84 The President's Address. 



In devising new plans of publication, the Council hope to 

 secure for the Fellows of the Society greater advantages in 

 proportion to the sum expended, and so to meet the views of 

 gentlemen engaged in original researches that they may be 

 induced to send their jDapers preferentially to this Society, 

 even when, as is often the case, other Societies of great in- 

 fluence might be oj)en to their reception. 



I think the time has arrived when the Council may take 

 into their serious consideration the propriety of aAvarding a 

 gold medal for the results of patient researches or papers of 

 high microscopical merit, or for ncAV inventions, &c., in the 

 hope of encouraging our Fellows and others to work zealously 

 and patiently. 



Annually to confer a Royal Microscopical Society's medal 

 for work of high merit would, I believe, tend to the j)ros- 

 perity of the Society, by causing papers of the highest class 

 to be brought to us. This subject, together with all the 

 details connected with the publishing of our " Transactions," 

 will come under the consideration of your new Council, and 

 I do not doubt that with their care and attention to this 

 subject, important improvements may be effected. 



There is another matter which, I think, deserves attention. 

 It has been the practice of the Society to invest in the public 

 funds all the money paid by compounding Fellows ; this 

 practice is a sound and good one in the infancy of a Society, 

 but plainly a time must come when more money will be in- 

 vested than that corresponding with living compounders, and 

 after this the death of a compounder might Avith propriety 

 release for use, if required, the amount of his composition. 



By the Treasurer's account to-day we see that we have more 

 than £1000 consols, and a sum of £168 waiting investment; 

 that all the extra heavy expenses incurred this year have been 

 paid, and that the balance at the bankers exceeds by a good 

 deal our present liabilities. 



That our finances are in so good a condition is clue to our 

 acting Treasurer, Mr. Ince, who has been indefatigable in 

 the interests of the Society, and to whom our best thanks are 

 due. 



Under these circumstances, it becomes a matter for con- 

 sideration with the new Council whether we shall noM- con- 

 form to the usages of other old and well established Societies 

 in this respect. 



I hope by these means to be able to comply with the wish 

 expressed of the Library Committee to devote some funds 

 annually to the purchase of necessary Avorks ; and I also 

 hope the Council will be able to devote any sum necessary 



