PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES, 127 



possible. One reason for this want of interest in the meetings was, he 

 thought, clue to the fact that they had a Journal in which persons 

 thought they could read the papers, and that the Joi;rnal contained 

 many other papers which were not brought before the Society. Dis- 

 coverers were, no doubt, anxious to get their papers brought before the 

 public, and could do so at once by sending them direct to the Journal. 

 He thought it would be much better if the papers could be brought 

 there, even though they were taken as read, and were then passed on 

 to the Journal. He had strong objections to the Transactions of the 

 Society being brought out as they were merely as a trade speculation. 

 He thought that all papers published in their Journal should pass 

 through the hands of the Council, and then be printed in a separate 

 and independent publication ; it was needless for him to say how this 

 was done by other societies. The question was not so much one of 

 quantity as of quality. There were cases which he could mention in 

 which papers had appeared in the Journal, when it was quite certain 

 that had they been first brought before the Society they would have 

 been either very much modified or withdrawn altogether. He thought 

 that these were important reasons why the meetings had fallen off. 

 Another matter worthy of attention was the want of the social feeling 

 amongst the Fellows, and no one could doubt that a great deal was 

 done by giving a social character to the meetings. Persons now went 

 off directly after the meetings were over ; whereas they used to stay 

 when the Society indulged in the good wholesome practice of a cup 

 of tea after the business of the evening was over. He could well 

 remember the pleasant conversations and introductions which used to 

 take place at those times, and where persons lived out of London it 

 was frequently their only opportunity of becoming acquainted with 

 or of holding conversation with other Fellows of the Society. For 

 his own part he regretted exceedingly that money should be spent 

 upon a Journal rather than upon a genial cup of tea. He regretted 

 also very much the increased tendency towards individuality amongst 

 microscopical workers, and wished that he could have seen something 

 done to draw them more together instead. His regret was increased 

 by seeing the formation of another new Society, wliick he thought 

 must have the effect of drawing away young men from them who 

 would otherwise be workers with them. Was there any reason why 

 the Quekett Club, or the new Medical Society, could not be brought 

 into closer union with their own ? One more subject he should like 

 to mention, and that was that he considered it had been a very great 

 mistake on the part of the executive to retain a law that persons, 

 because they happened to be makers of microscopes, should be excluded 

 from the Council. He did not say this from any feeling as to himself, 

 because he had never desired the honour, and therefore might, he 

 thought, allude to the matter ; but there had been instances in which 

 this rule had been prejudicial to the Society, and he need only 

 mention the case of his late brother in proof ; they all knew how his 

 active energies were turned from the Society in a great measure, and 

 what he had done for the Quekett Club was very well known. In the 

 Astronomical Society, not only were makers of instruments eligible 

 VOL. IX. L 



