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 NEW BOOKS, WITH SHOET NOTICES. 



The Micrograpliic Dictionary : a Guide to the Examination and 

 Investigation of the Structure and Natui'e of Microscopic Objects. 

 3rd Edition. By J. W. Griffith, M.D., assisted by the Eev. M. J, 

 Berkeley, M.A., F.L.S., and Eupert Jones, F.G.S., Professor of Geo- 

 logy, Eoyal Military and Staff Colleges, Sandhurst, &c. London : 

 Van Voorst, 1871. Parts I. and II. — We must congratulate Mr. Van 

 Voorst upon his effort to bring out a new edition of the ' Micrographic 

 Dictionary.' It is a work which for years has stood without a rival, 

 and in matter, illustration, and arrangement, it has left little to be 

 desired. Of course, in making these remarks, we are referring to the 

 book at the time of its last edition. Since that time the progress made 

 has been very great indeed, especially as regards the microscope and its 

 necessary apparatus. The work done also both by foreign and English 

 histologists, in the time that has elapsed, has been very great ; but 

 that we have hardly to deal with in our notice of the present two 

 fii'st parts of the new issue, as they are really nearly entirely, though 

 not exclusively, occupied with the account of the microscope, of its 

 additional apparatus, of the methods of testing them to see that they 

 are in perfect condition, and of the mode of examining the different 

 objects which the microscopist may have to study. 



Now this part of the work is of the utmost imjiortance; for assuredly 

 the Dictionary will be looked up to as an authority, and therefore 

 its information should be full and complete. But we are sorry to 

 have to exjiress our opinion, at the very outset, that this is not at all 

 the case. To this, of course, the editors can very fairly say, "We have 

 given all the information that we consider necessary in the introduction ; 

 hereafter, under the special heading, each subject will be dealt with 

 as fully as it merits." And this may be very true, and may possibly 

 explain the deficiency of the information in the first two numbers of 

 the Dictionary. We must say of it that, so far as it goes, it is excel- 

 lently done. The writing is marvellously clear, and the subjects 

 succeed each other in such order as to be perfectly intelligible. In 

 fact, we know of no work which contains such admirable advice to the 

 student in regard to the many difficulties of microscopic investigation. 

 But when we look to see how far the edition has been influenced by 

 modern work, we confess that the result is not at all satisfactory. For 

 example, we find hardly any reference to the subject of photography 

 in connection with the microscope. The same may be said of that 

 beautiful instrument, the micro - spectroscope, which is dismissed 

 in a couple of lines. And then, worst of all, the question of Dia- 

 tomaceae and their structure, and of Podura scales and the scales 

 of Lepidoptera, have been treated of almost as one might who was 

 writing the former edition of the book. These we consider very serious 

 and important omissions from an Introductory chapter to a treatise 

 on the microscope and its work; and though we may hope to see 

 them laid before us in the future numbers, still we must regard it as 



