QUARTERLY JOURNAL 
OP THIS 
ijpaffsrajjrad j&rmfg of Widam. 
-ATT C3-TJST 1879. 
PREFACE. 
In these colonies there is a wide and almost untrodden 
field for microscopic investigations in every branch of 
natural science, and it is believed there are many workers 
throughout the country who labour under seiious difficulties 
through the want of association. To these the Quarterly 
Journal of the Alicroscopical Society of Victoria will afford 
the means of communicating their observations to scientific 
authorities in other parts of the world, and thus enable 
them to aid in endeavours to solve some of the vexed 
problems of the day. The younger members of the Society, 
and other tyros in microscopy, will find the Journal 
instructive as indicating what lines of observation may be 
adopted most advantageously. 
Kindled societies throughout the world are earnestly 
desired to forward their publications in exchange, and thus 
help to remedy a defect inherent in all young communities, 
viz.: The want of a library replete with all the serial 
scientific publications of other countries. As an immediate 
consequence of this defect, it is probable that occasionally 
some of the articles in this Journal may be found to be 
on subjects previously described elsewhere ; but every 
endeavour will be made to avoid this difficulty. 
It may be useful to state, that the Society meets on the 
last Thursday in each month, for the reading of papers, 
exhibition of specimens, and the transaction of business 
B 
