1887.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 95 
that we have projected a series of articles, elementary in character, which 
shall set forth the facts and principles of animal histology as a branch in the 
science of zoology. 
We are led to present this series of articles by a second consideration, as 
well; namely, by the want, on the part of many teachers, of a text which 
can be used by beginning students. Weare aware of the many good guides 
to vegetable histology, but have not, in our own experience, found the book to 
put into the zoological laboratory as an introduction to this branch of the 
subject. As many of the readers of these pages are teachers, we feel assured 
that they will find at least suggestions toward a plan of work, if not the 
detailed plan which will be useful to them. We, perhaps, will seem to 
stretch the meaning of elementary by introducing so many details to the 
reader, but wish to say that they cannot be avoided if one desires to present 
a sufficient account of animal histology as it exists at the present time. 
We think there is a confusion of ideas abroad in the land regarding the 
meanings of the elementary and superficial. These words are by no means 
synonymous, though often used interchangeably. Now, a merely superficial 
idea is one of no value to its possessor; it gives him nothing which he can 
use. By its possession he can listen, perhaps, and look wise when the sub- 
ject is up for conversation, but when cornered with a question he quickly 
pleads an insufficient knowledge, which is no better than ignorance. Such is 
not ‘ elementary,’ which work is more allied in significance to ‘ essential.’ 
An elementary course is, or should be, understood to be one which presents 
the outline of the subject stripped of the most of its details, but with enough 
clinging to the outline to enable one to supply the rest. Thus of anatomy :— 
elementary anatomy of muscle tells of the bone, and joint, and tendon, and 
muscle structure, but after mentioning the biceps and gastrocnemius, and a 
few other examples, leaves the others untold as repetitions merely. 
‘Elementary ’ does not mean ‘ easy ;’ in fact it is more difficult than would 
be the study of mere fact after fact, for it includes, besides the comparatively 
easy pursuit of facts, the discrimination of those essential to an outline merely, 
and not more than that by reason of the too numerous details. All true stu- 
dents of nature, whether as professionals or as amateurs, following science 
as a relaxation, are equally in search of this outline or skeleton, and this gives 
a higher purpose to their study than mere accumulation could alone furnish. 
We are not to be misunderstood to mean that we need not bother with detail. 
Any one who possesses our elementary course will doubtless find detail 
enough to suit him; but we mean that in the pursuit of the detail he must 
not be distracted from the whole, of which the detail forms only a part, and 
by his study exaggerate to grotesqueness what should be a symmetrical whole 
of information. 
O 
Japan sends us occasional very interesting notes through the former editor of 
the Journal. We understand, of course, the isolation of one so far removed 
from the working centres, and value anything from such an one the more. 
Our readers will all be interested in the occasional contributions from Prof. 
Hitchcock, and trust that he will, as the year progresses, find much of inter- 
est to tell us and the time to write often. 
O 5 
- Marine diatomacee of the southern waters of eastern United States are 
receiving attention from Dr. Geo. N. Taylor, of Mobile, extracts from whose 
letters may be found in our department of correspondence. Dr. Taylor has 
sent us one of his phials for examination, and it contained a large number of 
very beautifully cleaned forms. These we distributed to a few friends, 
