The Presidenfs Address. 
69 
there is so wide a field open for investigatioii_, and that is by- 
no means difficult of acquisition^ seeing that many of the 
species are very widely distributed, should not command the 
special attention of a much larger number of workers. It is 
very true, that in mentioning Dr. Carpenter and Professor 
Williamson as peculiarly devoted to these singular beings, 
we are mentioning a host in themselves ; but great generals 
require the aid of multitudes of humbler assistants, and if we 
cannot all aspire to become officers in the army of investiga- 
tion, many of us may do much service in the ranks. A 
solution of the mystery may probably be found in the fact, 
that the determination of the limits of each species in this 
class of organisms is by no means an easy task, as is appa- 
rent from the observations of Dr. Carpenter upon very many 
occasions at the meetings of this Society, no less than from 
Mr. Parker^s paper, in which, by the way, he departs from 
the very common practice of giving merely dry details of 
special characteristics of genera and species, and discusses 
instead the broader principles of construction exhibited as 
much in variation of form as in unity of design. 
The paper is illustrated with very numerous and beauti- 
fully executed drawings and diagrams, which testify to the 
industry as well as the talent of the author ; and I am much 
mistaken if this communication does not act as a powerful 
stimulus to enlist a large number of microscopical labourers 
into so promising a field of scientific research. 
I now proceed to consider the one paper that I have classed 
as pathological, which might with almost equal propriety 
have been included amongst the botanical; it is by Mr. 
Grove, and entitled, On a Fungus parasitic in the Human 
Ear.^^ 
The fungus in question was removed from the ear of a 
gentleman suffering from inflammation of the meatus audi- 
torius, and a carefully executed drawing of it accompanies the 
paper. There is nothing observable in the form or character 
of the fungus that is remarkable in a botanical point of view ; 
but the most striking fact recorded appears to be, that 
although the destruction of the fungus was effected by the 
injection of a solution of alum applied to the aff*ected organ, 
shortly afterwards similar symptoms were manifested in the 
other ear, but complete development was obviated by the 
use of the alum solution. It is not quite clear to me 
whether it is intended to be conveyed, that the growth of 
the fungus was actually observed in the second instance, or 
only that the inflammatory symptoms commenced. If the 
former, it does seem singular that after removal of the fungus^ 
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