TO SELECT A MICROSCOPE. 



When a person has concluded to obtain a micro- 

 scope, a suitable selection is a matter of considerable 

 importance to him. The varieties are innumerable, 

 prices without end, all sorts of claims made for them. 

 It is, therefore, easily explained -why this chapter 

 should be an important one in a manual of this kind, 

 and yet difficult to treat satisfactorily. 



The variety of special lines of investigation involves 

 nearly as great a variety of requirements. The 

 amount of money to be expended ; what shall be the 

 stand ; what the objectives ; shall the entire outfit be 

 purchased at one time or little by little, are all ques- 

 tions of paramount importance which the writer does 

 not expect to solve, but hopes to give sufficient infor- 

 mation that a more intelligent selection may be made 

 than might probably be done otherwise. 



Stands. Starting out with the assumption that 

 there are two classes of instruments to select from, 

 the long and short tube, the first decision to reach 

 will be this point. In a general way it may be said 

 that there are no optical advantages in either, but 

 whichever is adopted must be retained. 



