97 



are appreciated and there are few microscopists of 

 standing who would recommend only one or the other 

 kind. 



In these days of competition, prices alone are too 

 often made the object of inducement, without any 

 reference to quality. Be distrustful of all such objec- 

 tives, arid if contemplating their purchase, always 

 reserve the right of having them examined by an 

 expert. Have a distrust especially of all "nameless" 

 objectives. It is safe to assume that if the maker can 

 not attach his name he is dpubtful of their superior- 

 ity. Any maker of responsibility will say without hes- 

 itation that he can produce objectives at less than 

 one -half their present cost, if he had the assurance 

 that they would be accepted as first put together, as 

 the cost of merely making and mounting lenses is 

 considerably less than the cost of making proper cor- 

 rections. In this case, however, they would be of 

 varying and inferior quality. 



It is sometimes found that dealers offer the same 

 objectives of different quality at different prices. Too 

 great care cannot be observed in such cases, as the 

 very fact of the admission of a difference in quality 

 indicates that they are made by an unreliable maker. 

 This mode of offering objectives was in vogue many 

 years ago when the principles of optics and facilities 

 for making were limited, and when a higher price was 

 asked for those which might be termed a happy com- 

 bination. There is no excuse, however, at the pres- 

 ent day, for anything of this kind, because every con- 



