66 
The President's Address. 
office in 1860^ when a vacancy was occasioned by the election 
of Professor Quekett as President. Unhappily his ill health 
prevented him giving much attention to the affairs of the 
Society,, and was the cause of its not realising all the ad- 
vantages from his appointment that had been confidently 
anticipated. 
He was an old member, constant in attendance at our 
meetings, frequently took part in the proceedings, and oc- 
casionally contributed to our ^ Transactions.^ He was the 
author of the following papers : 
1. " On the application of Polarized Light in Microscopical 
Investigations.'' (Read December 9th, 1846. 'Tr. Mic. 
Soc. Lond.,' vol. ii, p. 83.) 
2. '^'^ Addendum to the paper ^On the application of Po- 
larized Light in Microscopical Investigations.'-'' (Read 
December 22nd, 1847. ' Tr. Mic. Soc. Lond.,' vol. ii, p. 122.) 
3. " On the Improvement in the Stage of the Microscope." 
(Read January 26th, 1848. ' Tr. Mic. Soc. Lond.,' vol. ii, 
p. 127.) 
4. " Observations on the Examination of Sponge-Sand, 
with remarks on Collecting, Mounting, and Yiewing Fora- 
minifera as Microscopic Objects." (Read June 22nd, 1853. 
'Tr. Mic. Soc. Lond.,' n. s., vol. ii, p. 19.) 
Of the other members lost by death I have no personal 
knowledge, and can only record their names, and the state- 
ment that they were attached to scientific pursuits," and 
used the microscope in their investigations. They are : — 
Viscount Downe ; J. C. Druce, Esq.; W. Harkness, Esq. ; 
J. MacMahon, Esq. ; Dr. E. Meeres; W. S. Sargenson, Esq. 
I now propose rapidly to review the proceedings of the 
Society during the past year, to inquire how far we have ful- 
filled the intentions of its founders, or whether we have lost 
sight of any of the objects they had in view. 
They proposed — a. The establishment of a library of 
standard micrographical works. j3. The formation of an ar- 
ranged collection of microscopical objects and preparations. 
y. The affording the opportunity and means of submitting 
difficult and obscure microscopical phenomena to the test of 
instruments of different powers and construction. I am thus 
naturally led to consider the state of our collection of — a, 
books; /3, objects; -y, instruments. 
a. Library. — Our library now comprises 275 volumes ; 
some obtained by purchase, many presented by their respec- 
tive authors, and some donations from members and others. 
It contains valuable (in every sense) works by Ehrenberg, the 
