PRACTICAL MICROSCOPY. 



Books for Microscotoists: With the in- 

 creased interest in microscopy which the 

 re-appearance of ^Practical Microscopy 

 indicates, it seems to me that a list of 

 books on general microscopy now most in 

 use would be of interest to your readers. 

 Of course. Carpenter is always a stand- 

 ard, but the last edition of Carpenter, 

 "The Microscope and Its Revelations," 

 the eighth edition, was published in 1901. 

 Catalogues speak of Stewart's "Manual 

 of Plant Anatomy," of Greene's "Vege- 

 table Physiology," etc., etc. ; but what we 

 want is knowledge first hand from some- 

 body who is using and found valuable 

 books whereof they can speak, so that 

 not only we may not part with our hard 

 earned shekels needlessly, but that we 

 may not fill our bookcases and particu- 

 larly our minds with useless lumber. — E. 



J. L. 



Very Low Power Photo-Micrography: 

 In looking over collections of photo-mi- 

 crographs one often sees prints where 

 the amplification is very small, say only 

 three or four diameters. These are un- 

 doubtedly produced by photographic 

 lenses. Will some one tell us what kind 

 of photographic lenses are used for such 

 low powers, and whether used in the 

 camera or by special mounting in the 

 micros ope? If the lens is used in the 

 camera, how is the slide held for photo- 

 graphing so that it may be certain that 

 every part of the field is in the same 

 plane?— E. B. C. 



SUGGESTIONS BY OUR READERS. 



Practical Microscopy is not to be con- 

 ducted in the interest of any personal 

 hobby. Our subscribers will pay their 

 money and it is proposed that they shall 

 get a good deal more than their money 

 is worth. In order that we may know 

 just what the wishes of our readers are, 

 as to the character of Practical Micro- 

 scopy, we have requested suggestions, 

 and some of them so well express our 

 own ideas that we have obtained per- 

 mission to print them, and they will be 

 found interesting reading, full of ideas. 



Experiences in Collecting is the sub- 

 ject of one reader's suggestion, and an 

 excellent one, too. "I would suggest," 

 he writes, "that notes on good localities 

 for collecting diatoms, desmids and in- 



fusorial pond life would be acceptable." 

 Our Club: "1 presume," says another, 

 "that it meant much work to send out 

 club material as was done to "The Ob- 

 server" subscribers, but it was a very in- 

 teresting feature and t hope it may be 

 adopted by the new Practical Micro- 

 scopy." 



./ Future for Practical Microscopy: 

 "I am very optimistic in regard to the 

 success of your undertaking," writes 

 one who is glad to see Practical Micro- 

 scopy in the field again, "for you have 

 this great country of ours for your field, 

 with a chance for overflow into other 

 countries, and during the past ten years 

 the interest in microscopy must have in- 

 creased one hundred per cent, with all 

 the nature work done in the schools and 

 the discoveries made in the germ world 

 and elsewhere. Nearly all the maga- 

 zines and newspapers publish from time 

 to time articles based on work done with 

 the microscope, and that they are printed 

 shows a popular demand for them, and 

 straws, even, proverbially show which 

 way the wind blows. There seems to 

 be no journal just now which fills the 

 want, the higher priced journals being 

 too deep and too expensive for the ama- 

 teur, and something is sadly needed to 

 afford a medium for those interested in 

 microscopy to exchange their ideas, git 

 acquainted with each other and place on 

 record the work that is being done in 

 this line all around us. I believe it is 

 only necessary to let these people know 

 that such a result is possible and that by 

 a little united effort such a periodical 

 can be produced and you will find thai: 

 you will soon have a journal strong 

 enough to walk alone and fight its ow.i 

 way. 



"Many of the amateurs of ten years 

 ago are now professionals, those who 

 have not attained that rank have had 

 ten years of experience, and all of them 

 must possess some item of interest whicn 

 will appeal to the others. Microscopy 

 is my recreation, and I subscribe to all 

 the leading journals relating to my pro- 

 fession. Some of the leading and most 

 popular journals that I take have been 

 made so by encouraging their subscrib- 

 ers to talk to each other as man to man 

 through their columns, telling each oth- 



