Microscopical Society. 549 



" In a paper which I had the honour of communicating to the 

 Royal Asiatic Society*, the genus Polynemus, among others, was 

 pointed out by me as forming an article of food fit for curing, and 

 easily procurable in almost any quantity : by the discovery that it 

 produces isinglass, it has attained an additional interest ; and I have 

 no doubt the manufacture of this article will, when entrusted to ju- 

 dicious hands, form another valuable article of exportation from 

 India." 



MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



At a meeting held at the house of E. J. Quekett, Esq., Wellclose- 

 square, Sept. 3rd, 1839, to take into consideration the propriety of 

 forming a Society for the promotion of Microscopical Investigation, 

 and for the introduction and improvement of the Microscope, as a 

 scientific instrument ; — 



Present, the following Gentlemen : 



Rev. J. T. Bean, Mr. J. S. Bowerbank, Dr. F. Farre, Mr. W. Fran- 

 cis, Mr. Greening, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Lister, Mr. G. Loddiges, Mr. C. 

 Loddiges, Mr. E. J. Quekett, Rev. J. B. Reade, Mr. Rippingham, 

 Mr. Ross, Mr. R. H. Solly, Mr. C. Varly, Mr. N. B. Ward, Mr. A. 

 White. 



It was " Resolved, that such a Society should be formed ; that a 

 provisional Committee be appointed to carry the resolution into 

 effect ; and that the said Committee do consist of the following gen- 

 tlemen ; — 



Messrs. Bowerbank, Lister, Loddiges, Quekett, Reade, Solly, and 

 Ward." 



The Provisional Committee having prepared an outline of a Con- 

 stitution for the Society, a Meeting was advertised to be held at the 

 Horticultural Society's Rooms, on the 20th Dec. 1839 for the further 

 consideration of the subject. The meeting was numerously attended ; 

 Professor Owen, F.R.S., &c. took the chair and was elected Presi- 

 dent, after which the Treasurer, N. B. Ward, Esq., the Secretaiy, 

 Dr. A. Farre, and the Council were appointed; the constitution 

 prepared by the provisional committee was unanimously adopted by 

 the meeting, and the President announced that the future meetings 

 of the society would be held in the Horticultural Society's Rooms. 

 The Society will be designated the Microscopical Society ; its ob- 

 jects are to promote improvements in the Optical and Mechanical 

 construction of Microscopes ; the reading and discussion of papers 

 upon new and interesting subjects of microscopical inquiry ; the 

 formation of a collection of rare and valuable microscopical objects, 

 and of a library of reference. 



At the close of the business of the evening upwards of fifty gen- 

 tlemen joined the society. The terms upon which members are ad- 

 mitted are unusually light, being one guinea entrance and a yearly 

 subscription of one guinea. 



* Published in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain 

 and Ireland, No. ix., August 1838, p. 165. 



