66 JOURNAL OF THE [March, 



require two hundred and fifty million diameters, is rather remote. 



In regard to the objects shown by the microscope here this 

 evening : the magnifying powers range from twenty, to five or 

 six hundred diameters ; the Bacillus may require a lens magni- 

 fying about one thousand diameters. 



So much for the microscope as an instrument of research ; 

 and although, as before remarked, if we ever see a molecule, it 

 will be by some other method than refraction, we do have be- 

 fore us, shown by the microscope as it now exists, a world of 

 life and beauty, unseen by the unassisted eye. The objects to 

 be seen this evening are from many different fields of research, 

 and it will not be out of place to refer to them, although a short 

 description is appended to each form, in the list of objects dis- 

 tributed. We have eight microscopes showing entomological 

 objects, — insects and parts of insects, — all of which are interest- 

 ing. The use of the lenses of the compound eye of the beetle 

 (No. 3), and of the mosquito (No. 16), for the purpose of show- 

 ing multiple images, is worth attention from those who have 

 never seen this curious experiment. The bouquet of butterfly- 

 scales is a very artistic arrangement of minute forms. The 

 Tingis hyalina (No. 32) is a very black and objectionable insect 

 in a very nice dress. We have nineteen microscopes devoted to 

 botanical specimens; sections, pollen, diatoms, desmids, — all 

 worth looking at, — four of which are living forms ; and two of 

 these (Nos. 39 and 44) show the curious movements of the 

 protoplasm in the cells of living plants. Seven microscopes are 

 devoted to minerals, among which the crystallization of gold in 

 fern-like shapes is one of the most beautiful ; three to polariza- 

 tion of salts ; two to living infusoria ; one to embryology ; two 

 to electric light ; two to Bacilli ; the rest to different subjects, 

 among which I would particularly refer to the ciliary action upon 

 the gills of an oyster (No. 10). After looking through this mi- 

 croscope, anyone can be fully aware of the immense amount of 

 vitality that is taken into the stomach with every raw oyster. 



Although some of the subjects of research are not of immedi- 

 ate practical value, many of them are, and from further investi- 

 gation much can be expected. 



Much time and effort have been devoted to the first forms of 

 life. As the theory of evolution derives the higher forms from 

 the lower, and as examples of intermediate stages are present 



