158 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[August, 



ful, but he thinks " water is more 

 potable without them." We suppose 

 that is particularly the case with what 

 he calls "epithelia." 



And the article occupies more than 

 two pages of the Scientific American ! 



NOTES. 



— A new microscopical journal has 

 been established in England, The Jour- 

 nal of the Postal Microscopical Society. 

 It is to be published Quarterly, and is to 

 contain extracts from the note-books, origi- 

 nal articles, and microscopical news 

 from various sources. The first number 

 was issued in March, and contains fifty- 

 six pages of reading matter and five plates. 

 Among the articles, one by the Hon. J. G, 

 P. Vereker, on Numerical Aperture, is 

 about the clearest elementary explanation 

 of the subject we have yet seen ; a trans- 

 lated article by Dr. L. Dippell, On The 

 Microscopical Examination of Chloro- 

 phyll, Inulin and Protein-crystals is inter- 

 esting to botanists. Mr. A. Hammond, 

 describes the curious worm Tubifer 

 rivulortim, with the aid of a plate. In 

 each number, selections from the notss of 

 Mr. Tuffen West will be given. 



We would be greatly pleased if our own 

 Postal Microscopical Society were suffi- 

 ciently active to publish a quarterly maga- 

 zine of equal excellence, from the notes 

 which are sent around the circuits. 



Since the above was written, the second 

 number of the Journal\\a.s covae to hand. 

 It is fully equal to the first one, and con- 

 tains several good articles ; among them 

 one on " Spiders, their Structure and 

 Habits," by William Horner, which is very 

 readable. 



— In the last catalogue of Mr. Gund- 

 lach's objectives, issued by Mr. Sexton, 

 a y^(j-inch is advertised, and Mr. Sexton 

 informs us that such an objective is to be 

 made. We hope to live long enough to 

 see it. Will it be any worse than the i^^- 

 inch which Mr. Tolles made a few years 

 ago? 



— A good method of drawing from the 

 microscope without a camera-lucida is to 

 have a glass disk in the ocular ruled in 

 squares. The paper upon which the 

 drawing is to be made should be also 

 ruled in squares. The outlines of the 

 object can be readily traced upon the 

 paper and the different parts correctly 

 located in the drawing. Mr. W. T. Suf- 



folk, who has used this method, recom- 

 mends that the rulings in the ocular 

 should be about ^^ of an inch apart. 



— It is with regret that we occasionally 

 find the columns of our most valued ex- 

 changes encumbered with laudatory words 

 for pretentious, scientific observers, whose 

 only claim to public recognition is the 

 notoriety which they have secured through 

 a not very discriminating press. Such 

 articles impress us more and more with 

 the opinion that the truly meritorious, the 

 most pains-taking, and conscientious, aqd 

 thoroughly scientific work, is the last to 

 be recognized by the press and the public. 

 Perhaps this is because the true scientific 

 investigator is satisfied to present the re- 

 sults of years of labor in an unostenta- 

 tious and quiet manner, while the more 

 superfical worker is quick to foist upon 

 the public his premature conclusions, and 

 always ready to make them as sensational 

 as possible. Yet we have papers that 

 pretend to be scientific, which should not 

 be led astray in such matters. Why 

 should the labor of a man like Dr. Koch 

 be placed upon a level with the vagaries 

 of another observer who has found and 

 described a specific bacterium for almost 

 every species of disease the flesh is heir to .'' 



This is the position virtually assigned 

 to him by an article in one of our most 

 influential exchanges, and it must be dis- 

 couraging to the true student of science 

 to find so little appreciation of the work 

 of the man of science, and such laudation 

 of the less deserving, 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



To THE Editor: — I think I am doing 

 a service to users of the microscope, espe- 

 cially to those who intend to carry micros- 

 copes with them on their journeyings this 

 summer, by bringing to their notice a new 

 stand made by Schrauer of this city, 

 which " packs well." It has a base similar 

 to that on the instrument which was 

 known as the working model of George 

 Wale, except that the base is made of 

 solid brass, instead iron. Moreover, there 

 are no parts of sheet-brass. By un- 

 screwing the binding screw, this base can 

 be removed, and, together with the rest of 

 the stand, also taken apart, and laid 

 between other goods in one trunk, thus 

 taking up far less space and travelling 

 more securely than the ordinary stand 

 which tumbles about in a huge square 

 case occupying almost half of the trunk. 



