OUR ANNUAL MEETIG. 61 



tary and individual members. They were, no doubt, aware that 

 they had in the United States a similar organisation, which had 

 been in existence some 8 or 9 years and which had done great 

 good in spreading microscopy through the country. He had 

 taken special interest in the working of that Society. They had 

 in the States, which were almost infinitely larger than England, a 

 great many small towns in what was almost a wilderness. The 

 members of that Society would be surprised, if they were situ- 

 ated as he was, to know how many real good workers with 

 the microscope there were, scattered about in those small towns 

 and villages, who had no means whatever of seeing the microscopi- 

 cal preparations which were made in the larger towns, except 

 they were members of the "Postal IMicroscopical Cabinet Club," 

 as it was called. To these the privileges of the Club were of 

 great value. It was true that a great many of the slides which 

 were circulated were of no value to anybody ; at the same time, 

 they put up with boxes of comparatively little value, for the sake 

 of the benefit derived from the good slides which were sent 

 round. There was one feature in which he believed the So- 

 ciety in Great Britain excelled their own, and that was in the 

 completeness of the notes and drawings which were sent round 

 with the preparations. He had frequently alluded to this 

 matter, and in many cases a great desire was expressed that 

 there should be an improvement. . He hoped that the publi- 

 cation of the Journal which was associated with this Society 

 would advance and improve the work that was done by the 

 American Society. He begged to thank them for the kind 

 reception he had received, and trusted that the time would soon 

 come when their own Society would be as far advanced as the 

 English Society. (Applause.) 



Mr. Teasdale said there was a very serious omission in his 

 previous remarks. He ought to have alluded to the Journal. 

 They had great reason to congratulate themselves upon the 

 present issue of the Journal, and they ought to thank Mr. Allen 

 for his services as its editor. Mr. Hitchcock's observations had 

 reminded them of the very great benefit it was to themselves and 

 other societies, and he also had told them that it was appreciated 

 in America. It was a step in the right direction, and a very suc- 

 cessful one. 



The evening's proceedings closed at a late hour. There was 

 consequently no opportunity of inspecting the specimens which 

 some of the members had brought for examination. 



