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39 Microscopic Objects. The Microscope affords a boundless 
source of delight to the naturalist. We shall, occasionally, 
throw in our mite to Ids enjoyments. Mr. Gould, in the Philo- 
sophical Magazine, says — “ Take a single scale from any fish; 
put it on a fiat piece of glass, and cover it with a drop of pure 
water ; press the scale, to make it lie flat on the glass. Place 
it under the microscope, with a piece of black paper, or the 
black ivory stage-piece of the microscope, as it must be viewed 
as a perfectly opaque object, or the eflect is not seen. By 
means of a condenser, throw a strong light upon it from a lamp 
or candle, and you will observe a multitude of minute bodies in 
motion on the scale ; but they are much more visible in that 
part of the drop of water which the scale does not occupy, 
forming a most beautiful and interesting microscopic object.” 
These little shining particles have been thought, he says, to be 
animalculae. We see no shadow of reason in supposing them 
to he animalculae. They are fragments of the bright silvery 
coating w Inch covers the exposed part of each scale, and which 
gives to fish their attractive brilliancy. This glossy covering 
may easily he scraped from a scale into a single drop of water ; 
and, on a black substance, and in a bright light, it will be seen 
with the naked eye, to shine in the water, as iron pyrites in cal- 
careous spar; or as the spangle-like fissures of avanturine. 
Dried, with pressure, as between the leaves of a book, fishes 
scales form another object for the microscope. 
40 I’rotection from Drought. In some situations plants suf- 
fer much from a long continuance of dry weather, and watering 
constitutes but a partial, though expensive, remedy. Deep dig- 
ging, for protection against drought, and the more certain pro- 
duce of good crops, has long been observed to be highly ad- 
vantageous. It, doubtless, arises from the increased facility, 
afforded to the fibrous roots, of their descent to collect moisture. 
The idea is not new. An old author — Mountain, after describ- 
ing different modes of w atering, says, “ But if all these manner 
of helps and wayes shall faile the Gardener, or cannot well be 
compassed in the Garden ground, then shall he dig the ground 
after the mind of Palladius Rutilius, three or four foot the 
deeper or lower. For the beds on such wise ordered, being 
workmanly laboured and sowen, may the better endure through 
the low standing, the whole drought of the Summer dayes.” 
no 
