ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICEOSCOPY, ETC. 859 



At the meeting of the American Society of Microscopists, held at 

 Detroit, in August, 1880, Mr. C. M. Yorce * read a paper on this 

 subject in which he dealt with the five elements which he considers 

 determine the character of a person's handwriting : — the paper, the 

 pen, the ink, the personal qualifications of the writer, and the con- 

 ditions under which the writing is done. Any one of these being 

 changed from the ordinary conditions, the microscopical conditions of 

 the writing are almost sure to be changed also. 



So far as the paper is concerned, its glazed surface is the only 

 characteristic which affects writing. The author illustrated by draw- 

 ings the various widenings or " webs " which are always found at 

 points where two lines cross, explaining how a variation of speed, a 

 change in the kind of ink, and other causes affected this web. Upon 

 rough paper the lines always have a ragged edge ; the webbing is, if 

 anything, less than upon hard, smooth, paper. As to the pen, when a 

 steel one is used the paper always shows a distinct groove or cutting 

 on its surface, especially at the edges of the heavy lines. When the 

 pen is old and corroded the paper looks as though cut with a knife. 

 Under the head of ink the various qualities were discussed. By the 

 qualifications of the writer, the author includes his skill, method, 

 physical ability, &c. A person much accustomed to writing usually 

 writes at a good speed, and without hesitation. The writing, in 

 quality, is apt to look alike at all points on the page. Where writing 

 is done slowly it is not so regular, and the curves are not so smooth 

 and geometrical. Where a habitually light writer attempts to make 

 a heavy stroke, the shading is irregular. The same is true where a 

 person accustomed to writing with a heavy stroke attempts to write 

 lightly. These differences are such that they can be usually dis- 

 covered with the aid of the Microscope ; and when a writer concen- 

 trates all his faculties on the appearance and character of the writing, 

 it never has the easy, flowing appearance which it otherwise would 

 have. The tremor in the writing of old persons is nearly impossible 

 to imitate. The circumstances under which the writing was done have as 

 much to do with its appearance as any other cause. One who 

 habitually uses a flexible gold pen writes very differently with a steel 

 one. The reverse is equally true. 



The practical application of these and other facts in the examination 

 of writing requires patient investigation, much of it apart from the 

 simple use of the Microscope, and the author agrees that in the great 

 majority of cases the microscopical investigation is utterly useless 

 without a corresponding outside investigation. 



Dr. J. H. Wythe also read a paper I to the August (1880) Meeting 

 of the San Francisco Microscopical Society, in which he said : — 



" An article in the ' Banker's Magazine ' for August 1878, refers 

 to the value of the compound Microscope in the examination of hand- 

 writing, beyond the ordinary methods of experts, who rely upon 

 unaided vision or a hand-lens. It shows that the conclusions of an 

 ordinary expert are reliable just so far as they rest upon data which 



* Proc. Amer. Soc. Microscopists, 1881, pp. 50-9. 

 tJAmer. Journ. Micr., v. (1880) p. 225. 



