76 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[Aprili 



produces a true current, it is rather a 

 result of molecular operations within 

 the porous membrane. Even if it 

 could produce a true current, we 

 would still require to know how it 

 could possibly be localized or caused 

 to act in any particular direction. 

 We are confident that a critical ex- 

 amination would convince any person 

 that osmose cannot produce the 

 rriovement of diatoms. The motion 

 seems to be the result of physiological 

 processes, and because it is obscure 

 we should not accept untenable hy- 

 potheses to explain it. Osmose might 

 as readily move a dead diatom as a 

 living one. 



The Microscope in Education. 

 — Mr. C. Henry Kain delivered a 

 lecture on "The Use of the Micro- 

 scope in Teaching," before the Cam- 

 den County Teacher's Association. 

 This is one among many indications 

 that have lately impressed us with 

 the idea that there is a rapidly grow- 

 ing interest among school-teachers 

 in scientific subjects. There is no 

 doubt that in proper hands the 

 microscope could be made an efficient 

 means of instruction. Mr. Kain has 

 well expressed his views as follows : 



" Microscopy is not an absolute 

 science within itself. The great ad- 

 vantage of the microscope to the 

 teacher consists in the fact that it 

 wonderfully enlarges the scope of 

 vision, giving the power to pry deeper 

 into the structure of organized mat- 

 ter, and enabling us to know as facts 

 many things which otherwise would 

 be mere matters of theory. In the 

 study of insects and plants the micro- 

 scope is an .absolute necessity. The 

 lecturer described the curious breath- 

 ing apparatus of insects, and also 

 alluded to the wonderful adaptation 

 of the various organs of insects to 

 their particular uses, and necessities. 

 Reference was also made to the 

 necessity of using the microscope in 

 giving instruction in physiology, a 

 study now taught in most schools. 

 It is easy to interest even young 



children in the study of their owr 

 wonderful organization, provided! 

 pains are taken not to render it tool 

 entirely theoretical. A single viewi 

 of a structure is often better thai 

 pages of description. * * * Tht 

 importance of interesting children ii 

 scientific study was spoken of, alsc 

 the fact that a teacher who has suc- 

 ceeded in thoroughly interesting a] 

 child, is thereby unconsciously secur-' 

 ing an immense hold upon the affec- 

 tions, thus often rendering even a 

 troublesome pupil tractable, and 

 readier to receive instruction in other 

 things." 



New Mechanical Stage. — 

 Messrs. J. W. Sidle & Co. have writ- 

 ten to us as follows concerning a me- 

 chanical stage : — 



" The February issue of the Journal 

 of the Royal Microscopical Society, 

 gives a cut and description of Tolles' 

 new mechanical stage. It struck us 

 as good, and Mr. Sidle went to work, 

 and, on paper, made a great improve- 

 ment upon it. We were about to 

 send it to you, and have you publish 

 it quick, when lo and behold along 

 comes the English Mechanic and we 

 find Watson was too smart for us. 

 Our ideas are exactly embodied in 

 his patent. But we can beat that 

 and will show you so in August, at 

 Columbus and Cincinnati." 



American Microscopical Soci- 

 ety OF THE City of New York. — 

 We copy verbatim the following re- 

 markable circular : — 



" Owing to a misapprehension, which 

 appears to have been recently encouraged 

 by interested parties, it has been deemed 

 expedient to notify the friends of the 

 American Microscopical Society of the 

 City of New York — the oldest incorpor- 

 ated microscopical society in the United 

 States — that the name of the Society has 

 not been changed, its meetings discon- 

 tinued, or its large and valuable collec- 

 tion broken^ up and scattered. At the 

 recent annual election the following 

 officers were elected for the year 1880 

 (1881 }). President, John B. Rich, M. D„ 



