1882.] 



MICKOSCOPICAL JOUENAL. 



39 



ment by educators, and thus bring 

 before us a subject on which we have 

 been painfully silent, much to the in- 

 jury of our students. 



J. W. Crumbaugh. 

 Philadelphia. 



EDITORIAL. 



Personal. — We thought that Dr. 

 J. Pelletan, editor of the Joiirnal de 

 Micrographie, had stopped the publi- 

 cation of his periodical. But the Oc- 

 tober number (1881) has been given 

 to us by a friendly hand, particularly 

 on account of an article concerning 

 ourselves, which, although not such 

 as would ordinarily be considered 

 complimentary, is at least a rather 

 outspoken critique, and more or less 

 instructive for that reason. The na- 

 ture of the article will be understood 

 when we add that it is principally a 

 translation from The Microscope, pub- 

 lished by Prof. Stowell. 



Now, if Dr. Pelletan does not treat 

 us with more kind consideration in 

 the future, we shall feel in duty 

 bound to say some harder things 

 about his peculiar transactions than 

 we have ever said about anybody yet 

 — and some of our readers will admit 

 that such a criticism would be rather 



The Northern Microscopist. — 

 We have received from the publisher 

 some copies of The Norther'7i Micro- 

 scopist (London) for distribution 

 among the microscopists of America, 

 as advertised in another place. It is 

 an illustrated monthly magazine 

 which completed its first volume in 

 December, 1881. We can commend 

 it as an ably conducted journal, and 

 would be pleased to have it widely 

 circulated in this country. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



A Much Needed Stop. 



To the Editor: — For some months 

 past I have been intending to offer, through 

 this Journal, a suggestion to our mak- 



ers of microscope stands, and it is this : 

 that they attach a thumb-screw in such a 

 way that when the instrument is focussed 

 on the object it can be securely set to 

 that position. 



While adding materially to the value of 

 the microscope, particularly for soiree and 

 exhibition purposes, it need not increase 

 its expense beyond the merest trifle. 



For public occasions the stop might be 

 so arranged that the screw could be 

 readily removed by the owner, and thus 

 all tampering with the adjustment and 

 consequent ruining of valuable slides pre- 

 vented, — " a consummation devoutly to be 

 wished," and which no notice of " hands 

 off " and " please do not disturb the ins- 

 trument " has hitherto accomplished. 



Who will be the first to utilize this sug- 

 gestion, and thus deserve the thanks of 

 all microscopists } 



J. T. Brownell. 



Mansfield, Pa., Jan. 21, 1883. 



NOTES. 



— It is with no little satisfaction that we 

 notice the publication of Bulletin No. i 

 of the American Museum of Natural 

 History of this city. It is the intention 

 of the officers of the Museum to publish 

 in this form, from time to time, the re- 

 sults of investigations conducted at the 

 Museum, Bulletin No. 1 contains three 

 articles by Prof. R. P. Whitfield, illustrat- 

 ed by wood-cuts and by four excellent 

 lithograph-plates. It is in all respects a 

 publication creditable to the Museum and 

 to all concerned in its preparation. 



— Messrs. Bausch & Lomb have de- 

 vised a new immersion-condenser, which 

 it is expected will soon be ready for sale. 

 We have seen one of them, but have had 

 no opportunity to give it a practical test. 

 It seems to be ingeniously devised, and 

 will doubtless prove very useful. 



— Mr. A. A. Julien has published an 

 article on " The Examination of Carbon 

 Dioxide in the Fluid Cavities of Topaz," 

 in which some interesting information re- 

 garding the nature of such inclusions, and 

 the best methods of studying them is 

 given. The article is published in pam- 

 phlet form, illustrated by four cuts. 



— Prof. Bessey, in a late number of the 

 Botanical Gazette, recommends the as- 

 paragus for histological study in the bo- 

 tanical laboratories. The stem of this 

 plant is a good type of monocotyledons. 



