38 the president's address. 



ject is so large that it would take a longer time than is at ray 

 disposal this evening to do it full justice, and I am also aware 

 that although it is a momentous question in the interests of 

 microscopy, it is, nevertheless — and from the nature of the case 

 must be — dry as dust. An apology, therefore, is due to you for 

 bringing it before you at an Annual Meeting, when it is naturally 

 expected that the address should be of a lighter nature, but I 

 felt that its importance was paramount, and therefore ven- 

 turpd to trespass on your good nature. 



In conclusion, let me briefly sum up. In the first place, it 

 will be conceded by those who have studied his articles with- 

 out prejudice that Mr. Wright has been the first to give a cor- 

 rect theory of microscopic vision with large illuminating cones, 

 and, secondly, that he has disproved the theory, generally 

 accepted among microscopists for the past 20 years, with regard 

 to spectral images, and has shown that they belong to a class 

 of physical phenomena known as Fresnel's interference bands. 



