254 A HOMELY ZOOPHYTE-TROUGH. 



work on Butterflies, before mentioned. But we do not believe that a 

 cabinet is absolutely necessary. Its possession too often leads the 

 student to become a mere collector. The most ardent naturalists 

 have not always the largest collection ; and the true man of 

 science, or the humble, sincere student, will learn more from the 

 attentive study of two or three insects, than from the mere 

 possession and occasional inspection of hundreds. 



Though not absolutely essential, a microscope is very useful 

 to the entomologist, and an unfailing source of amusement and 

 information. A pocket lens is handy in the field (and in passing 

 we would say to the intending purchaser — buy a " Coddington " 

 rather than a " Stanhope " lens) ; but for minutely examining the 

 structural peculiarities of an insect the microscope is vastly 

 superior. On a future occasion we may recur to this subject, 

 with special reference to preparing specimens for permanent 

 preservation as microscopic objects. 



By J. Anderson Smith, M.D. 



MOST amateur microscopists, as they get on in their work, 

 manufacture apparatus for themselves which they think 

 superior in utility, if not in appearance, to articles sold 

 for similar purposes in the shops. Unfortunately, most of these 

 *' dodges " are known only to the inventors themselves. The 

 little contrivance I wish to bring before your notice now has 

 proved so useful in my own case that at the risk of describing 

 something that is familiar to others, I do not hesitate to give some 

 account of it. 



I'he constant trouble 1 had with the usual glass zoophyte- 

 troughs, either from leakage, too great depth, or too large size, led 

 me to try something else. And first I tried cork rings of various 

 diameters and depths, but the difficulty of cutting evenly and the 

 occasional perforation in the cork allowing air-bubbles to get into 

 the cell, soon caused me to abandon these. 



I now use india-rubber rings, which give me perfect satisfac- 



