4 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



gather each around its own centre, but which may know little or 

 nothing of other centres. It is a great advantage to be able to 

 look one another in the face, and in living words to discuss and 

 criticise each other's conclusions ; but the very constitution of the 

 Postal Microscopical Society necessarily precludes this personal 

 intercourse, and we can know each other merely through the 

 inspection of our slides, and by the cold criticism of our note- 

 books. There is, however, a counter-balancing advantage ; for as 

 our remarks have to be all written, they are more carefully thought 

 over, and more accurately expressed; for we all recollect that, 

 Litera scripta manet; and besides this, we are often given very 

 valuable extracts from works on microscopical subjects, to which 

 we may not have had access, or at least towards which our atten- 

 tion had not been before directed. I am aware that some of our 

 members have objected to the insertion in our note-books of 

 extracts from well-known authors, but it seems to me that, on the 

 whole, even such extracts are an advantage rather than otherwise. 

 But with respect to the notes we may make on the slides which 

 come to us^ it surely is a good rule to lay down for our own guid- 

 ance, " If you have nothing to say, don't say it," as on the other 

 hand, " If you have anything to say, don't be afraid of saying it." 

 Don't shrink from making a remark because you think it possibly 

 has been made before ; some may find your remarks quite 

 new to them, and to those who have heard it before, it is 

 often an advantage to have old information furbished up and 

 freshened in the memory. There are one or two points respecting 

 our note-books which it would be well to remember. There ought 

 to be some uniform system of arrangement ; begin each note-book, 

 not on the first page, but leave at least four pages blank, and 

 begin your notes on the fifth page ; the secretary will require 

 those first blank pages to affix the list of circuit, the catalogue of 

 shdes, etc. ; write on one side only of the page (the right side is 

 preferable) ; and number the pages so written coTiseadively^ for the 

 purpose of reference ; in this way the notes will be clearer, and 

 much confusion will be prevented. The blank off-sheets will serve 

 for any small sketches which you may find necessary to insert ; I 

 here allude to diagrammatic sketches. But regular drawings or 

 photographs ought to be made upon special paper, which the 



