834 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



Glaisher, President. For some reason or other this Roll of Fellows 

 ceased ;i bout 1*66, with no indication why it came to an end. The 

 Council has unanimously decided that it would be a very good thing if 

 the custom of Signing the Roll were now renewed. Fellows on admission 

 to the Society would sign this Roll, as they do on admission to many 

 other Societies ; whereby not only would a book of considerable interest 

 to our successors be formed, but also a personal record of the Fellows 

 would be kept. In order to carry out this plan, it bad been decided 

 that the President and Council of the Society should forthwith enter 

 their names in the book, and that they should request all Fellows 

 present to do the same, hoping that at successive Meetings of the Society 

 other Members, not present that evening, would also sign the book, so 

 that in course of time a real Roll of the Fellows of the Society would 

 be obtained. He hoped that this decision of the Council would com- 

 mend itself to the Fellows, and he was sure that when they saw how 

 well and with what notable names the Roll had been started, they would 

 be sorry that the custom had not been continued. 1866 was the date of 

 the last signature. It was the wish of the Council that it should now 

 be kept going as a register of the Fellows of the Society from this time 

 — he supported that wish by signing the Roll, and it would be a great 

 satisfaction to himself and the other officers of the Society if all present 

 to-night would follow 7 his example. 



Mr. Shillington Scales said he would like to supplement the Presi- 

 dent's words with a little further explanation. The President, Secretaries 

 and Council, were very anxious, if possible, to draw the bonds of friend- 

 ship of the Society closer together. New Fellows were elected who, 

 sooner or later, attended the Meetings of the Society, who were absolutely 

 unknown to anyone, and who, feeling the aloofness of their position, 

 tended to lose interest in the Society. The object of the Royal 

 Microscopical Society was that it should be helpful to all its Fellows, 

 as well as advance the interests of Microscopy in its dealings with that 

 subject. The plan, therefore, to be followed henceforth was that each 

 Fellow on being elected would receive a letter announcing his election, 

 and asking him to make himself known to the officers of the Society. 

 At the close of the Meetings, new Fellows would come forward and 

 sign the Fellows' Roll, and make themselves known to the Secretaries, 

 who would introduce them to the President and other Members of 

 Council. This would be done, not with a view of imposing a task upon 

 any new Fellow, but merely with the view of making the Society more 

 helpful to him. There was a kindred Society which, for many years 

 past, had held its meetings in this same building — renowned for the 

 spirit of friendship and camaraderie among its members — and he thought 

 it would be well if the Royal Microscopical Society would emulate the 

 Quekett Club in this respect, and by extending the hand of friendship 

 and welcome to each new Fellow, thus help him to the attainment of 

 those objects for which he joined their Society. 



The President then signed the Roll, his signature being followed bv 

 the Secretaries and Council of the Society. 



The next Meeting was announced for November 15. 



