

 place without many interesting specimens being 

 freely distributed amongst the members. In fur- 

 therance of this object, and to afford still greater 

 facilities for the exchange of slides, a sub-committee 

 has been formed," and a code of rules adopted to 

 regulate exchanges. 



One of the most positive evidences, however, 

 which this report gives of the success of the Club 

 lies in the declaration that " since the last annual 

 meeting 130 gentlemen have enrolled themselves as 

 members, and during the same period only 12 

 names have been removed from the list in conse- 

 quence of death or other causes, leaving the present 

 number at 273." Having assumed the position of 

 prophet at the commencement of the year, it was 

 matter of some anxiety to us to compare the 

 prophecy with this report at the close of the year. 

 The result of this comparison proves us to have 

 been no " false prophet," for our prediction has 

 been fulfilled. We declared (p. 191), "it would 

 cause in us but little surprise if the number of 

 its members should be nearly doubled during the 

 ensuing year." The first year enrolled 155 members 

 and the second 130, so that the numbers being 

 nearly doubled, we claim the right to be regarded 

 as a true prophet. We cannot hope for a similar 

 increase in the third year, but there is good reason 

 to believe that steady increase will be maintained ; 

 although the number of new members, if we may 

 prophesy again, may not exceed half the number 

 enrolled in the first year, the ratio promises more 

 than one hundred. 



Finally, a balance in hand of thirty five pounds, 

 proves that the finances, notwithstanding the low 

 rate of subscription, are in a healthy condition. 

 Nothing remains for us but to urge all metropolitan 

 microscopists who are not yet members, to lose no 

 time in making themselves acquainted with the 

 details, and if these prove satisfactory, in which 



