i 



PREFACE. XI 



practical manner and in a popular style, the vast fund of 

 utility and amusement which the Microscope affords, and 

 has endeavoured to touch upon most of the interesting 

 subjects for microscopic observation as fully as the restric- 

 tions of a limited space, and the nature of the succinct 

 summary, would permit. To have dwelt upon each in 

 complete detail would have necessitated the issue of many 

 expensive volumes — and this would have entirely frustrated 

 the aim which the writer had in view; he has, therefore, con- 

 tented himself with the humble, but, he trusts, not useless, 

 task of setting up a finger-post, so to say, to direct the 

 inquirer into the wider road. In the section of the work 

 devoted to the minuter portion of creation, he has ventured 

 to dwell somewhat longer, in the belief that that depart- 

 ment 'j more especially the province of the microscopiat. 

 He has arranged his topics under special headings, and in 

 separate chapters, for the sake of perspicuity and precision ; 

 and has brought the ever-welcome aid of illustrations to 

 convey his explanatory remarks more vividly to the minds 

 of his readers. He is peculiarly indebted to Professor 

 Quekett, whose valuable lectures, delivered annually in 

 the Royal College of Surgeons, and whose multifarious and 

 successful researches, have pre-eminently distinguished him 

 as the microscopist of the day. From notes made during 

 the lectures spoken of, and from the many admirable 

 papers which this gentleman has published, much sound 

 information has been gleaned j and the Author has to thank 

 him, in the most sincere and cordial manner, for placing 

 at his disposal the mass of contributions with which he 

 has enriched microscopical science. A free use has been 

 made of the researches of scientific investigators generally 

 — Leeuwenhoek, Ehrenberg, Carpenter, Johnston, Ralfs, 

 Busk, Gosse, Huxley, Hassall, Lobb, Davies, and other 

 members of the Microscopical Society of London. His 



