ADDRESS 



DELIVERED BEFOEE THE MEMBERS 



OF THE 



WEST KENT NATUEAL HISTORY, MICEOSCOPICAL, 

 AND PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY, 



BY 



The President, F. T. TAYLER, M.B., B.A., 



ON THE 28th FEBRUARY, 1883. 



Gentlemen, 



To night our Society arrives at the conmiencement of another 

 term in its existence, and so it becomes my privilege to address to 

 you some words fi'om the Chair. 



It has been well remarked that iu youth we are accustomed 

 to direct our thoughts principally to the future, and in old age 

 we are occupied largely in reviewing the past. Our Society has 

 now arrived at a period of vigorous manhood, when I think we 

 may do both with equal satisfaction. 



To the report of your Council I have Uttle to add. During 

 the past season we have had presented to us papers of great 

 value and interest, which, on many occasions, have given rise to 

 observations of scarcely less importance. In reference to this 

 matter, acting upon a suggestion thrown out by our late Presi- 

 dent, I think we have contrived a net of such a mesh that, while 

 it will allow the smaller specimens to escape, possibly to undergo 

 farther development, it mil yet enable us to retain some of 

 the more choice examples, to be afterwards submitted to the 

 compressorium of the printer, and so be preserved for future exa- 

 mination. 



Instead of occupying the time remaining at my disposal with 

 a general account of the various advances made in science during 

 the past year, a subject which would doubtless afford topics of the 

 greatest interest, I have chosen, on this occasion, to ask your 

 attention to a single hue of investigation. I have selected it, 

 first, because it is intimately connected with one of our special 

 subjects — the microscope ; and secondly, because we are coming 

 to see more and more every day that it is concerned with matters 

 not only of the greatest importance to us, but which involve our 



