NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE. 
The Royal Microscopical Society. — We have received two 
circulars relative to a change which is about to be made in 
the mode of publishing the ‘ Transactions ’ of the above 
Society. It appears that in future they are no longer to be 
published under the auspices of the Society in the well-known 
‘ Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science/ edited by Dr. 
Lankenster and his son, hut in a new monthly journal to be 
issued by Mr. Hardwicke, and edited by Dr. Lawson. We 
shall be glad to see both these journals thrive. Of the con- 
tinued success of the old Journal we have no doubt, more 
especially as the wholesome competition about to be created 
will stimulate editors and publishers. Of the new one we 
can, of course, say nothing at present. Our object in refer- 
ring to this circumstance is, however, not so much to direct 
the attention of microscopical observers to it, as to express 
the opinion that a Society which has been at the trouble and 
expense of obtaining a Royal Charter of incorporation, and 
which has changed its members into “ fellows,” should 
publish its own transactions independently of any periodical, 
however respectable and useful it may be. Whilst the Society 
was content to pursue its labours unostentateously, and when 
all the members were charged the moderate annual subscrip- 
tion of a guinea, the publication of its transactions in some 
periodical was justifiable, but after the changes which have 
been made (whether they were proper or not is a matter of 
taste), we think it hardly consistent that the transactions 
should serve as a shuttlecock for rival publishers. If our 
anticipations should not be fulfilled, and it should be found 
that the circle of microscopical readers is not sufficiently ex- 
tended to support a second journal, then the members will 
have to be referred back to the old Journal, or to some new 
literary protege of the council, and any one desirous of bind- 
ing the * Proceedings ’ continuously, and placing them for 
reference upon his shelves, must take with them whatever 
