Bibliographical Notices, 413 



marginibus integrls ; valva ventrali rostrata, rostro recurvo ; fora- 

 mine parvo, integro ; deltidio inconspicuo ; valva dorsali Isevi, in 

 medio simplici, non depressa aut sulcata. 



The loop iu this species is very broad and ribbon-shaped, and 

 is doubly attached — to the hinge plate, and also in the centre by 

 transverse processes. It is a handsome, white, smooth species, 

 approaching most nearly to T. Bouchardii of Davidson. 



The Micrographic Dictionary ; a Guide to the Examination and 

 Investigation of the Structure and Xature of Microscopic Objects. 

 By J. AV. Griffith, M.I)., F.L.S. &c., Member of the Royal 

 College of Physicians ; and Arthur Henfrey, F.R.S., F.L.S. 

 &c., Professor of Botany in King's College, London. London, 

 John Van Voorst, 1859, 8vo. 



Amongst the signs of the times in the scientific or pseudo-scientific 

 world, we must reckon the appearance and rapid augmentation of an 

 army of microscopists, — men who appear to set an especial value 

 upon anything small, and to pride themselves particularly on the 

 possession of an instrument which will exhibit these little things with 

 tolerable distinctness. They don't particularly care about the struc- 

 ture of the objects, except so far as their microscopes can make it out : 

 they delight in test-objects, and break out into ecstasies over a 

 peculiarly difficult one, or rejoice with exceeding triumph on find- 

 ins: that their eighth will show a few lines or other markino-s better 

 than somebody else's twelfth, and so on. These savants would 

 appreciate an elephant for the sake of a hair from his tail, or a 

 whale for a remarkably fine section of his baleen. For their delec- 

 tation we have a Microscopic Society, which, instead of being, as its 

 name implies, an exceedingly minute and insignificant body, is actu- 

 ally one of the most flourishing institutions of the day ; and we 

 sometimes hear the term " microscopic science" applied to the curious 

 agglomeration of subjects which is supposed to be the study of the 

 microscopists, — a term which certainly in many cases is more gram- 

 matically correct, as it would require no small penetrating and 

 defining power to detect the science possessed by many of them. 

 Nevertheless we cannot but feel a considerable sympathy even with 

 the most dilettante of microscopic observers. At the very least, they 

 are pursuing a harmless amusement ; and if they fancy that they are 

 at the same time engaged in the study of science, who can quarrel 

 with the innocent delusion 1 Which of us would care to be taken 

 precisely at bis neighbour's valuation? Moreover, it is from the 

 ranks of the dilettanti tliat the great scientific army of martyrs is 

 for the most part recruited ; and the microscopists in particular de- 

 serve our thanks for the many improvements which they have made 

 directly or indirectly in the means of microscopic observation. It is 

 for them that the most ingenious mechanics have laboured unceasingly 

 in bringing the microscope and its adjuncts to an almost incredible 



