president's address. 11 



the Museum of the Natural History Society, in conjunction with 

 the Club, which proved very attractive and of great interest; 

 as it was the first held in the provinces, it deserves a length- 

 ened notice, and the following account is prepared from notes 

 furnished by Mr. H. B. Brady, and from the local press : — 



Twenty-four microscopes, all of a high class, and each fur- 

 nished with a number of infinitesimal objects derived from the 

 animal, vegetable, and mineral world, lent their aid to illustrate 

 the discoveries already made by the microscope. It may not be 

 amiss to refer in brief terms to some of the more striking objects 

 displayed. The Zoologist had opportunity of examining speci- 

 mens of marine polyzoa and sections of shell, showing the internal 

 structure, supplied by Mr. Alder ; and also living examples of a 

 new polyp, discovered by that gentleman, and first described by 

 him in a paper read before the Club (vol. iii. p. 124). Various 

 specimens obtained from marine radiata were exhibited by Mr. 

 G. Hodge. The Anatomist had ample field in the bone sections 

 of Mr. Gibb, and the beautiful injected preparations of human 

 tissues contributed by Dr. Embleton; or he might watch the 

 circulation of the blood in the frog or stickleback, on the stands 

 arranged by Mr. H, B. Brady and Mr. Martin, and then proceed 

 to examine the blood-discs themselves on the slide provided by 

 Dr. Emmerson. The Botanist had illustrations of the structure 

 of vegetable tissues, from Mr. D. Oliver, jun. ; and if interested 

 in the lower forms of vegetation, he was again indebted to that 

 gentleman and to Mr. E. Foster for various most beautiful 

 objects from fresh water and marine algae. The Diatoinacece had 

 able exponents in Dr. Donkin and Mr. Oliver, the former of 

 whom exhibited some of his new species; and their allies, the 

 Desmidiece and again the Volvocinieos, were represented by speci- 

 mens of ^he red snow from Crag Lough, and living examples of 

 Volvox glohator from Prestwick Car (now, alas! eradicated, or 

 nearly so) — for both of which we were indebted to the care of 

 Mr. T. Athey. For objects viewed by polarised light one or two 

 microscopes were set apart, and kept supplied by Mr. Martin and 

 Mr. G. S. Brady. There were also some polarising objects of 



