64 ADDRESS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE 



Member of several learned societies. She was the wife of a 

 captain in the merchant service, and thus had special opportuni- 

 ties for prosecuting her studies and furthering her research ; and 

 as she had no family, she was in the habit of accompanying her 

 husband on his various voyages. My friend asked to see the 

 microscope by means of which she had made so many discoveries, 

 investigated so many secrets of nature, and gathered to herself so 

 many honours ; and he told me he would not give five shillings 

 for the entire instrument ! Some of the parts were held together 

 by thread, india-rubber bands, twisted wire, and so forth ! Yet 

 with such a poor microscope she had been able to observe and to 

 add to the stores of knowledge in such a way as to deserve all 

 those honours I have mentioned. This shows how necessary is 

 constant practice, perfect familiarity with your instrument, steady 

 perseverance, as well as single mindedness in your work. 



In all investigations it is of great importance to ascertain, in 

 some degree at least, what is the order of nature. For then we 

 may know to a certain extent where impossibilities lie ; where the 

 way of further advance is really barred against research ; so that 

 no time may be wasted in that direction. Just as the searcher 

 after coal will not waste his time in boring through those rocks 

 which experience or a knowledge of geology tells him never overlie 

 the carboniferous strata, so a knowledge of the order of nature will 

 tell you in what localities the gnat may be found ; and in what 

 waters Plumatella^ Me/kerta, Step/ianoceros, Lophopiis, or Floscu- 

 laria may abound. And a knowledge of the order of nature will 

 enable us to see that the means we employ are adequate ; or at 

 least not opposed to attain the end in view ; and also to show the 

 easiest, simplest, shortest, most efficient method to reach that end. 



But there is a vast field of investigation almost untrodden 

 lying open before us. And it seems to me that there are several 

 directions in which investigations may be made with advantage, 

 and new facts brought to light. Now I am speaking only of what 

 is easy and within the reach of any earnest worker. 



For instance, the whole question of polarised light is very 

 imperfectly known, and no very real profit has as yet been derived 

 from its study. Is it not the case that tourmaline, and, I believe, 

 all polarising substances, are more or less electric ? Now, if it is 



