in the Kentish Gazette, and witli a fulness and accuracy which reflects 

 much credit on the conduct of that newspaper, will have kept the 

 members of the Society well informed of the proceedings at those 

 meetings. Abstracts of the same reports have been published from 

 time to time in the Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, and 

 these it is proposed to reprint with the rest of the annual report for 

 circulation among the members. Btit this will cause a little delay, 

 as the manuscript of the reports for the last quarter is still in the 

 hands of the editors of that journal, and will not be printed before 

 the 1st of April, immediately after which the report for the whole 

 year will be made up and issued to the members. Even this little 

 ii-regularity would have been avoided, but for the absence of the 

 Honoi-ary Secretary, who is detained by indisposition at Hastings, 

 and is scarcely at present able to undertake the compilation again. 



The results of the scientific business, being thus published, may 

 be left without comment, save that some of them have been deemed 

 worthy of further publication and have accordingly appeared in 

 several of the scientific journals of the metropolis. The excursions 

 have been very iiseful in providing materials for the scientific 

 meetings ; and for assistance at those pleasant trips the thanks of 

 the Society ai'e due to Mrs. Dean, Colonel Horsley, Mr. Sibert 

 Saunders, and last, but not least, to the excellent Hon. Assistant 

 Secretary, Mr. Fullagar. 



But this is by no means the only use of such excursions. They 

 help to introduce the young to, and confirm the old in, the practice 

 of out-door natural history ; and when the taste has been thus 

 directed and ciiltivated it is sure to lead to a further knowledge of the 

 subject. Nor can it be prosecuted judiciously without its due 

 reward, of enabling the mind to see the Creator in the creation, and 

 to realize an ample fund of innocent amusement and instruction, 

 quite independently of the hoarse disputes of less valuable though too 

 often more engrossing matters. And, indeed, your Committee is 

 impressed with the feeling that the provision of the means of 

 rational enjoyment accordingly is not the least service afforded by 

 the Society ; and hopes that this consideration, involving as it does 

 the intellectual culture of the rising generation, will insure the 

 countenance and support of many persons who, having little taste 

 for natural science, may yet feel much interest in the cause of an 

 important branch of education. And, in support of the truthfulness 

 of this view, it is noteworthy that it has been at length fully recog- 

 nised, and substantially entertained, in ouv great universities, and 

 in some of our public and other schools. 



The promotion of the Rev. Dr. Mitchinson to the See of 

 Barbados has left vacant the presidential chair, which he filled with 

 so much advantage to the Society. Hence it becomes the duty of the 

 members to elect a successor to him. And the Committee, having 

 obtained the consent of the Very Reverend the Dean of Canterbury, 

 proposes him for president during the next year. Having thus lost 

 Dr. Mitchinson, your Committee considers that tbe warmest thanks 

 of the Society are due to him for the very able and kind manner in 

 which he undertook and discharged the diities of president ; and 

 sui-ely the most cordial wishes of all the members will be for the 

 health and prosperity of the Prelate in his new sphere. And your 

 Committee hopes to be favoured from time to time with communica- 



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