32 Tiie President's Address. 



President, had come to hand too late ; and that the election 

 must stand good. I regret to say that ray apprehensions with 

 regard to the state of nay health haA'e been more than realised ; 

 for, without a single exception, from the time of the soiree, 

 which was held in this room in April of the past year, I 

 have been prevented, by illness, from attending any of the 

 meetings. 



Knowing, as you all do, the part taken by me in assisting 

 to establish this Society in the outset, and that I have per- 

 formed the duties of Secretary for a period of nineteen years,, 

 during many of which I was unassisted, my declining- so 

 honorable a post as that of President must, at first sight, 

 have given rise to the idea that either mv views as to the 

 usefulness of the Society had changed, or that my occupa- 

 tions, being numerous, would not allow me time for micro- 

 scopical investigation, nor for the transaction of any business 

 connected with the Society ; but Avhen I state the truth, viz., 

 that I have been physically incapable of performing these 

 duties, I feel sure that no further apology will be needed, 

 more especially as I endeavoured in every way to prevent my 

 appointment, having, on more than one occasion, previously 

 refused it on the same grounds. I can only add, that should 

 it please the Almighty Disposer of events that my health 

 should be restored, I shall hope to be able, at some future 

 time, to show you that a long period of unavoidable absence 

 has in no way diminished my love for this Society, nor the 

 zeal and energy with which I once assisted in cariying on its 

 affairs. 



Since the Anniversary, which was held on the 8th of 

 February in the past year, there have been nine m.eetinfjs of 

 the Society; and, in addition to the subjects which have 

 been brought forward orally, no less than thirteen papers 

 have been read ; and of these, four relate to the Diatomacese, 

 a subject which, perhaps, more than any other, has, from 

 the earliest days of the invention of the Achromatic Micro- 

 scope, occupied the time and attention of the most persevering 

 and painstaking portion of our Microscopic community; 

 a certain number occupying themselves with the nature 

 of the markings on the surfaces of the valves, whilst others 

 are engaged in classifying and arranging the numerous spe- 

 cies Avhich are daily being procured from all parts of the 

 habitable globe. We are indebted to Dr. Greville,JDr. W'al- 

 lich, Mr. Norman of Hull, and ^Ir. Tufien West, for these 

 papers, all of which have been published in full in the ' Tran- 

 sactions' of the Society, and many of them have been de- 

 lineated by the accurate pencil of the last-named gentleman. 



