MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 
215 
meeting at Mr. Bridgman’s house, at which Donald Dairy mple, 
afterwards M.D., and "William Brooke were also present, it was 
determined to carry this into effect ; and let me here remind yon 
that the host of the first evening was also your own iirst President, 
who in 18G'J spoke to you of “rocking your cradle,” as he had, 
in fact, rocked that of the earlier body in 1852. During the next 
few months the following became members: William Harcourt 
Ranking, M.D., Edward Copeman, M.D., William Cadge, James 
Newbegin, dun., Elijah Bleakley. I shall not allude further to 
Messrs. Morgan, Ranking, Copeman, and Cadge — they were all 
medical men in busy practice, and they appear very shortly to have 
found it dillicult or impossible to attend the Society's meetings ; 
but as to the other names mentioned more must be said. 
Thomas Brightwell (b. 1787, d. 18GS) was a Suffolk man, who 
early in the century settled in Norwich to practise as a solicitor. 
He had from his youth been led to take an interest in Natural 
History, and as the achromatic microscope became improved, lie 
adopted it in his studies, and devoted his attention to “Pond life.” 
He published a History of Norfolk Infusoria, making some very 
valuable observations in various branches of that subject, but 
eventually applied himself more especially to the order of the 
Piatomaceie. 
Between 1853 and 1858 he published several papers, chiefly on 
the Genera Chietoceros, Rhizosolenia, and Triceratium, which at 
the time were the acknowledged authority on those forms. The 
genus Brightwellia was established by his friend, J. Rail's, in his 
honour, and the speeilic names of Triceratium Britjhticellii, 
SurireUa Brightwellii , and of other forms, commemorate him, as 
does Ghtvtoceros Wighamii, his friend, Robert Wigham (d. 1857), 
who supplied him with the gathering in which that diatom was 
first identified. 
The disciple of these two men was Frederic Kitton,* as to whom 
a separate record appears at p. 201, of this vol. 
Kitton assisted Mr. Brightwell in the above investigations, and 
though his name does not appear in the papers, the latter, in his 
own circle, never omitted to mention the help he had received, 
and testified his friendship for Kitton in many ways. 
* Frederic Kitton was President 1874 — 79, and on the Council 1804 — 07 
1809—72, and 1879—82. 
VOL. VI. 
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