260 CURRENT NOTES, ETC. 



tion specially valuable to the engineer, several articles of general 

 interest — "The Temperature of the Sun," "The Meteorology of 

 the Great Pyramid," and several others. 



We have pleasure in drawing the attention of our readers to 

 Pease's "Facility" Nose-Piece, an engraving of which we 

 annex. This appliance has been devised to facilitate the rapid 

 interchange of objectives. The adapter nose-piece, A, screws on 

 to the nose-piece of the microscope by the usual society screw, 

 where it may remain permanently. It is provided with mechanism 

 similar to that applied in the self-centering chuck. By the partial 



rotation of the milled collar, three sections of a flat spiral are 

 made to act upon three sprung steel teeth, causing them to project 

 from slots within the cylinder, or to return to their normal posi- 

 tions at will. B is a small ring, with which each objective must be 

 provided ; it screws on the objective, where it may remain, and on 

 its outer edge is a flanged groove. The objective having the ring 

 B attached can then be slid into the " Facility Nose-piece," when 

 about one-tenth of a turn of the milled collar on the latter causes 

 the teeth to grip in the flanged groove B, thus securing the objec- 

 tive in place ; the reverse movement releases the teeth from the 

 flanged groove, when the objective will drop into the hand. This 

 useful appliance may be obtained of Mr. Charles Coppock, loo. 

 New Bond St., London, W. 



Mr. H. p. Aylward, of Strangeways, Manchester, has sent us 

 a new pattern Canada-Balsam bottle. It is fitted with a tight- 

 fitting glass cap, and is provided with a glass dipping-rod. The 

 bottle, which is of one-ounce capacity, stands very firmly on a 

 broad foot. 



Also, his new Universal Camera Lucida. This is constructed 

 on an entirely new principle, and will fit the eye-piece of any 

 microscope, and can readily be adjusted to suit any power. It is 

 provided with a good reserve supply of all shades of neutral-tint 

 glasses. 



