2 PKESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



the annual address, it may be considered as " Otiwn cuvi digni- 

 tatem^ and, therefore, pecuHarly adapted to myself. I am proud to 

 say that I was one of the first group of members, and am sorry 

 to find that only six of the number are left on the list. Death 

 has robbed us of some ; others have emigrated to distant lands, 

 and these, we hope, will continue their researches, and perhaps 

 lay the foundations of other microscopical societies; indeed, I 

 have recently discovered that this has been actually the case, a 

 former active member of this Society having been instrumental in 

 forming a Postal Microscopical Society in New South Wales. I 

 refer to Mr. Kyngdon, against whom I sat at the first of our 

 dinners. The rest have left us for some reason or other best 

 known to themselves. 



Our numbers have varied somewhat, but the last list, I believe, 

 contains the greatest number we have ever had, and although the 

 prosperity of a society is not always shown by mere numbers, yet 

 the sinews of war must be thus estimated — i.e.^ if they all (as I 

 have no doubt all our members do) pay up their subscriptions. 



About four years after the formation of our Society (that is, in 

 1877), Mr. Tuffen West inaugurated the delivery of a presidential 

 address, giving very good reasons why this should be an annual 

 custom. Since that time, one has been prepared yearly, and now 

 that I, in my turn, am called upon to do the same, I find the task 

 one of considerable difficulty. 



Our Society welcomes every user of the microscope, no matter 

 whether he be simply a collector of choice slides prepared by 

 others, or himself an adept at mounting ; whether he uses 

 the instrument for occasional amusement only, or dips deep 

 into one single branch of microscopic study ; whether he 

 uses it as a tool in his business or profession, or as an 

 instrument for general scientific purposes. In fact, whether 

 he be an amateur or professional, he may be a useful member 

 of our Society ; we only require that he will do his best to 

 impart what knowledge he possesses, and try to extract from 

 the other members any information he may require for the benefit 

 of all. It may be that we have members possessing time, oppor- 

 tunity, energy, and skill, and desiring to use them, who yet do no 

 real work, simply because they have not yet found out the fine of 



