190 THE MICROSCOPE. [September, 



has done so much of this work, adding careful notes with elabo- 

 rate drawings to numerous other boxes as freely as to his own, 

 that simple justice requires a special acknowledgment. On the 

 other hand, it is sometimes the misfortune of the Club to lose some 

 of its most capable members, because they do not find the notes, 

 in quantity and quality, up to the standard of their own ideas. It 

 is doubtless correct, on purely selfish business principles, for one 

 who knows nearly all that is known in any department to resign 

 and leave because he cannot learn as much from others as they 

 can from him, but it is not so obviously in accordance with scien- 

 tific interests ; and the management, at least, does not yet under- 

 stand how the books can be kept supplied with instructive notes 

 if those members who can write them think necessary to with- 

 draw because they are not already written by those who cannot. 



The use of bad ink, careless penmanship, and illegible pencil 

 marks are causes of annoyance and of just complaint. ''■ I feel 

 inclined to criticise some of the inks used by contributors, that 

 seem nearly worthless. Numerous good inks can be got." 



In cutting up book pages, printed on both sides, for insertion 

 in the note-books, as with the Cole boxes and some of the latest 

 specials, it is obviously impossible to make each extract begin and 

 end exactly as it ought, since the subdivisions of the subjects seldom 

 correspond exactly with the limits of the pages. In such cases, 

 of course, the pages are divided in the most practical way, giving 

 each slide the portion most essential to it. 



The extracts from the note-books, printed herewith, include 

 the available notes not heretofore published. A much larger num- 

 ber of equally valuable notes, of the text-book order, are not suit- 

 able for separate reading. 



In the early years of the Club we were accustomed to send 

 around the books when "finished" (worn out?) for the inspection 

 of the original contributors. But the satisfaction gained was so 

 little, and the complications and difiiculties so great, that the busi- 

 ness was neither satisfactory nor successful. Itwas therefore sus- 

 pended, and the plan adopted of sending only the really important 

 notes to the persons directly interested. Lately, however, the sug- 

 gestive notes have been so fully published as to leave little need 

 of such formality. 



Circulation. — During the season of i890-'9i most of the cir- 

 cuits received i8or 19 boxes, the extremes being 16 and 20. Dur- 

 ing the present season the circuits have, thus far, received from 

 12 to iS boxes, and they will probably receive from i to 2 or 3 

 more, making a total average of 15 or 16. Of course these num- 

 bers, except the totals, onW apply correctly to the first names in 

 the circuits ; as the boxes already credited to the circuits will con- 

 tinue to pass the later members for some weeks to come. 



The necessary irregularity in the movement and intervals of the 



