232 THE NORTHERN MICROSCOPIST. 
sections, exhibited by Messrs. James How & Co., of London; this 
firm also exhibiting a beautiful collection of lantern transparencies, 
chiefly geological and physiological, for the illustration of scientific 
lectures by means of the lantern. 
On the opposite side of the room, ranged along a bench against 
a dead wall, stood a row of microscopes, and we immediately 
jumped to the conclusion that this was the promised exhibition to 
show the progress made in scientific instruments during the past 
half century. The first instrument which caught our eye was one 
of Beck’s popular microscopes ; next to this stood one of Collins’ 
“ Harley,” of the old pattern, upon the stage of which was placed 
a specimen of Atlantic ooze, and no doubt this would have been 
an interesting object had there been light enough to see it ; but 
from the manner and situation in which the instruments were 
placed, the observer was verily standing in his own light. A third 
microscope revealed itself as one of Messrs. Baker’s, of Holborn, 
upon which was shown a section of the cesophagus of a rabbit, the 
tongue section of the same animal being exhibited a little further 
on, under one of Smith & Beck’s old form of student’s stand. A 
yard in advance of these stood one of Powell & Lealand’s No. 3 
stands, behind which, hanging upon the wall, were a set of photo- 
micrographs of wood-sections, by Dr. Marshall Watts, perhaps the 
cleanest and best photographs of these subjects we have ever seen. 
One of Ross’ old stands, numbered “ 465,” was also shown, and 
by the side of it, one by the same makers, but older still. The 
“‘ Universal” stand of Messrs. Beck was also exhibited, alongside 
being one of Messrs. Powell & Lealand, carrying stays from the 
upper end of the body to the outer edges of the transverse arm. 
A form of microscope similar to that shown in fig. 44 of our Sept. 
number, but with the small body tube we deprecate so much, and 
the continental eyepiece, was exhibited, bearing the name R. 
Smith, York. It is astonishing how many of these instruments of 
precisely similar pattern are to be found in one’s travels bearing 
local opticians’ names. 
Swift’s “Challenge” microscope was also exhibited, and as it is 
an instrument specially liked by many of our friends and corres- 
pondents, we were about to examine a section of brain which 
appeared to be placed upon the stage, when a Mr. Haughton Gill 
ran hurriedly up and entreated us not to touch ¢hat microscope as 
it was fitted with “‘a tenth of an inch object-glass which focussed 
one two-hundredth of an inch from the cover-glass.” We smiled 
at the simple-mindedness of any microscopist of experience taking, 
in the first place, a tenth objective to a general soirée, and secondly, 
in leaving it there. Most of our readers will be aware that non- 
microscopical observers generally rack down the objective upon 
the object as a preliminary to looking through the tube: the rule 
