ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 
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MICROSCOPY. 
A. Instruments, Accessories, &c.* 
(1) Stands. 
Sir David Brewster’s Microscope.f — At the meeting of the Society, 
held on November 17, 1897, the President made the following remarks 
on a Microscope exhibited by Mr. C. L. Cur ties, which had belonged to 
Sir David Brewster (fig. 1). 
He said that it was used by Sir David Brewster prior to the year 
1838. The owner, Mrs. Brewster Ferguson, had presented it to the 
British Museum, and before sending it there, had kindly sent it through 
Mr. C. L. Curties for exhibition to the Fellows of the Royal Micro- 
scopical Society. 
Fig. 1. 
At that time Sir David Brewster endeavoured to reduce spherical 
aberration by constructing lenses of media possessing higher refractive 
indices than glass, by which means a flatter curve was obtained for any 
lens of given focus, and for this purpose garnet, sapphire, and diamond 
were used. 
The President said that the Fellows would have an opportunity of 
judging for themselves the quality of the original garnet lens, as it was 
exhibited in the room. 
* This subdivision contains (1) Stands; (2) Eye-pieces and Objectives; (8) Illu- 
minating and other Apparatus; (4) Photomicrography; (5) Microscopical Optics 
and Manipulation ; (6) Miscellaneous. 
t There is no maker’s name on the instrument ; it is similar in construction, and 
also in its peculiar fitting in its box-foot, to those made by Dollond. Therefore 
Dollond may with reason be presumed to be its maker. 
