MEMORANDA. 201 



nose-piece finder is not without objection; for it is "a 

 separate piece of apparatus, to be looked for, and adapted to 

 the instrument whenever its use may be required ;" and, 

 moreover, the screwing of it on and off will surely cause 

 much more of what you are pleased to term " figgle-niggling/' 

 than the use of a graduated finder, &c. To this I answer, 

 " No. such is not the case. There is no occasion, at any 

 time, to remove the nose-piece, any more than to remove 

 the stage or the reflector. I keep mine on at all times, 

 with its finding-lens, the l|inch, firmly screwed to it as 

 a permanent fixture ; any higher power being adapted to 

 the other end of the revolving arm." 



This is all I have to say upon a subject which, I fear, 

 is very much like that of Columbus's egg ; for I fully expect 

 to be told, that " any one might have seen the applicability of 

 the nose-piece as a finder," &c. No doubt of it ; but the 

 question is, has " any one" seen it ? Meanwhile, I rest in 

 hope that it is a new idea. 



Before laying down the pen, I should like to take this 

 opportunity of entreating microscopists in general to urge our 

 opticians to direct their attention more to the Binocular 

 Microscope than they have hitherto done. I am persuaded 

 that it is capable of being brought far nearer perfection 

 than it has yet been. For Nachet's instrument, though 

 praised by a great authority, is sadly wanting in definition ; 

 and the flaming account of the American improvements 

 (given in your Journal, No. V, p. 23), is I am informed, 

 fearfully overdrawn ! Our English makers say the difficulty 

 is caused by the binocular principle reducing the angle, and 

 thus causing indistinctness. 



But may there not be some way discovered of getting 

 over this ? To those whose eyes are equally perfect, it is 

 very annoying to have to peep with one only at a time, 

 instead of using both at once, with as much ease and comfort 

 as we use an ordinary pair of spectacles. It is also the cause 

 of that injury to the sight of which so many microscopists 

 complain. — Henry U. Janson, Pennsylvania Park, near 

 Exeter. 



The Object Cabinet.— I have endeavoured, in the accompany- 

 ing drawings, to give some idea of a cabinet for microscopical 

 preparations that I have now had in use for some time, and have 

 found exceedingly convenient, from the great ease with which 

 any particular slide may be found, and from other advantages 

 which I shall briefly point out. It may be described as 

 follows. Drawing No. 1 exhibits the cabinet opened out 



