Dr. Goring on the new MlcroscopeSy Sf-c, 115 



Nothing irritates them more than the stubbornness and 

 inflexibility of the laws of optics in this respect ; if they view a 

 drawing of an object, a fly's foot for example, they of course see 

 every thing about it represented as when in focus, how else can 

 it be drawn ? Yet not more than a point can be seen at once 

 in an instrument having the power to develope its high and 

 exquisite finishing: if the drawing is accurate say they, why 

 does not the microscope show us all these minutiae at once as 

 they are represented? It is vain and useless to contend or 

 explain with people of this way of thinking; microscopes are not 

 made for them. A solar achromatic is of all instruments that 

 most adapted to popular taste : it gives no trouble whatever to 

 the observer, and is sure to take with most, especially if used 

 with live objects, (invariably those exciting the highest interest 

 in ordinary minds.) What a sublime spectacle to see a battle 

 between voracious aquatic insects, terminating in a verification 

 of that great law of nature, eat and be eaten ! Bets may be 

 laid, and every particular round described in scientific slang. 

 I have recommended achromatics for these purposes, but I 

 must confess that the appetites of uncultivated amateurs are 

 60 gross, their eyes generally so dull, and their powers of inves- 

 tigating the performance of an instrument so feeble, that the 

 most common and ordinary constructions show them every thing 

 ihey care about seeing, quite as well as they wish to see it. 



Again, if we want a regular working tool for drawing and 

 dissection, (especially if this operation is to be carried on under 

 the surface of a liquid, which is frequently a most useful mode 

 of proceeding,) recourse will naturally be had to the achro- 

 matics. The peculiar advantages of refractors as real opera- 

 tive instruments, have on so many occasions been detailed by 

 me, that a recurrence to the subject here would be quite a work 

 of supererogation. Moreover, it is not to be supposed that I 

 impugn or in any manner pretend to derogate from the merits 

 of refractors, when applied to any purpose. The deeper 

 their objective part can be made, consistent with perfec-f 

 lion, the greater will be the power at which they are capable of 

 arriving, preserving all the while that admirable clearness, 

 •beauty, and truth in vision, with which they set out in the com- 

 mencement of their scale of amplifying power, 



x3 



