2 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



proud to be a member of a Society which issues a periodical so 

 good in both text and illustrations. 



I am certain that you all agree with me how grateful we ought 

 to be to our Secretary for the trouble and care he takes in its 

 issue and in the welfare of the Society, and feel that it is our 

 bounden duty to assist him in this task to the utmost of our 

 ability. Perhaps one of the best ways of doing this would be to 

 try and get more new members, which ought to be done pretty 

 easily, as our subscription is very small, and we occupy a position 

 with reference to microscopy which ought to be most serviceable 

 and agreeable to many of us quiet students of nature. Our 

 method of communication being by post, we are enabled to reach 

 all parts of the kingdom with great facility, and thus being 

 brought into direct communication with each other are able to 

 mutually assist members both in theory and practice. 



It seems superfluous to remind microscopists of the great 

 charms of the study of the " infinitely little," but as there may be 

 some present who have not engaged in that study, perhaps those 

 familiar with microscope work will allow me briefly to summarise 

 Avhat are some of its great attractions. Microscopical work is one 

 of those studies which can be pursued everywhere, for there is 

 no place where objects for study may not be found, added to 

 which it is cjuite independent of the weather or of the time of 

 day, as artificial light can always be used, and in fact many 

 microscopists seldom use any other. 



Then it is a silent work, and disturbs no one, and requires but 

 a small space for the apparatus. It also tends to develop habits 

 of care and neatness, as the smallest speck of dirt shows most 

 prominently under the lens, and without neatness it is impossible 

 to keep the instrument in order, much more so to make any 

 accurate observations. Again, the patient investigation required, 

 the measuring and drawing of those objects under examination, 

 create very careful habits of observation, which react on the 

 observer and make him more careful in other matters. 



Finally, the field of microscopical research is so large that all 

 tastes may be satisfied. The exactness of forms of crystals, 

 diatoms, etc., the different methods of strengthening cell-walls, 

 and many other points, are of great interest to the mathematical 



