68 
The Presidents Address. 
up to tlie tV^Ii; ^ind an ample variety of accessory apparatus. 
Some useful objectives of the most modern and approved 
construction have also been ordered for the Society from 
Messrs. Powell and Lealand_, and Smithy Beck and Beck. 
Thus it appears that the instrumental means at the present 
disposal of the Society are the best that can be obtained ; and 
in the hope that the members of the Society and their friends 
would avail themselves of these ample means of investigation, 
it has been arranged that the curator should be present at seven 
on each evening of meeting, for the purpose of producing any 
instruments or objects that may be required; and these op- 
portunities, I trust, may not be lost sight of by the members 
of the Society. 
The only remaining act of the Society during the past year 
that appears to require any special notice is the institution 
of the Queckett Medal, established in memory of one who, 
for many years, laboured more assiduously and successfully in 
microscopic investigation than probably any one of his con- 
temporaries, and to Avhom this Society (especially in its 
early progress) is more largely indebted than to any other 
individual. It has been proposed to give a gold medal, pe- 
riodically, to the most successful cultivator of microscopic 
science ; but as the world requires gold to be weighed against 
gold, the means are unfortunately wanting for fully carrying 
out this commendable design, and contributions to the 
Queckett Medal Fund will be thankfully received. Many of 
those who have profited by Prof. Queckett's admirable micro- 
scopic demonstrations at the College of Surgeons would pro- 
bably be glad to pay such a final tribute to his memory, if 
their attention were once directed to the subject. 
Having thus briefly recapitulated the state and progress 
of the Society during the past year, I will avail myself of the 
present opportunity of making some observations that I 
think may not be without interest to the members of this 
Society. 
Having been one of the members of the jury of Class XIII, 
in the recent International Exhibition, to whom the duty 
of reporting on the microscopes was specially deputed, I 
examined with considerable care the various instruments 
and apparatus exhibited both in the British and foreign 
departments, and the result of my observation was certainly 
very flattering to British industry and intelligence, as devoted 
to the construction of the microscope. 
It would ill become me on the present occasion to institute 
invidious comparisons at home, but I am equally bound to say 
that no foreign microscope that was exhibited was at all com- 
