18 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[January, 



ough scientific investigation than it 

 has yet received from any competent 

 person, it is too early to reach any 

 definite a priori results. We believe 

 many of the opinions that now pre- 

 vail regarding stereoscopic vision 

 with the microscope are destined to 

 be materially changed in the future. 

 Nevertheless, Prof. E. Abbe is not a 

 man whose assertions or observations 

 are to be lightly thrown aside, and 

 Mr. Fell would do well to read care- 

 fully his discussion of binocular 

 vision with the microscope, as pub- 

 lished in his " Beschreibung eines 

 neuen Stereoskopischen Binoculars," 

 before venturing to criticise his con- 

 clusions too severely. 



The volume is well worth the price 

 for which it is sold, and we think all 

 our readers would find something to 

 interest them in it. The Society 

 seems to be in a flourishing condi- 

 tion : The Treasurer's report shows a 

 " possibly available balance " of 

 $574.56, of which $385.81 was cash 

 on hand on August nth, 1881. There 

 are one hundred and fifty members 

 on the list. 



Fossil Organisms in Meteorites. 

 — Perhaps some readers thought we 

 were rather hasty in our recent 

 allusion to this subject, but Dr. 

 Hahn's published conclusions seemed 

 to us to bear upon their face the evi- 

 dence either of insufficient or incomr 

 petent observation, coupled with a 

 vivid imagination. We have since 

 made some inquiries as to the opin- 

 ions of such eminent authorities as 

 Prof. R. P. Whitfield and Dr. J. S. 

 Newberry, and we learn that they are 

 also sceptical regarding the discovery; 

 and Prof. J. Lawrence Smith, who 

 certainly ought to know as much 

 about meteorites as anybody, has de- 

 clared that the nature and compo- 

 sition of the minerals preclude the 

 possibility of organic remains in them. 

 Prof. Hawes declares that Dr. Hahn's 

 "imagination has run wild with him." 

 Referring to Dr. Hahn's discovery, 

 he says: " It reminds one of the 



long and laborious research of a Ger- 

 man Professor who found a whole 

 flora and fauna, which he named 

 with double Latin names, and which 

 he found in his microscopic examina- 

 tion of basalt." 



The Microscopist. — We do not 

 intend to occupy much more space in 

 these columns in speaking of The 

 Microscopist, but another attack full 

 of personalities, in the December 

 number of that paper, leads us to 

 write a few words. 



We do not usually reply to person- 

 alities of that kind, and only allude 

 to this last article now for reasons 

 that will be obvious. 



Because we have freely criticized 

 Prof. Stowell's paper, at first from a 

 purely literary stand-point, and have 

 plainly stated our opinions, the Edi- 

 tor complains that we have not given 

 due regard to "journalistic courtesy." 

 As regards that, we do not know just 

 what the journalistic code of ethics 

 may be, but we are fully determined 

 that if it lies within our power to stop 

 the free and easy, slipshod style of 

 writing — full of slang phrases and 

 common-place or vulgar expressions 

 — which has crept into the micro- 

 scopical literature of this country, 

 we intend to do it ; and we are not to 

 be restrained in this, by any con- 

 siderations of so-called journalistic 

 courtesy. We can make due allowance 

 for faults of style so long as a writer is 

 earnest, but none for the other de- 

 fects which are introduced merely 

 for effect. 



Prof. Stowell will please observe 

 that we did not " ridicule " him for 

 calling attention to Dr. Hahn's re- 

 puted discovery. We never ridiculed 

 any person for an error, much less 

 would we for calling attention to a 

 reputed discovery. We also invite 

 his attention to the fact that the ex- 

 pressions," sensational and highly im- 

 probable," referred to the story about 

 Mr. Darwin, not to the supposed 

 discovery of the fossil organisms in 

 meteorites. It is strange that he 



