4 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



past twelve months, and I am pleased to testify to their great 

 value. One member, Mr. Bostock, has contributed valuable slides 

 and information in regard to the Oribatidce. Dr. Walker sent 

 round some well-mounted, double-stained slides of stems, buds, 

 and roots, which were well illustrated and described. He has also 

 added to our information by a series of Odontophores. Mr. Neeve 

 circulated a box of Marine Algae, illustrated by dried and mounted 

 specimens and notes ; followed by a second series, with highly 

 finished drawings from the pencil of Miss Phillips. Mr. Bassano 

 has favoured the Society with botanical and entomological objects; 

 Dr. Bossey, Mr. Dawson, and the Rev. A. C. Smith, have aided 

 us by well-mounted specimens of Diatomacefe. Messrs. Beards- 

 more, Fisher, and several others, have done excellent work in the 

 botanical division of microscopical science. 



In examining the slides and reading the notes of these and 

 other members who have so usefully served the Society, I am 

 painfully reminded of my own short-comings, and perhaps our 

 Honorary Secretary is rejoicing that he has helped to place me in 

 a position where I am compelled to act the part of a penitent. If 

 there are any other members of this Society who share my feelings 

 to-night, we had better atone for the past by a pious resolve here 

 and now to alter our ways. I may add, however, that if, during 

 the last few years, I have not been a worker, I assuredly have not 

 been a critic of the contributions of my fellow members. You 

 will not find in the note books any complaints of my own that 

 boxes are not up to the average, slides are not well finished, and 

 notes are sparse. I have profited by the remarks of our Secretary 

 that those members who complain of few notes are usually those 

 who never add any. In thinking over our Work, I believe the 

 Honorary Secretary will be glad to receive, not only series slides, 

 but boxes which contain slides of a series character confined to a 

 particular plant or insect. While there may be nothing new in 

 objects comprised in the three kingdoms of nature, their respec- 

 tive types having been so earnestly studied, there yet remains 

 much of novelty to be disclosed by patient observation of particular 

 parts of structure. I well remember in earlier years contributing 

 boxes of slides and notes and drawings, which perhaps I may be 

 permitted to describe as " monographs." 



