4^ Address of the President at the Annual Meeting. 
ti'ating power, enabling us to see much more into an object, 
than one of a very wide angle ; and generally speaking, its 
definition will also be found superior. 
Let me remind you, further, that almost all the great 
achievements of microscopic research have been made by the 
instrumentality of such objectives as I am recommending. 
There can be no question about the large proportion of the 
results which continental microscopists may claim, in nearly 
all departments of minute anatomical, physiological, botanical, 
or zoological research, since the introduction of this invaluable 
auxiliary ; and it is well known that the great majority of their 
instruments are of extremely simple construction, and that 
their objectives are generally of very moderate angular aper- 
ture. Moreover, if we look at the date of some of the prin- 
cipal contributions which this country has furnished to the 
common stock, such as the "Odontography" of Professor 
Owen, the " Researches into the Structure of Shell" carried out 
by Mr. Bowerbank and myself, the " Physiological Anatomy*' 
of Messrs. Todd and Bowman, the first volume of the His- 
tological Catalogue," by Professor Quekett, and the " British 
Desmideae" of Mr. Ralfs, we find sure reason to conclude that 
these researches must have been made with the instrumentality 
of lenses, which would in the present day be regarded as of 
very limited capacity. 
I hope that in these remarks I shall not be understood as in 
any way desirous to damp the zeal of those, who are applying 
themselves to the perfectionizing of achromatic objectives. I 
regard it as a fortunate thing for the progress of science, that 
there are individuals whose tastes lead them to the adoption 
of this pursuit ; who stimulate our instrument-makers to go on 
from one range to another, until they have conquered the dif- 
ficulties which previously baffled them, and then apply them- 
selves to find out some new tests which shall offer a fresh 
difficulty to be overcome. But it is not the only, nor can I 
regard it as the chief work of the microscope, to resolve the 
markings upon the Diatomaceae, or tests of the like difficulty ; 
and although I should consider this as the highest object of 
ambition to our makers, if the performance of such lenses 
with test-objects were any fair measure of their general utility, 
yet as I think that I have demonstrated that the very conditions 
of their construction render them inferior in this respect for 
the purposes of ordinary microscopic research, I would much 
rather hold out the reward of high appreciation {we have no 
other to give) to him who should produce the best working 
microscope, adapted to all ordinary requirements, at the loioest 
cost. It does not seem to me an unapt simile, to compare the 
