MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 
ANNUAL MEETING, 
February ISth, 1861. 
Dr. Lank ESTER in the chair. 
R-EPORT OF Council. 
According to annual custom, the Council have to make 
the following report on the state and progress of the Society 
during the past year. 
The Society at present consists of — 
Compounders - - - 41 
Annual Subscribers • - 259 
Honorary and absent - 5 
giving a total of - - - 305 for the number 
of members this day on the books ; of these 35 have been 
elected during the past year, and are included in the above 
number. The Council have to regret the loss by death of 5 
members — P. W. Fry, Esq., Geo. Jackson, Esq., Rev. David 
Laing, Charles May, Esq., and Dr. James Forbes Young. 
Three of these, viz., Mr. Fry, Mr. Jackson, and Dr. Young, 
were among the original members who founded the Society. 
The Council have also received seven resignations. During the 
past year the Library has received an accession of 73 books ; 
of these 25 consist of various complete works, many of which 
are of great value : among these may be particularly noticed 
the works of Leuwenhock, 2 vols. 4to., and Swammerdam^s 
' Historia Insectorum,^ 3 vols. foL, presented with other works 
by Dr. Millar, and the valuable contributions of the Hackney 
Microscopical Society, presented through Mr. Roper ; four 
works also have been purchased with the Library Fund ; and 
the remaining works consist of serial publications, presented by 
the various editors, with the exception of one, the ' Annals of 
Natural History,^ which is purchased, as it appears, for the 
use of the Society. 
The cabinet of objects has received an accession of 66 
slides, including 27 from the Boston (U. S.) Natural History 
Society, 14 from Dr. Carpenter, being specimens of Polyozoa 
