126 The Microscope. 



It seemst hardly probable that he intends to advise an " intelli- 

 gent beginner " to purchase an instrument for work, provided 

 with a mechanical stage with levers and thumb screws by the ■ 

 dozen, with a substage having a complexity and a multiplicity 

 of movable parts, requiring a post-graduate course to understand 

 them. Neither is it probable that he would seriously advise all 

 of the reflex and duplex and complex accessories devised for 

 revenue only. 



Such microscopes are the result of rare inventive powers and 

 to " impress the jury," they may have a value (?) but during a 

 period of nearly a quarter of a century, while visiting the larger 

 cities of our Union I have never yet found a microscopist who 

 had much use for such an instrument. True, some of our best 

 workers own one and they take pride in showing it as they would 

 a diamond pin. Such microscopes are usually found in the man- 

 sions of the rich, placed on a beautiful marble topped stand and 

 covered with a bell glass, which for fear of dust is seldo^n re- 

 moved. The rich owner receives the name of scientist while in 

 reality he may not know an objective from a tube cast. 



On page 3, of Prof T^eidy's report, that eminent microscopist 

 informs us that all of the microscopical work in that volume- 

 was accomplished by the use of a microscope costing less than. 

 $100.00, and among those who have taken the time to read of" 

 the life work of our scientists who have been in the front ranks,, 

 it is a well known fact that only instruments of the simplest 

 construction have been used. If " An Amateur's " advice had 

 been limited to the one list given by him, possibly no one would 

 complain, but the instruments included in that list do not, " re- 

 quire both hands to push them about the table top," as does his 

 model stand. 



I know of no one who would endorse An " Amateur's " instruc- 

 tions to reject the two " lower grades of objectives usually fur- 

 nished," and to take a one inch of higher grade instead. Poor 

 objectives should never be chosen, but the moderate priced lenses 

 usually provided Avith first-class stands are a credit to the manu- 

 facturer, and I am very willing to place myself on record as 

 advising the selection of the two objectives under consideration 

 in preference to those of very wide angles for general work. 



I am unable to identify "An Amateur." He gives advice with 

 all the confidence of an expert microscopist with a long lifetime 



