28 THE MICROSCOPE. Feb. 



PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS. 



By L. a. WIIvLSON, 

 cleveland, ohio. 



Magnification. — " How much does that instrument mag- 

 nify? " 



Every possessor of a microscope has frequently been 

 obliged to answer this question. In court the same question 

 is generally propounded to the microscopical expert. There 

 is a popular fallacy that the value of a microscope depends on 

 the amount of its magnification. The novice at the micro- 

 scope is often compelled to gradually recover from this dis- 

 eased notion. After being entertained by a beautiful micro- 

 scopical exhibit a neophyte will proceed to a dealer and pur- 

 chase the best microscope and the highest lenses that money 

 will procure. Those that do so soon consign the instrument 

 to the garet and abandon the pursuit in disgust. We must 

 creep before we can walk. We must begin at the lowest rung 

 of the ladder and ascend. Besides the greater number of the 

 most beautiful and instructive objects are to be seen with ob- 

 jectives no higher than an inch and a quarter iBch objective. 



Never use a higher power than will clearly show the speci- 

 men under examination. 



For seeing nine-tenths of the objects for which the micro- 

 scope is used by an amateur high powers are absolutely useless. 



In union there is strength : — Every amateur should if 

 possible find an associate to work with and if possible join a 

 microscopical society. More can be learned in one evening 

 in a society than can be acquired by months of toil. Even two 

 novices by correcting each others errors and by a mutua 

 interchange of ideas can greatly facilitate progress. Working 

 alone is up-hill business and often when passing from seclu- 

 sion to the open society of the world of micrscopists the 

 solitary worker will find that he has entertained many errors 

 which it will require time to eradicate. Of two amateurs, 

 the union of a scientific worker with a non scientific worker 

 of a mechanical turn of mind will generally be found mutually 

 advantageous. 



