320 president's address. 



talents of Mr. Bowerbank enable him so amiably and freely to dis- 

 pense to those who seek his advice and assistance." These words 

 were written thirty-six years ago. Their truth no one can better 

 estimate than myself. To Dr. Bowerbank's encouragement, advice, 

 and introductions, given to me as a young microscopist, I owe the 

 confirmation and increase of my early love of this branch of science. 

 I afterwards enjoyed the privilege of his intimate friendship, and the 

 desire to be worthy of his generous appreciation of me as a practical 

 naturalist, has been one great incentive to me to work with an 

 earnestness of purpose and a love of my subject which has led to 

 my having so far gained your approbation as to be placed by you in 

 the position I now hold. The grand old veteran passed away only 

 four months and a half ago. He died almost with his weapons in 

 his hands. He had just completed the fourth volume of his work on 

 the SpongiadoB : only one plate remained to be drawn by Mr. 

 Dinkel — only one niicroscojnc section of a sponge to be illustrated. 

 The slide on which he had mounted this was found, after his death, 

 on the stage of his Tulley's microscope — the instrument by means 

 of which he had made all his researches, and which he had used 

 daily until he laid down his arms to rest in his last sleep. The 

 decease of so eminent a man — one of the founders of " The Micro- 

 scopical Society of London " — would be worthy of notice in an 

 address of the year to any battalion of his followers. I venture to 

 believe that I have not gone too far in relying on your sympathy 

 with my personal feelings of affectionate reverence for him. 



To return to the date when the testimony which I have quoted 

 to his services in the cause of science was published in the " Micro- 

 scopic Journal." About this time, to Mr. Powell and Mr. Ross, 

 as makers of microscopes, was added Mr. Smith, and, after him, 

 many who need not be enumerated. The time arrived when the 

 Microscopical Society of London was inaugurated, and the first 

 paper in the first number of the " Microscopic Journal " is " On 

 the Structure of Fossil Teeth," by Professor Owen, F.R.S., Presi- 

 sident of the Microscopical Society. As a record of microscopical 

 work and progress, we have Cooper's Journal for 1841 and 1842 

 and the first three thin volumes of the " Transactions of the Microsco- 

 pical Society of London," extending from 1840 to 1851. Then, in 

 J 853, commenced the " Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science," 

 which has been continued uninterruptedly down to the present day. 

 In 1869 the "Monthly Microscopical Journal" first came into 



