THE MANCHESTER MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 301 
an autotype portrait, to hang in our room of meeting; and we hope that our 
energies will be stimulated to greater endeavours when we look at this speaking 
likeness, which seems to say to us, almost in words, ‘* Whatever you do, do it 
with all your might.” 
Mr. Brittain said he did not know that any words he could com- 
mand would adequately express the gratitude which he felt at this 
unexpected kindness to him. He had been a lover of the micro- 
scope for nearly half a century, and it had been the greatest 
pleasure of his life. Forty years ago it was a difficult thing to 
organise anything like a microscopical society, but in 1858 he 
made an attempt to establish one. He found that a number of 
gentlemen were willing to give their assistance, and finally a society 
was got together and it became a branch of the Literary and 
Philosophical Society, the subscription being two guineas a year. 
That did not meet his object, as he wished to make the microscope 
a popular instrument of education. He felt that in the microscope 
a field of usefulness was open to him which would bring reward to 
him—not a reward like the present one, he had never expected 
that—but he anticipated a feeling of gratitude from those in whose 
services he was labouring. He gave lectures throughout Lanca- 
shire and Yorkshire. One or two things in connection with this 
Society gave him profound pleasure; one being the wonderful 
progress of the younger members in the study of the microscope. 
They had come there devoid of any knowledge of microscopy, 
and, to his astonishment, in six or twelve months they had been 
able, a great many of them, to mount objects requiring great skill 
and practice. If there was a lasting pleasure in life it was to be 
found in the study of nature in its minutest aspect, and the micro- 
scope gave us that advantage. 
Mr. W. Stanley, the Hon. Sec. of the mounting section, said 
that he came forward as perhaps the youngest pupil of Mr. Brittain, 
in order to express the feeling of pleasure with which he saw the 
Manchester Microscopical Society (one of the most successful 
societies of recent years, and one whose number of members was 
equal to many of the leading societies) recognise the valuable 
services of Mr. Brittain. 
The Chairman then said: Ladies and Gentlemen, before we 
proceed to the inspection of the. amateur work and microscopical 
specimens arranged for your entertainment, a few remarks upon 
the objects and aims of our society may not be inappropriate. 
About five years ago, before this Society was in existence, I 
happened to be in the city of Berlin, and amongst the many sights 
that delight and instruct the visitor to the German capital I found 
that it possessed a permanent exhibition of microscopes and 
microscopical objects. It was called the ‘ Microscopical 
Aquarium,” because its chief purpose was to exhibit those vital 
