DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS FROM THE MICROSCOPE. 



R A W I N G S of 

 microscopic pre- 

 parations under 

 the highest powers, 

 illustrative of mi- 

 nute points of 

 structure, are ne- 

 cessarily of great 

 scientific value, 

 and are the result 

 of a high intelli- 

 gence brought to 

 bear upon the 

 revelations of the 

 instrument. But 

 there is open to 

 themicroscopist of 

 artistic taste and 

 ability, a most en- 

 gaging pursuit in 

 making drawings 

 under moderately low powers, where all the varieties 

 of well-managed illumination can be brought to bear. 

 Opaque objects in such circumstances may be worked 

 up with a binocular microscoise into pictures of great 

 artistic excellence, showing extraordinary points of 

 colour, contrasts of light, and solidity of form. Not 

 only prepared objects, but fresh and ever-living 

 specimens may be so disposed and displayed by 

 combination of illumination, as to be inconceivably 

 beautiful, and worthy the efforts of the most accom- 

 plished artist ; the marine, and especially the fresh- 

 water polyzoa would be objects of this class. A 

 water-colour painting of a group of peaches or 

 grapes, although of no scientific value, has, like any 

 similar work, the peculiar charm of a gratification 

 felt in contemplating the quality of the art exercised 

 in producing it. Under the microscope there are 

 objects of surpassing beauty, elegance of form, 

 effulgence of colour, and with definite arrangements, 

 revealing charms of light and shade, that words, 

 even from the pen of a Ruskin, would fail in de- 

 No. 205. — Janu.\ry 1882. 



scribing — paintings of such things without reaching 

 a scientific status are certainly as acceptable as any 

 studies of still life, and are far more interesting, as 

 exhibiting a curious beauty and structure, unrevealed 

 except by the instrument. It is proposed to offer a 

 few hints from practical experience of the best 

 methods of procedure. It is presumed that the 

 student has a fair knowledge of ordinary drawing, 

 understands something of colour, and can handle a 

 microscope and its various accessories as a tool with 

 ease and certainty, the most successful at this work 

 would be a dexterous microscopist with a great love 

 for and appreciation of art, and a capability of ren- 

 dering it ; but practice in this direction does wonders. 

 The effect of a microscopical painting is greatly 

 enhanced by its being drawn within a circle, sur- 

 rounded by a black margin, forming a square. The 

 size of this ciixle is of some importance, it may be 

 too large or too small. After experiments it was 

 ascertained that a circle three inches and three- 

 quarters in diameter gave the best effect, and ap- 

 proached nearest the impression made on the mind 

 of a field of view as seen with a B eye-piece ; to have 

 such a circle always handy, a bi^ass gauge should be 

 made four inches and three-quarters square, with a 

 circular opening of the dimensions above given. 

 This gauge is of more importance than may at first 

 appear : placed on a drawing block, a pencil run 

 round the interior circle, and outside the square 

 edge, gives the interior space for the drawing, and 

 the lines to guide the backing up of the margin with 

 Indian ink. The advantage of a block thus prepared 

 is manifest. When proceeding to arrange an object 

 for drawing, the camera lucida, for fixing positions, 

 tracing general contours and outlines, is an important 

 instrument. Removing the cap of the eye-piece (the 

 A should always be used in drawing) the camera is 

 slipped on and adjusted. After clamping the object to 

 the stage, the body of the instrument is carefully 

 depressed into a horizontal position, as the light is 

 arranged just sufficiently to plainly see the object 

 through the camera and the margin of the field of 



