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RECENT POPULAR WORKS ON MICROSCOPY. 



Nature through Microscope and Camera. By Richard Kerr, 

 F.G.S., F.R.A.S. 8£ x 5^ in. 194 pages. Illustrated with 

 65 photo-micrographs by Arthur E. Smith. London, 1905. 

 The Religious Tract Society. Price 6s. net. 



Amongst the donations to the library is a copy of the above 

 work, presented by Mr. Arthur E. Smith. It consists of a 

 miscellaneous collection of photo-micrographs (not micro-photo- 

 graphs, as Professor G. Sims Woodhead, M.A., M.D., calls them, 

 in his introduction), accompanied by brief, chatty descriptions of 

 the objects portrayed and interesting details concerning them. 

 With most of the information supplied the average working 

 microscopist will no doubt be acquainted ; but the book is hardly 

 intended for a microscopist, its object being, apparently, to intro- 

 duce to the general reader some of the wonders of the microscope, 

 in the hope that he may be thereby inspired with a desire for 

 a closer acquaintance with minute nature. When we consider, 

 too, that the author endeavours to take a comprehensive glance 

 at nature, and to express himself in less than thirty thousand 

 words, it is not to be wondered at that the information on any 

 one subject is somewhat scanty. The illustrations are, on the 

 whole, very praiseworthy. Fig. 12, representing the raclula of 

 a whelk, is a most satisfactory production. In the case, however, 

 of fig. 15, a section of an echinus spine, it is to be regretted 

 that the photographer did not select a more striking form for 

 representation. Diatoms are well represented by several very 

 successful photographs. Vegetable sections occupy a number of 

 plates, one of the most interesting being that of a clover ^tem 

 with the parasitic dodder in situ. Insects and insect dissections 

 occupy a prominent position. The leg of the honey-bee, shown 

 in lig. 23, does not exhibit its fringe of hairs as well as might be 

 desired; but any one who has endeavoured to photograph this 

 object will be quite ready to make every allowance. Fig. 61 is 

 a photograph of a wolf-spider, taken from a flattened prepara- 

 tion. The camera has done its work well, but so, alas ! has the 



Jours. Q. M. C, Series II. — No. 57. IS 



