MISCELLANEOUS HINTS TO MICRO SCOPISTS. 197 



black in a solution of shell-lac in strong spirits of wine. A 

 more elegant method, and better suited for delicate work, is to 

 wash the surface, previously freed from grease and tarnish, with 

 a solution of platina in nitro-muriatic acid (chloride of plati- 

 num) ; after remaining on the work a few minutes it is wiped off, 

 the surface having assumed a deep brown or black color. If 

 these are not at hand, a strong solution of muriate of ammonia 

 will answer for temporary purposes. Another method of sti- 

 fling false light is by stops or diaphragms in the body of the in- 

 strument ; these have already been referred to. 



CABINET FOR MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS. The author of " Mi- 

 croscopic Objects" recommends a cabinet with shallow drawers 

 twelve of them occupy a depth of four and a half inches 

 the most convenient width from front to back being six inches. 

 Into these shallow drawers the slides containing the objects are 

 laid flat in double rows. The outer ends of the slides are 

 made to fit into a ledge in the front and back of each drawer. 

 The inner ends of the slides meeting in the middle of the 

 drawer are kept down by a very thin slip of wood covered with 

 velvet. In this way the slides do not shake when the cabinet 

 is moved from place to place ; every object is seen without 

 removal, and no loss of time is occasioned in making a selec- 

 tion. 



Some persons have their slides arranged edgewise, in boxes 

 made in imitation of books ; the ends of the slides being held 

 by a sort of rack. This sometimes may be convenient, but the 

 other form is preferable. 



GOADBY'S MANIPULATING Box. This is an exceedingly 

 neat and useful article, represented by Fig. 63. No. 1, repre- 

 sents the box when open, No. 2, a movable tray of peculiar 

 form, and No. 3, the box with No. 2 removed. 



" No. 1. a. Compartment to receive a bottle, 2 inches square, 

 3J high, to the top of the stopper, for preserving fluid. I. 



