12 president's address. 



rare beauty, kindly lent by Messrs Smith and Beck, and Mr. C. 

 M. Toj)ping, of London, through Mr. H. B. Brady. For various 

 other objects of interest, the Society were indebted to the Eev. E. 

 Taylor, Lieut. West, K.N., Messrs Charles Wilson, J. Mawson, 

 and J. Watson. I cannot conclude this notice, lengthy as it 

 may be, without observing how much the success of the affair 

 was due to the admirable arrangements, both during the evening 

 and prior to it, and how much those arrangements were due to 

 the energy and attention of our late Secretary, Mr. D. Oliver, 

 jun. 



At eight o'clock. Dr. Charlton introduced to the audience his 

 colleague, Dr. Embleton, who delivered an interesting address on 

 Microscopical Science. He traced the history and progress of 

 the microscope, and narrated numbers of its achievements in the 

 infinity of minuteness, and illustrated the aid it had given to 

 the development of science by opening out to human knowledge 

 the structure and composition of plants and animals, and even 

 the functions of animals. Its assistance to medical science, es- 

 pecially in relation to morbid anatomy, had been very great ; 

 and the progress made in the knowledge of the nervous system 

 — though there was in the nerves that which would, probably, 

 never be ascertained by man — induced him to believe that we 

 were on the eve of great discoveries, which would be of inesti- 

 mable value to the human race. This district, he continued, 

 afforded microscopic objects in as rich a degree as' any other. 

 The Doctor's address was received with much applause, and a 

 vote of thanks to its author having been proposed by Mr. J. 

 Fenwick, was carried by acclamation. After partaking of re- 

 freshments, the company separated. 



The Ninth Evening Meeting was held in the Farmers' Club 

 Eoom, on the 17tli December, and was attended by eleven 

 members. The following papers were read : — 



1. ^' Notes on Cionus Scrophularice and Apion Violaceumy By 



Mr. Bold. 



2. A very interesting paper on the ^'Eemarkable Trees of 



Northumberland." By the Eev. John F. Bigge. 



