262 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Aug 



utilitv in their desire to be successful candidates for F. R. 

 M. S. If so, how can it be expected that the meetings will 

 be large ? 



Each year the president of the society receives the long 

 coveted honor. The records will show, that having got- 

 ten it, he usually graduates from all active connection with 

 the Society. Annually relegate one of the most active 

 members to obscurity and what should be the effect in the 

 19 years the society has been in existence? Do we need 

 fo further in order to answer why the attendance at the 

 meetings is confined to a small group of people ? If a man 

 can get his paper before the Royal Microscopical Society 

 by delivering it to the secretary of the American Society 

 in time to go into the Proceedings why should he be to the 

 time and expense of a trip to Toledo? 



What then is necessary for the success of the Society? 



1. Change its whole spirit and methods. 



2. Elect only such men to the presidency as have 

 largely advanced microscopical interest in America. 



3. Pay the expenses of a distinguished microscopist to 

 visit each meeting. 



4. Transfer all business to secret sessions of a Board. 



5. Publish only the results of business discussions. 



6. Publish no paper that has not been read at a meeting. 



7. Publish in full only such papers as are of great 

 value and require expensive illustrations. 



8. Publish brief abstracts of minor papers, leaving the 

 periodicals to publish them in full. 



9. Leave to periodicals all that properly belongs to 

 journalism. 



10. Permit and encourage' the periodicals to publish all 

 that they can of the papers read and of the president's 

 address. 



11. Be at work all the year preparing something that 

 will interest a large number of people. 



12. Ta'.ce great interest in the welfare of the local 

 societies and invent means to help them to prosper. 



13. Receive their delegates as honorary members, enter- 

 tain them and send them home full of enthusiasm. 



