2 EVENINGS AT THE MICKOSCOPE. 



tion is preserved, that about a thousand years ago a 

 Danisli robber bad violated this church, and having 

 been talcen, was condemned to be flayed, and his skin 

 nailed to the church-door, as a terror to evil-doers. 

 The action of the weather and other causes had long 

 ago removed all traces of the sta-etched and dried skin, 

 except that, from under the edges of the broad-headed 

 nails w^ith which the door was studded, fragments still 

 peeped out. It was one of these atoms, obtained by 

 drawing one of the old nails, that was subjected to mi- 

 croscopical scrutiny ; and it was interesting to find that 

 the wonder-showing tube could confirm the tradition 

 with the utmost certainty ; not only in the general fact, 

 that it was really the skin of man, but in the special 

 one of the race to which that man belonged, viz. one 

 with fair complexion, and light hair, such as the Danes 

 are well known to possess. 



It is evident from this anecdote, that the human 

 hair presents characters so indelible that centuries 

 of exposure have not availed to obliterate them, and 

 which readily distinguish it from the hair of any 

 other creature. Let us then begin our evening's 

 entertainment by an examination of a human hair, 

 and a comparison of it with that which belongs to va- 

 rious animals. 



Here, then, is a hair from my own head. I cut off 

 about half an inch of its length, and, laying it between 

 two plates of glass, put it upon the stage of the micro- 

 scope. I now apply a power of 600 diameters ; that is, 

 the apparent increase of size ie the same as if six hun 

 dred of these liairs were placed side by side. Now, 



' Transactions of the Microscopical Society " of London. The f;enrral facts, 

 however, may be depended on. 



