OUR BOOK SHELF. 181 
acquainted with the splendid photographs of Mr. G. J. Johnson of 
the Manchester Microscopical Society, Mr. J. H. Jennings of Not- 
tingham, and those of Mr. W. Shipperbottom of the Bolton 
Microscopical Society, will hardly be tempted to call the present 
frontispiece satisfactory. 
THe MerHops oF MiIcroscopicAL RESEARCH. By JoHN 
ERNEST ADY. 
Under this title a small volume is announced, to appear in 
weekly or fortnightly numbers, commencing on the 16th June, 
1883, approximately. It is to be sold to subscribers at the small 
cost of 4s., and has been written as an introduction to the “ Studzes 
tn Microscopical Science.” 
The major portion of this work must necessarily be a compilation, 
but in addition it will contain a fair proportion of information 
arrived at through experiment. We cannot do better than illustrate 
this with a few examples. 
The first chapter includes a brief description of instruments, to 
be fully illustrated with engravings and references given to other 
works where detailed descriptions of instruments may be found. 
The second chapter will treat of reagents and their uses, and it 
is intended that this shall form the most important portion of the 
work. Each reagent will be fully considered ; its source, physical 
properties, chemical constitution, and manufacture will be given 
where possible, and its specific action on various tissues exemplified. 
In the ‘Studies in Microscopical Science” this will be supple- 
mented by laboratory notes as follows :—‘“‘If a thin section of the 
thymus gland is stained and mounted in Canada balsam, it is 
rendered most suitable for the examination of its cellular elements 
such as the lymphoid cells, the concentric corpuscles of Hassall, 
etc., but the broader distinction of its follicles into cortex and 
medulla, and their relative proportions, is almost obliterated through 
the diaphanic action of the mounting medium employed. To 
attain such a result the best reagent known is pure glycerine.” So, 
through the entire series of organs and tissues, their characteristics 
will be detailed, and the reader find a ready guide to their elucida- 
tion in these preliminary pages. 
The third chapter will be thoroughly practical, in noting the 
trivial as well as the important items to be observed in section 
cutting, staining, etc. The entire substance of these pages will 
be based on experiment. 
Other chapters deal with microscopical art, and although the 
directions given may be found in other works, they will be so 
arranged as to enable the student, through examples, to work pro- 
gressively and successfully. One novel feature in these chapters is 
the illustrations of lithographic drawing which they will embrace. 
