432 Transactions of the Society. 



Society of London*; now it is the universal screw. To-day I 

 screwed a " pipe " of Benjamin Martin's No. 1 Microscope into a 

 Zeiss nose-piece, and it fitted perfectly. 



With regard to Dr. Lieberkiihn, who invented the projection 

 Microscope, the following passage may be of interest ; it is taken 

 from a rare work by John Cuff, dated "Feb 17 th , 1743. At the 

 sign of the Eeflecting Microscope directly against | Serjeant's-Inn 

 Gate in Fleet-Street, London." 



"As Gentlemen are frequently making Enquiries concerning 

 the Invention and Improvement of the Solar Microscope, which is 

 now Universally allowed to be the most Agreeable and Entertain- 

 ing Microscope yet known, as well as the most capable of making 

 valuable Discoveries, I hope it will be excusable, if, in Order to 

 satisfy their Curiosity, and prevent their being impos'd on by false 

 Pretences, I give a short but true Account thereof. 



" This Instrument is not of English Invention, nor was ever 

 known amongst Us, till about three Years ayo, when Dr. Liber- 

 kuhn, a Gentleman of Prussia, came from Holland hither, and 

 brought it over with him : But, whether he met with it in his 

 Travels, or was himself the Inventor, I shall not pretend to deter- 

 mine. He was however, most assuredly, the first Discoverer of it 

 to Us ; and being an extraordinary good Mechanic and Workman, 

 he ground and set his own Glasses with a great deal of Accuracy, 

 and made the whole Apparatus with his own Hands. 



" Being of a communicative Temper, he shewed this curious 

 Contrivance to several Gentlemen and Workmen ; nor was it long 

 before Instruments were made in Imitation of His. In all these, 

 the Tube thro' which the Sun's Pays pass on to the Object, was 

 fastened to a Ball and Socket, in Order to direct it, as much as 

 possible, against the Body of the Sun as it moves along the 

 Heavens. But the Instrument, notwithstanding, could be employ'd 

 a few Hours in a Day only : Which Inconvenience made the Inven- 

 tion less valued than it deserved. To amend this, permit me with 

 all Submission to declare, that Myself was the fortunate Person, 

 who (from the ingenious Hint of a kind Friend that introduced me 

 to Dr. Liberkuhn) began to consider, that a plain Looking-Glass 

 could Reflect the Sun's Rays thro' the Tube placed Horizontally, at 

 any Time of the Day, when the Sun is a few Degrees above the 

 Horizon, or even at its Highest Altitude. 'And, from that Con- 

 sideration, we first contrived an Apparatus with such a Looking- 

 Glass affix'd thereto. Since which Time being Honoured with the 

 Favour, Advice, and Assistance of several Gentlemen of the Greatest 

 Understanding and Abilities, I have been thereby enabled to alter 

 and improve this Instrument, from Time to Time, till it arrived at 

 the degree of Perfection it appears to have at present. — John Cuff." 



* Trans. Micr. Soc, London, vii. 1859, p. 92. 

 f This means opposite to, and not alongside of. 



