214 THE BOOK OF THE LANTERN. 



Another plan is to bring down the microscope to the 

 horizontal position, and most microscopes allow of this 

 being done, and to push the end of its tube into the flange 

 opening of an ordinary photographic camera, with the lens 

 of the latter removed. But both these methods have 

 a disadvantage, among many other drawbacks, which 

 will at once disappoint the operator. The image afforded is 

 so small. The tube of the microscope gets in the way, so 

 to speak, and a large portion of that image is cut off. This 

 can be remedied by an arrangement of the apparatus which 

 I am now about to describe, and by which I have taken a 

 number of photographs which leave little to be desired in 

 point of excellence, while the necessary manipulations are 

 carried forward with that ease and nicety which go far to- 

 wards the production of first-class results. 



Let it be at once pointed out, in spite of the opinions of 

 our " Brass and Glass " friends, that an expensive instru- 

 ment is not required for this work. (Indeed, I will presently 

 point out how it is possible to obtain capital photo-micro- 

 graphs without any microscope at all, although the essen- 

 tial part of that instrument, the objective, must be 

 employed.) What is wanted is a good firm stand, and a 

 fine adjustment, and even this is not very necessary, unless 

 high powers are employed. But the majority of readers 

 will look for some ready means of photographing objects of a 

 popular character. The proboscis of a blowfly, the industrious 

 flea (or bee is it ?), section of the echinus spine, and so on ; 

 such things as can be readily photographed with the " inch" 

 objective. And to readers who are content with such as 

 these I chiefly direct my remarks, leaving them to study 

 the excellent treatises and articles upon the subject of 



