Secretaries-Frank Crisp, Esq., LL.B., B.A., V.P. & Treas. L.S. ; Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell, M.A., F.Z.S.

Twelve other Members of Council-A. W. Bennett, Esq., M.A., B.Sc., F.L.S.; Robert Braithwaite, Esq., M.D., M.R.C.S., F.L.S.; G. F. Dowdeswell, Esq., M.A.; J. William Groves, Esq.; John E. Ingpen, Esq.; John Matthews, Esq., M.D.; John Mayall, Esq., jun.; Albert D. Michael, Esq., F.L.S.; John Millar, Esq., L.R.C.P., F.L.S.; *William Millar Ord, Esq., M.D., F.R.C.P.; *Urban Pritchard, Esq., M.D.; William Thomas Suffolk, Esq.

Mr. Curties and Mr. Crouch having been appointed Scrutineers by the President, the ballot was proceeded with, and the Scrutineers having handed in their report of the result, the President declared the Fellows who had been nominated to be duly elected as Officers and Council for the ensuing year.

The President then read his Address (see p. 173), in which he dealt principally with low-power objectives, congratulating the Society upon the great progress which had taken place since his first address in the comprehension of the subject of aperture and in the use of the numerical aperture notation.

Dr. Anthony said that the pleasing duty devolved upon him of returning thanks to the President for his address. He would also add to this the thanks of the Society for his three years' services as their President. He did not have the pleasure of personally hearing the previous addresses, but he read them with charm in the Journal (as he hoped to read the one they had just heard); indeed, the first one he had not only read once but three times, and thought he might say he had not done with it yet. He had that evening had the pleasure of hearing some things which he knew before but which had been placed in a new light; but in addition to these there was much which he did not know, and he might refer especially to the interest of the remarks as to the Bacteria. He would venture also to recognize warmly the admirable manner in which the President had met all with whom he had come in contact, and his able conduct in the Chair. If he might be allowed to use a simile, he might say that the versatility of the President's qualifications reminded of the mighty power of a Nasmyth's hammer, which while it was able to shape a ton of glowing metal could nevertheless be made to crack a single nut. He had great pleasure in proposing a vote of thanks to the President for the address and for the able manner in which he had fulfilled the duties of his office during the last three years.

Mr. Crisp, in seconding the motion, said that in his experience they never had a President who had given more attention to his duties or who had been more ready to advance the Society's interests, whilst at their meetings he was always ready to deal with whatever subject might be before them, and to throw light upon it.

* Have not held during the preceding year the office for which they are nominated.

Dr. Anthony having put the proposition to the meeting, it was carried by acclamation.

Prof. Duncan, in thanking the Fellows for the very warm manner in which the vote of thanks had been received, said they could perhaps hardly realize what a feeling of satisfaction arose in his mind when he found that they were parting from each other under such very gratifying circumstances. Throughout his triple term of office nothing disagreeable had ever happened, and as to their general prosperity, the state of their finances would afford conclusive proof as to that, apart from the fact that no less than 143 Fellows had been elected during the three years. With regard to his successor he could only say that he believed that they would find the Rev. Mr. Dallinger a most admirable President, and one well qualified in every way to fill the position to which he had been elected.

The following Instruments, Objects, &c., were exhibited:-
Mr. T. Bolton :-Bacillaria paradoxa.

Mr. F. R. Cheshire:-Inosculating Muscular Fibres from the dorsal vessel of Apis mellifica (third segment).

Mr. Crisp:

(1) Hirschwald's Goniometer Microscope.
(2) Nelson's Student's Microscope.

(3) Pringsheim's Photo-chemical Microscope.
(4) Schicck's Corneal Microscope.

Mr. Rosseter-Stephanoceros Eichhornii.

Mr. C. M. Vorce:-Crystals of Uric Acid from Lepidoptera.

New Fellows:-The following were elected Ordinary Fellows:Messrs. William H. Bates, M.D., John Bennett, William E. Damon, Richard L. Mestayer, A.S.C.E., John Morley, and William Wales.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR 1883.

Fellows. The number of new Ordinary Fellows elected during 1883 was 53, as against 40 in 1882. After deducting 28 Fellows (2 of whom were compounders) who have died or resigned, this leaves a net increase of 25 for the year, and an addition to revenue of 441. 28. per annum.

Of the Honorary Fellows, Dr. F. Pacini died during 1883, and in his place was elected Dr. H. van Heurck, of the Botanical Gardens, Antwerp, well known as a microscopist and for his excellent synopsis of Belgian diatoms.

The list now includes 551 Ordinary, 50 Honorary, and 83 Exofficio Fellows, or 684 in all.

The Council are of opinion that, under existing circumstances, the subscription of Foreign Fellows is too low. For a payment of 218. per annum Fellows residing abroad, within the limits of the Postal Ser. 2.-VOL. IV.

56 14 0

1883

Union, receive the Journal post-free, or an equivalent of 328. The Council recommend that after the present year (1884) the annual subscription for Foreign Fellows should not be less than 31s. 6d.

Revenue. With the additions to the number of Ordinary Fellows, the income of the Society has continued to increase, and the report of the Treasurer, showing a total receipt of 8667., is the most satisfactory report which the Society have ever had placed before them.

Library. Mr. Reeves having tendered his resignation as Librarian and Assistant-Secretary, the Council took into consideration the question of recognizing his long services to the Society, and resolved to recommend to the Annual Meeting a grant to him of 100%. out of the capital funds of the Society.

The Council selected, as Mr. Reeves' successor, Mr. James West, previously assistant in the library of the Linnean Society, and have arranged that in future the Library, in place of being open from 11 to 4 as formerly, shall be open from 10 to 5.

Journal. The Journal for 1883 contained 1000 pages, the exact limit fixed by the Council. The index has been further improved by including in it the names of all authors whose names appear in the Bibliographical lists, so that a reference to the index will alone be necessary to find any paper noted during the year. In other respects the Journal has been continued on the same basis as before, and every care has been taken to insure that no paper or article of any importance in Microscopy shall escape notice in the pages of the Journal.

The sales of the Journal have steadily increased notwithstanding the augmentation in price, and of the second or current series only 17 sets remain. This places no little difficulty in the way of a satisfactory adjustment of the Exchange List, which must necessarily be still further curtailed so as to insure at least 25 sets being in future left in the Society's hands. The Council have been reluctant at present to increase the number printed, as they have felt it desirable to limit as much as possible the expense of the Journal in view of the probability of having to engage a paid editor on Mr. Crisp relinquishing the honorary editorship.

Papers. The papers read during the year have been of considerable interest, and have embraced a variety of subjects, including Dr. Hudson's on "New Floscularia" and a "New Asplanchna," Mr. Matthews' on the "Red Mould of Barley," Prof. Abbe's on "The Relation of Aperture to Power," Mr. Lovett's on "Preparing Embryological and other Delicate Organisms," Mr. Michael's on "The Anatomy of the Oribatida," Mr. Stearn's on "The Use of Incandescence Electric Lamps," Mr. Waddington's on "The Action of Tannin on the Cilia of Infusoria," Messrs. Morris and Henderson's on "The Ringworm Fungus," Mr. Beck's on "Cladocera of the English Lakes," Mr. Squire's on a "Method for Preserving the Freshwater Medusa," and others by Prof. Bell, Mr. Crisp, Mr. Dowdeswell, Dr. Maddox, and Dr. Schröder.

MEETING OF 12TH MARCH, 1884, AT KING'S COLLEGE, STRAND, W.C., THE PRESIDENT (THE REV. W. H. Dallinger, F.R.S.) IN THE CHAIR.

Mr. Glaisher said he had great pleasure that evening in introducing to the Fellows their new President, the Rev. W. H. Dallinger, F.R.S., whose name was so familiar to most of them, and whose work in a difficult branch of microscopical research was so well known. He begged therefore, on behalf of the Fellows of the Society, to offer a most hearty welcome to Mr. Dallinger, on the occasion of his taking his seat in the Presidential chair for the first time.

The Rev. W. H. Dallinger (who on rising was received with cheers) said that it was with very considerable pleasure that he occupied that evening the honourable position to which they had elected him, and he thanked them sincerely for the kind manner in which they had received the remarks of Mr. Glaisher. In coming amongst them as their President, he confessed to feeling a certain amount of trepidation, which arose in part from the newness of the position to which he had been elected, partly from the fact of his but slight personal acquaintance with so many of the Fellows of the Society (although he was well acquainted with many by name), but chiefly from the consciousness that he was succeeding a President who was in so many ways better qualified to fill the position, and whose admirable conduct as their President during the past three years was so well known and so cordially acknowledged by all. As they were no doubt aware, his own work with the Microscope had been special rather than general; he might say that he had taken a small corner of a very large field and had endeavoured to work it thoroughly. Whilst, however, endeavouring to become more or less master of the special point which he had made his study, he had not allowed anything of importance which concerned microscopy to escape notice, though doubtless there were many points to which he had not devoted particular attention. Although, therefore, it was possible that he might not be very pronounced on some points, his interest in the Microscope was of the deepest kind, and his strong desire was that the instrument, whether used by the youngest student or by the advanced observer, should be scientifically employed, and that every effort should be made to render it more than ever a means of promoting true rescarch.

The Minutes of the meeting of 13th February last were read and confirmed, and were signed by the President.

The List of Donations (exclusive of exchanges and reprints) received since the last meeting was submitted, and the thanks of the Society given to the donors.

7 vols. of the publications of the Palæontographical Society 2 Slides of Sticklebacks

From
Mr. Crisp.

Mr. J. Norman, jun.