THE MUSEUM 



A Monthly Magazine Devoted to Research in Natural Science. 



Vol. \' 



ALBION, N. Y.. DECEMBER 15, 1898. 



No. 



Some Hints on the Preparation 



and Mounting of Microscopic 



Objects. 



BV W. H. W.VLMSLEV. 



So much has been written and pub- 

 lished on this well worn subject that 

 it would seem almost superlhious, if 

 not presumptuous in me to attempt to 

 add thereto. But recollections of the 

 many failures, in my early attempts in 

 years long since gone by, of the wast- 

 age of time and materials incurred, 

 and the unsatisfactory knowledge 

 gleaned from books, impel me to jot 

 down for the benefit of others, the re- 

 sults of actual experience in this work. 



Whilst by no means asserting that 

 the processes to be described are the 

 best, I would say that I have found 

 them to be uniformly satisfactory, 

 yielding always the desired results, 

 and that all have stood the tests of 

 actual use and experience. I shall 

 give nothing that I do not use in my 

 daily work; and shall not state what 

 "my friend Smith" says "is his pro- 

 cess," or that "I am told Mr. Jones 

 does this or that." Smith's and Jones' 

 processes may be vastly superior to 

 those I shall give, but not having test- 

 ed, I shall not speak of them, my inten- 

 tion being to give simply and succinct- 

 ly as possible, my methods of prep r- 

 ing and mounting ordinary objects i. f 

 interest; which may prove of use to 

 many a beginner in this fascinating 

 pursuit. 



Nearly all microscopic preparations 

 are mounted in one of three ways; in 

 balsam or other resinous media; in air 

 in the dry way and in aqueous or oth- 

 er iluids. Of these methods I shall 

 proceed to speak first of balsam 

 mounts, the essential materials for 

 which work are as follows: 



K bottle or tube of pure filtered 



Canada balsam; a bottle each of 95 

 degrees alcohol, pure benzole, oil of 

 cloves, and liquor potassiu (the latter 

 with glass stopper); a pair of fine 

 curved forceps, which should be nick- 

 el-plated; another of fine dissecting 

 scissors, and a small dissecting knife; 

 two needles in handles; a few small 

 red sable brushes; one large camel's 

 hair brush; a glass pomatum jar; nest 

 of porcelain dishes; and a few watch 

 glasses; a wide-mouth 8 oz. vial with 

 glass stopper; small glass rod; some 

 pieces of very fine brass wire; glass 

 slips and covers, with suitable labels, 

 and a small bell-glass. 



To these may be added the follow- 

 ing non-essential, but very convenient 

 articles: A capped bottle with glass 

 rod, for containing the balsam; a small 

 brass table with spirit lamp; a turn 

 table: porcelain mounting plate; mag- 

 nifying glass on stand, with elongated 

 arm, white zinc cement, shellac ditto, 

 and colored fluid for ornamental ring- 

 ing; a bottle of absolute alcohol; and 

 a writing diamond. The luxuries may 

 be mentioned under the head of a well 

 made self-centering turn table; a hot 

 water drying oven; fine spring scissors; 

 an assortment of dissecting needles, 

 book-, scissors and knives; and a pair 

 of binocular magnifiers, mounted upon 

 a firm stand, with focussing adjust- 

 ment. But all the processes of 

 mounting to be here named may be 

 performed with the tools and mater- 

 ials mentioned under the head of es- 

 sentials. 



Having thus started in business with 

 our capital of tools and materials, let 

 us proceed to put them to the test of 

 actual use. And I can provide no 

 better subject for a beginning than a 

 common blow fly, or an ordinary house 

 fly, either of which will afford material 



