378 THe Microscope. 
course needs careful attention and gentle nurture; and the mic- 
roscope will help if it is managed by an intelligent guide. Those 
of us who make no great pretensions to goodness, yet are moder- 
ately honest and decent, desire to see all the world moderately 
honest and decent, or more so, and we all can help to accomplish 
that by a little microscopical missionary work among our young 
friends. Ask the boy into your particular “den,” and show him 
a fly’s foot, or a mosquito’s head, or some other common thing 
through the microscope ; come down off your stilts and show the 
young fellow that you are not entirely vinegar and conceit. He 
will respond in some way at some time. You may be laying 
a foundation stone to receive after a while a noble super- 
structure. You cannot tell. The cheery Christmas tide is here 
with its atmosphere of goodness and generosity, when every body 
feels kindly toward every body else, when even old Scrooge 
thaws out and repents, It is an excellent time to begin the ex- 
periment. There could be no better Christmas gift than a mic- 
roscope, or some microscopical accessory. 
HIS magazine aims, by means of its published papers, to be 
not only suggestive of microscopical work and of objects fot 
investigation, but to be helpful to those engaged in making ob” 
servations in any department of biology or microscopy. It 
often happens that questions arise that cannot be answered by 
reference to the authorities at the worker’s command, or such 
queries are suggested by reading, or in some other way. These 
matters are often of as great importance to others as to the indi- 
vidual originating them, and if answered, might supply just the 
link to make some other work more complete. The information 
would at least add something to some one’s general fund of 
knowledge, which is always an important thing todo. All such 
questions will be welcomed by the Editor of THE Microscope, 
and the desired information will gladly be sought from special- 
ists, prominent teachers and investigators, who stand ready to 
respond and to give generously of their stores for the benefit of 
others less fortunately situated. If apparently insolvable biolo- 
gical or microscopical problems arise in the experience of any 
reader they will, on receipt by the Editor, be wrestled with by 
the proper authority, and the result published in THE Mrcros- 
coPE, for the profit of all. This arrangement will hold good so 
long as the present Editor is at the helm. 
