THE USE OF THE STEREOGRAM IN PALEOBIOLOGY 



BY GEORGE H. HUDSON 



The earliest form of the stereoscope was devised by Sir Charles 

 Wheatstone to illustrate the phemomena of binocular vision. This 

 instrument was made known in 1838 and very simple line stereo- 

 grams were drawn to accompany it. By a curious coincidence 

 Daguerre succeeded in perfecting his photographic process dur- 

 ing the same year and thu? opened the way to the production of 

 stereograms which would possess something more than a purely 

 theoretical interest. Thus the stereoscope and the rather bulky 

 and clumsy form of mounted stereogram developed together and 

 the former became specialized or adapted for use with the latter 

 only. 



In these days of cheap and excellent methods of reproducing 

 photographs there is no valid reason why stereograms should 

 not be printed and bound together with descriptive text in book 

 form. This would only be a step in the direction of " scientific 

 management." It would save time now lost in keeping the loose 

 stereograms in order, in finding the one desired and in replacing 

 it after use. It would insure against loss and damage. It would 

 open avenues for use now unfortunately closed. Stereograms 

 could be made to illustrate books of travel, textbooks, scientific 

 papers and popular magazine articles dealing with the world and 

 its workers in all spheres of human activity from the mine to the 

 stage. To open this new field we need only a stereoscope that 

 shall rest on the page while being focused or adjusted. 



This article has beer prepared to demonstrate the desirability 

 of using stereograms to illustrate scientific papers. The field 

 chosen lies both in biology and paleontology. The illustrations 

 are confined to a few species of sea stars but both recent and fos- 

 sil forms are represented. 



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