﻿FIELD AND FOREST. i 7 



EDITORIAL PENCILINGS. 



The American Postal Micro-Cabinet Club. — -This club has now- 

 entered upon the second year ot its existence. Its object is the circu- 

 lation, study, and discussion of microscopic objects, and its members 

 may be any reliable persons accustomed to work with the microscope, 

 and able to contribute good objects for examination. It operates by 

 dividing its members into circuits of six each, the first of whom re- 

 ceives a box that will hold six slides, in which he places a slide, prefer- 

 ably one illustrating some new method of preparation, or result of 

 study. The box is sent to the person next named on the list, who ex- 

 amines the first and adds another slide, and so on, till the round of 

 the circuit is complete, when the box is transferred to a new circuit, 

 affording each member an opportunity to examine all slides contrib- 

 uted. 



According to the published lists, the club now numbers twenty cir- 

 cuits, and the localities represented would seem to indicate that the 

 interest felt in this department of scientific work was very local in 

 character, no less than three circuits being located at Cleveland, 

 Ohio, two at San Francisco, California, two at Boston and surburbs, 

 one at New York City, and one mostly from its surburbs, making 

 half the entire number. On the list we find the names of Rev. E. C. 

 Bolles of Salem, Prof. C. E. Bessey of Iowa, Prof. Bicknell of Cam- 

 bridge, Dr. Edwards of Newark, Prof. Biscoe of Ohio, and others. 



An analysis of the subjects of 36 slides contributed consecutively, 

 gives ten of diatoms, eight of human histology, nine of general zoology, 

 six botanical, two chemical, and one micro-photograph. With the 

 present number of members, more than a year must elapse before a 

 contribution returns for replacement, while the expense in money is 

 limited to one dollar per annum, and has not yet exceeded fifty cents. 

 We think the above data are sufficient to exhibit clearly the operations 

 of the club, with the success of which we feel gratified. Every one can 

 determine for himself its relative advantages. No doubt the larger 

 share accrues to beginners and amateurs, but it is from this class that 

 our eminent workers are recruited, and there are a sufficient number 

 of the latter included to insure a considerable amount of valuable mat- 

 ter. 



In Europe such clubs have been in vogue for several years, and we 



