30 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [February, 



Sixteenth Annual Report of the American Postal Microscopical 



Club. 



By R. H. ward, M. D., 



TROY, N. Y. 



Membership. — We have at present 23 circuits, rather more than 

 full ; the few vacancies being more than balanced by supernumeraries 

 in other circuits. Most of the circuits are in good condition, with a 

 loyal and efficient membership. 



One circuit was dropped at the opening of this season, as the onl}^ 

 way of stopping the excessive delays and frequent losses occurring 

 there. It is impossible for the Club to live while retaining any circuit, 

 whoever the members may be, that cannot be safely trusted with the 

 boxes. It is probable that this circuit can be refilled before the begin- 

 ning of next season; but great caution is necessary, as it is a great 

 disaster to the Club to take in incompetent or indifferent members who 

 will break up our plans, and confuse the whole service, by dropping 

 out in a few months. 



This winter we have had the great pleasure of receiving and accept- 

 ing, from our Mr. John H. Choate, of Salem, Mass., an offer to supply 

 a list of the membership from his printing establishment. What kind 

 of artistic as well as scientific printing they can do in Salem can be 

 seen in the dainty little "booklet" which Mr. Choate not only pre- 

 sented to each member, but also with unexpected liberality furnished 

 in quantity for the use of the Club without charge. 



The Slides of the last series of circuit-boxes are unquestionably 

 better, on the whole, than any preceeding set ; and as most of the 

 former ones will be withdrawn after this season, the average service 

 cannot but be improved. Few of the recent slides can fail to interest 

 some among the diverse membership ; while many of , them are posi- 

 tively instructive to all except those few who have got to that stage of 

 learning where they must be content (?), for the most part, with the 

 pleasure of teaching. No expert can safely consider himself above the 

 province of assisting learners ; and it is difficult to doubt that work is 

 well spent which calls out such answers as these, some of which were 

 written by acknowledged authorities : "A splendid lot of slides." " Pi'o- 

 fessor * has had this box and note-book and expi'esses himself very 

 much pleased and interested." " This is an exceedingly fine specimen, 

 and is well worthy of study. It is a whole text-book of itself." 



Slides which seem quite unintei'esting to some specialists may be 

 really valued by somebody else, as appears from the following expres- 

 sions appended to various notes : "A rather severe comment. Per- 

 haps * * can recollect doing quite as unsatisfactory work in some 

 part of his existence. * *." " To my mind this object is quite as 

 beautiful and worthy of study as many of the interminable slides of * * 

 now forced upon a suffering microscopical fraternity. * *." " Yea, 

 verily. * *-." " I consider this an interesting slide. The views 

 under a ;|th are exquisite. Not being a medical expert or a diatoma- 

 niac, I have really enjoyed this considerably, and have felt paid for 

 many lost minutes spent on different slides which were enigmas to me. 

 * *_" a J j^j-j^ sorry to see this observation. The slide shows one of 

 the objects most interesting to a botanist, and I doubt if * * can 



