02 TRANSACTION'S LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



the family circle were keenly felt, and are said to have 

 left an impress on Isaac Thompson's mind and character. 

 On June 1st, 187 (J, he married Susan, the youngest 

 daughter of Joseph and Agnes Stevens, Liverpool Friends. 

 They went to Switzerland for the wedding tour, returning 

 through Paris just before the siege. 



Thompson's early scientific studies led him first into 

 Bot&ny, and then to the microscopic study of the lower 

 plants, and so to the lower fresh- water animals and " Pond 

 life " in general. He became an accomplished micro- 

 scopist at a time when Liverpool was distinguished b}' 

 having Dallinger and Drysdale carrying on their 

 important investigations into the life-history of the lowest 

 organisms. At that time, thirty years ago, he was a 

 Fellow of the Royal Microscopical Society, and held 

 successively the posts of Secretary and President of the 

 Liverpool Microscopical Society. Soon after, when Mr. 

 Dallinger had left Liverpool, and Dr. Drysdale was no 

 longer an active worker, Mr. Thompson came to be 

 recognised as the leading local authority on the 

 microscope. 



He was a prominent member of several of the 

 scientific societies, and along with the Rev. H. H. 

 Higgins, Mr. T. J. Moore, and other local Naturalists, he 

 took a leading part in organising the " Associated Soiree " 

 of these societies, which was held each winter in St. 

 George's Hall until about 1884. It was at one of these 

 gatherings, in December, 1881, that the present writer 

 first met Isaac Thompson, and other members of the 

 " Microscopical " and " Literary and Philosophical " 

 Societies ; and when a few weeks later, in January, 1882, 

 University College opened, a couple of these local 

 Naturalists very kindly came to give a welcome at his first 

 lecture to the young and inexperienced Professor of 



