210 Transactions of the 



sections illustrative of medicinal woods. In lieu of an expensive 

 cabinet, they had adopted the following economical arrangement, 

 whereby the slides lay flat and were easily got at. 



A piece of stout millboard 7^ x 9^ inches, and covered with 

 coloured paper, had forty-two holes punched out. The holes drilled at 

 equal distances, ran in parallel lines 1 inch apart. Through these 

 an elastic cord was passed, down one hole and up the next ; con- 

 tinuing along one line of holes and returning the next. Having 

 reached the farther one from the point of starting, the cord is re- 

 versed and brought back hole by hole to the latter, where a knot joins 

 the extremities of the cord. Slides are then introduced beneath the 

 cords, which retain them in place. Each corner of the millboard, 

 above and below, has a wedge-shaped piece glued on to it, and there 

 is a narrow strip introduced in the middle. The trays filled above 

 and below with slides are then piled one over the other on a shelf, 

 or in boxes, open in front, with labels attached to each consecutive 

 group. 



I mention this inexpensive mode of forming a cabinet rather as 

 a curiosity than to recommend it. There is one other point also to 

 be borne in mind, viz. the German glass slips are shorter than 

 the English ones, thence multum in parvo. 



C. — Dr. Carpenter warmly commends a form of book-box as 

 excellently adapted in heu of an ordinary microscopical cabinet. 

 As he says, a large histological collection can be stowed away in 

 the library shelves, among the other books, and consulted with the 

 greatest ease. My friend, Mr. David Forbes, has a few of such 

 boxes slightly altered from Dr. Carpenter's plan, so as to suit the 

 different shape of slide used by himself. The construction other- 

 wise is similar, so that one description may suffice for both. 



Each case is about 10|- inches high, 8|- long, and 4 inches thick 

 in outside measurements. It opens only from behind, and has a 

 fixed shelf across its middle. Trays of hght cardboard, to the 

 number of eighteen above and as many below, are piled on the top 

 of each other. A small tack serves as a handle to each tray or quasi 

 drawer. Mr. Forbes uses shdes each 1-^ inch square, so that eight 

 of these occupy a drawer ; the number or name, according to circum- 

 stances, being towards the knob end of the drawer. Dr. Carpenter's 

 slides are generally those in common use, 3x1 inch, and these to the 

 same number, eight, he athwart. 



Doubtless these book-boxes are neat, and in many instances a 

 very excellent substitute for a large cabinet. The different sets of 

 objects are most readily classified, and the title placed on the back, 

 apportioned to the contents. The great fault, however, lies in tlie 

 one tray being so placed above the other, that to consult those which 

 happen to be below, all the trays above must be taken out. The 

 depth of each tray, besides, does not well admit of labelling, so that • 



