H. CROUCH ON MICROSCOPY IN THE UNITED STATES. 227 



and Lomb Optical Co. three or four, the latter having but just 

 commenced the manufacture of this instrument. 



Amongst the French exhibitors were Messrs. Nachet and Sons, 

 who exhibited some five or six instruments. Those remaining need 

 scarcely be specified individually, the microscopes shown being of 

 that inferior class usually supplied to their unfortunate victims by 

 those whom I may, perhaps, be permitted to term " Shopticians," 

 and which, I am afraid, more often create a prejudice against, than 

 a taste for, the prosecution of microscopic investigation. 



The only microscopes of German manufacture that came under my 

 notice were those shown by Ploessel, who exhibited a few on the 

 ordinary Continental model. 



While examining the wonderful exhibit made by Japan, I was 

 fortunate enough to stumble over a microscope of veritable Japanese 

 manufacture, which, however, had been damaged in transit. As a 

 specimen of workmanship it could not be said to compare favourably 

 with those shown elsewhere. This might possibly be due to the 

 fact that the maker was especially unlucky in the pattern before 

 him ; evidently one of the most coarsely made and finished instru- 

 ments of London manufacture. The optical portion of the instru- 

 ment was, as could only be expected, of the most rudimentary 

 character. An attempt had been made to imitate the construction 

 of the eyepieces, and the objectives were roughly made single 

 lenses. The maker, however, had very wisely only provided the 

 fittings for the polariscope, the Nicol prisms being evidently too 

 much for him. 



After a careful examination, however, of the admirable educa- 

 tional system, some of the results of which were exhibited by the 

 Japanese Government, there cannot be much doubt that the 

 microscopes next placed on exhibition by Japan will be less open to 

 criticism. 



The point, however, which occurs to me as being of the most im- 

 portance to note, is the direction in which the construction of the 

 microscope is developing ; whether, as we are sometimes told, very 

 dogmatically, English microscopes are a mistake, binoculars being 

 an especial delusion, and the Continental model that which is even- 

 tually to carry all before it. Well, comparing the respective 

 exhibits, it is somewhat comforting to those who, like myself, have 

 consistently held that the Jackson model and its developments 

 are those which give the best results "all round," to find that the 



