316 Microscopy and some of its Uses. [Sess. 



the impression that a person may not begin microscopic studies 

 until he has mastered these rather difficult theories. This 

 would be wrong. It has been truly said that in most scien- 

 tific studies a rush is made to the advanced parts, and that it 

 is only afterwards, and from a desire to be better grounded, 

 that serious students turn back to learn thoroughly the funda- 

 mental principles. And so, perhaps, the greater part of those 

 who take to microscopy just begin and learn these things as 

 they go along, and in proportion as they desire to make their 

 grasp of the subject deeper and wider. 



Suppose a person has resolved to begin, he should go about 

 the procuring of a microscope cautiously. If he buys a new 

 one before he knows anything of the structure of microscopes 

 or the merits of the various stands, he may find himself fixed 

 to an unsuitable one. The reputation of a maker is not a 

 good substitute for personal knowledge on the part of the 

 purchaser ; but he should get and study the catalogues of the 

 principal makers, for, though there are errors and advertising 

 phrases in them which need to be discounted, a great deal 

 about microscopes and apparatus can be learned from them. 

 There is still greater hazard in buying a second-hand one. I 

 have attended many sales of microscopes. On very rare 

 occasions I have seen good instruments go cheap. But the 

 general feature is a turn out of old and shaky instruments, 

 such as a judge would not have at any price, which bring far 

 more than they are worth. 



By far the best and cheapest way for a beginner is to hire 

 an instrument for the first three or six months. This will 

 cost about 3s. per month, which will be far more than saved 

 by the greater judgment and economy with which he will be 

 able to make his subsequent purchases. At the end of the 

 three or six months he will have learned a good deal about 

 the structure and working of a microscope and lenses, and may 

 thus be able to form a useful opinion as to the particular kind 

 of work he wishes to pursue, and the outfit suitable for it. 



Every microscope should have sufficient space for the at- 

 tachment of substage apparatus when required, and is all the 

 better if it have a rack-and-pinion substage; but beginners 

 should neither imagine that special illuminators are indis- 

 pensable, nor let their expectations be excited by much that 



