254 Notices of Books. (April, 
their instruments; those who are without friends of kindred 
pursuits, or have not access to any of the now numerous micro- 
scopical clubs, will find Dr. Lankester a useful guide, and it will 
be their own fault if they do not learn something. 
With regard to the illustrations, the artist is so well known 
that comment is needless. 
Evenings at the Microscope ; or Researches among the Minuter 
Organs and Forms of Animal Life. By PuHit1p HENRY GossE, 
F.R.S. New Edition, 1874. Society for Promoting Christian 
Knowledge. 
Att who know the works of this most agreeable writer will be 
pleased to find that a second edition of this well-known work has 
been required; Mr. Gosse writes as those only can who have 
examined for themselves the objects they are describing. The 
greater part of the illustrations are from drawings on wood by 
the author, and it is to be regretted that so little pains should 
have been taken in printing to do them justice. 
The descriptions of the various objects are interspersed with 
the needful directions as to magnifying power and apparatus 
employed, as well as numerous hints for collecting; this is a 
matter too generally neglected in describing the results of 
microscopical observations : microscopists who are expert them- 
selves are apt to suppose that everyone knows as a matter of © 
course how to follow the author, who has probably in many cases 
arrived at his conclusions by some peculiar mode of operation. 
All praise is due to Mr. Gosse for his consideration of the wants 
of young students. 
In describing the structure of wool, the author still adheres to 
the old theory that the felting qualities of wool are dependent 
upon the serrations, instead of the undulations or waves which 
are very evident in the finer kinds of wool, merino for instance.* 
If hair was of good felting quality in proportion to its superficial 
roughness, surely the bat’s hairs with their whorls of scales, and 
the branched hairs of insects, would be the best of all materials 
for the manufacture of felt; such is, however, not the case. 
The Rotifere are very fully described, and many interesting 
points of their structure and life-history elucidated. This class is 
one which the author has made a special study, and the chapter 
contains a selection from his numerous papers on the subject 
supplemented by his more recent observations. 
As might be expected, it is in the portions of the work devoted 
to marine animals that this eminent sea-side naturalist gives the 
bar “wd 
7 
most interesting details; here he is perfectly at home, and it is — 
* See paper by N. Burcess, Trans. Quekett Microscopical Club, vol. i., p. 25 
in which the subject of felting is very fully treated. 
