160 THE Microscope. 
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MICROSCOPISTS. 
The seventh annual meeting of this society will be held 
at Rochester, N. Y., beginning on Tuesday, August 19th, and 
lasting four days. 
Information from many sources warrants the statement that 
this meeting will not fall below either of the two that have just 
preceded it. 
It is not the purpose of this editorial to praise any one par- 
ticular man, but no one can read the official circular of Presi- 
dent Cox without thanking the man who first inaugurated, not 
without opposition, “the sessions for illustration of practical 
work in preparing and mounting objects, which proved so fas- 
cinating and useful a feature of the Chicago meeting.” Is this 
member in any way accountable “ for the steadily growing in- 
terest in the meetings for six years” ? 
We take strong exceptions to the severe criticisms given 
the society in Science. We acknowledge we are largely a body 
of amateurs; for how can we be otherwise? Three years ago 
it was a question whether an American society could be main- 
tained. How can we, then. “ give the results of serious and- 
prolonged research”? There are a few men living who, as the 
early friends of Spencer, have continued their labors even under 
the most unfavorable circumstances. But the heavy work must 
necessarily fall upon the younger and stronger. We have a 
wealth of reagents, our glasses are almost perfect, and we hope 
for years of future activity. What isour need? 70 understand 
more pertect methods of work. Let us keep this clearly in mind, 
and we shall never become lost in the entanglements of an 
intracellular network of minute fibrils. 
President Cox very wisely says, that: 
‘* Each year shows more plainly the importance of having the 
papers which may be read, so prepared that they may be left with the 
Secretary at the close of the meeting, and that the publication of the 
Proceedings may not be delayed by revisions of manuscript, or for the 
preparation of drawings.’’ 
