1885.] 



MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 



237 



readers with a portrait which is now 

 being engraved for us from a photo- 

 graph by Bogardus, taken while Dr. 

 Carpenter was in this country not 

 long ago. 



The portrait is, we believe, better 

 than any yet published, and will form 

 an appropriate frontispiece to the 

 next volume, which our readers will 

 no doubt highly prize. 

 o 



The Journal for i8S6. — The 

 past year has been, unquestionably, 

 the most entirely successful year the 

 journal has yet enjoyed. Owing to 

 a variety of causes, among which we 

 may mention the increased demand 

 for illustrations, the profits of the 

 business have been somewhat less 

 than in some past years ; but when 

 we say this has been the most success- 

 ful year of all, we consider only the 

 journal as a medium of information. 

 We need not pass in review the many 

 articles of value it has been our pleas- 

 ure to publish this year. Those who 

 have read the journal already know 

 of them , and those who have not read it 

 will probably not read this paragraph. 



However, at this time it is proper 

 we should say a few words about the 

 next volume. It is our intention to 

 improve the journal in several re- 

 spects. We have been very much an- 

 noyed this year by irregularities in 

 the paper upon which it has been 

 printed. This we propose to obviate 

 in future, and next year a better paper 

 will be used, upon which illustra- 

 tions can be printed to better advan- 

 tage. 



With the January number will be 

 issued a fine portrait of the late Dr. 

 W. B. Carpenter, to be the frontis- 

 piece of the volume. The portrait 

 will be engraved especially for this 

 journal, and will only be furnished 

 to those who subscribe for the 

 year. Single copies will not be 

 sold. 



Among the subjects that will be 

 treated at length next year, photo- 

 micrography will have a prominent 

 place. The articles on the genera of 



algae of fresh water, by the Editor, 

 will be continued and brought to an 

 end ; as will also the translation, by 

 Professor Seaman, of the valuable 

 historical account of staining pro- 

 cesses. The value of both these con- 

 tributions will be best recognized 

 when they are completed and indexed. 

 A considerable number of interesting 

 articles on difierent subjects is already 

 in hand awaiting publication, and 

 others are promised. 



The very satisfixctory condition of 

 the journal, especially as regards the 

 character and value of the articles 

 contributed during the past vear. en- 

 encourages us to devote mo- e time to 

 it in the future than hitherto, for it 

 has now become a publication of 

 recognized value in the field it cov- 

 ers. We shall persevere in the 

 course that has been followed thus 

 far with such satisfactory results, pre- 

 ferringto merit the appreciation of the 

 large and increasing body of earnest 

 students and workers, rather than 

 attain notoriety, and a trifling tran- 

 sient increase of circulation, by a less 

 consei-vative course. 



Microscopical Societies. — 

 Sometime ago we stated our intention 

 to publish each year a list of the micro- 

 scopical societies in the country, and 

 requested the officers or members to 

 favor us with the names of officers, 

 number of members, and such other 

 information concerning the societies 

 with which they are connected, for 

 this purpose. After waiting several 

 months, we find the number of re- 

 sponses surprisingly small. Although 

 we cannot present the list as repre- 

 senting all the societies in existence, 

 it may fairly be assumed to include, 

 with a few notable exceptions — such 

 as the New York, and the Wellesley 

 College for example, from which we 

 have not received information con- 

 cerning present membership, etc. — 

 all the societies that are active and 

 prosperous. Omissions can be made 

 up next year. The list includes only 

 those societies whose officers have re- 



