

191 



PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



« 



By Edward Milles Nelson, F.R.M.S. 



(Delivered February 2lst, 1896.) 



Gentlemen, — In our customary review of the work of the 

 past year, before my data had been collected, I thought that 

 the list of those things which concern my own particular 

 branch of microscopical work would be small, but when it was 

 completed it was seen that that opinion could not be maintained. 

 Although the work of the past year may be said to be up to an 

 average, yet neither in amount nor novelty can it be compared 

 with the previous year, which might justly be called phe- 

 nomenal. 



To begin with, we have a second valuable paper by Mr. 

 Rousselet, " On the Preservation of Rotatoria ; " also a note 

 by the same author, " On a Spirit Proof Cement for Micro- 

 scopical Purposes," a glue which many of us have long 

 searched for in vain. 



The improvements in the mechanical part of the microscope 

 are the addition of the Powell- Tyrrell mechanical stage to 

 Baker, Watson, and Zeiss microscopes.* With regard to stage 

 movements it is by no means certain that the best form has 

 been devised yet, and we may look for further improvements in 

 the near future. 



A great deal of attention has been given to this portion of 

 the microscope during the past two years. It will probably be 

 conceded that the Powell-Tyrrell stage is the best that has 

 been designed for first-class stands, which are intended more 

 for the critical examination of a specimen than for rough 

 work, and it would seem that for all such critical work sliding 

 plates are necessary ; bat for smaller microscopes, on which 

 more rough and ready work and the preliminary examination of 

 objects is accomplished, it would appear that the better plan is 



* "Journ. R.M.S.," 1895, pp. 98, 688. The Tyrrell stage was used on 

 Engiscopes in 1837. 



