352 J. H. MAIDEN. 
Microscopical Committee. 
One was first elected 11th May, 1859. Its formation had 
been suggested by His Excellency, Sir William Denison, 
and it held its first meeting, during this month, at Govern- 
ment House. It seems to have ended with his term of 
office. For abstracts of its proceedings, see p. 312. 
The Microscopical Section was not re-established until 
23rd June, 1876, see Vol. x for that year, p. 291. It was 
in the volume for this year that reports of the sections 
were first published. 
Membership. 
Following is the membership so far as I have been able 
toascertain it :—1855, 22 Australian Philosophical Society 
members brought into Philosophical Society of New South 
Wales; 1855, 153, (Philosophical Society of New South 
Wales); 1857, (no record); 1858, 174; 1859, 186; 1860, 154; 
1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, (no record); 1866 (the records 
of membership, Treasurer’s accounts, are probably in the 
keeping of some private person, and it is hoped that they 
will find their way into our archives); 1867, 108 (Royal 
Society of New South Wales); 1868, 118; 1869, 118; 1870, 
127; 1871, 129; 1872, 134; 18738, 118; 1874, 155; 1875, 264, 
Honorary Members (in addition) were first elected in this 
year. 
I do not go past 1875, but I may mention that in no year 
from 1880 to 1892 did membership go as low as 450. In 
1883-5 the numbers were 494, 494 and 492. It went below 
400 (397) in 1897, and has fluctuated between 300 and 400 
ever since. 
The report of the Committee, presented on 30th August, 
1865, recommended two classes of members, Fellows and 
Associates. This was decided on at a meeting on the 8th 
November, but the decision was shortly afterwards reversed. 
