54 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE -GOSSIP. 



teresting. My only aim is to advise tiie study of 

 Nature. 



Ou the advantages attending the study of Natural 

 History it is superfluous to enlarge ; to every one 

 whose heart is well attuned Nature presents a 

 thousand charms. 



Vis. 46. Saws and Sheath, seen under pressure, side view, 

 X 60. 



So various and manifold are the subjects of 

 Nature's empire, that were the life of one man, how- 

 ever zealous he might be, lengthened out to twenty, 

 nay, a hundred times beyond his allotted term, his 

 materials wouldnotbe exhausted; he would still have 

 much to study, much to investigate, and, after all, 

 leave a " Systema Naturte " to be enlarged and cor- 

 rected by those who should come after him. Hence 

 the great advantage of co-operating numbers, each 

 working in his favourite department, and contribut- 

 ing his portion of labour to the public good. 



Fig. ij. Upper saw, more highly magnified. 



The result is an accumulated mass of riches, 

 which, being transmitted to our immediate succes- 

 sors, may be by them assayed, refined, and increased, 

 and, in due order, passed on to generationsyoUowing. 

 The utility, then, of selecting a portion of Nature's 

 empire on which to concentrate our energies, is 



very apparent. We may, nay we must, survey the 

 whole, in order to study a portion to advantage ; but 

 while in the one case we content ourselves with a 

 general outline, in the other we follow out the 

 minutest lines, tracing them through all their several 

 curves and ramifications. Every one can, I am sure, 

 do something towards adding to the common stock 

 of information already obtained, even with a mode- 

 rate degree of attention as opportunity serves. The 

 immense variety of objects which comes under the 

 investigation of a lover of Natural History, so far 

 from discouraging the beginner, should have the 

 effect of stimulating his exertions, as of by far the 

 larger part of "creation" little is comparatively 

 known; norevenof »^«;^ himself can our knowledge be 

 regarded in any way perfect. And none but those 

 who have tried the experiment can form an estimate 

 of the pleasures which arise from this branch of 

 study. There is a simple pleasure in the acquisi- 

 tion of knowledge, worth to many far more than 

 the acquisition of wealth. There is a pleasure in 

 making it useful to others ; there is a pleasure in the 

 contemplation of beauty and harmony wherever 

 presented to us ; and is not this pleasure increased 

 when we reflect, as in this branch we become experts, 

 that the sources of them are never-ending, and that 

 our enjoyment of them becomes more and more 

 intense in proportion to the comprehensiveness of 

 our knowledge ? And lastly, does not the feeling 

 that we are not investigating the acts of human 

 handiwork, but studying the wonders of a creative 

 design, immeasurably heighten the sources of 

 gratification ? 

 Bereham Road, Norwich. J. 0. Hakpee. 



ON MOUNTING IN GLYCERINE JELLY. 



SOME of the members of our Postal Micro- 

 Cabinet Club have asked us how we work with 

 glycerine jelly, and as there seems to be no book 

 which gives a really satisfactory method, we ask for 

 a space in Science-Gossip to detail our plan, which, 

 as it is very effective, and though not quite original 

 is perhaps new to many, we trust will be useful to 

 those microscopists who mount their own subjects. 



This medium possesses the advantage over Canada 

 balsam that, whilst it renders objects transparent, 

 it does not give them that homogeneous and glass- 

 like appearance which, though sometimes advan- 

 tageous, often leads one to form a very erroneous 

 idea of the nature of the object. Glycerine jelly 

 may be used for almost every class of objects ; and 

 it is, we think, easier to manipulate than any other 

 medium now in use. 



To begin at the beginning. — The jelly may be 

 bought at most opticians', but it is very easily made 

 at one fourth of the cost. We have found our 

 recipe as below superior to any given in books : — 



