184 
THE MICROSCOPE. 
[Nature and Art, June 1, 1867. 
We come now to our third section, that relating 
to the mounting of objects. By mounting is meant 
placing an object on a glass slide, fixing it in some 
preservative substance, such as glycerine or Canada 
balsam, covering it with a piece of thin talcdike 
glass, and fastening this down with cement. In 
performing these several operations under the old 
method the object was often displaced owing to the 
want of some contrivance for keeping it in situ. 
This difficulty has been overcome by Dr. Maddox, 
who has given us what he terms a “spring-clip.” 
This is a piece of wire bent in the shape of a letter- 
clip, and which, when placed upon the glass slide, 
exerts a firm pressure on the thin glass covering the 
object, and thus keeps it in position till the cement 
Fig. 13. 
used to fasten it is sufficiently dry. A useful little 
case has been recently made by Mr. Collins, and is 
called by him the “amateur’s ‘ mounting’-case ” 
(fig. 13). It is nothing more than a neat cabinet 
containing a number of compartments, in which are 
stowed away all the paraphernalia of the worker. 
Fig. 14 . 
The figure gives a general idea of the contents. But 
we may mention that, besides the glass slides, the 
cells, covers, fluids, cements, spring-clips, &c., the 
case contains a turn-table, spirit-lamp, and brass 
table for heating the slides. Similar in form, but 
very different in contents, is the case known as Dr. 
Lawson’s student’s mounting-case, also made by Mr. 
Collins (fig. 14). This is intended for the medical 
student, and contains, besides all the usual acces- 
sories, cements, and so forth, the peculiar liquids em- 
ployed in injecting the finer bloodvessels, a syringe, 
razor, and certain chemical reagents. Messrs. 
Baker have just added to their list of apparatus for 
mounting a very convenient little air-pump, which 
deserves the notice of microscopists (fig. 15). It 
consists of a good syringe, fixed under a wooden 
table, on the upper surface of which is a metallic 
plate pierced by a small aperture. Over this latter 
rests a cell of solid glass, some inches in length and 
height. In using this instrument to remove air- 
bubbles, the microscopist places the slide on the 
metallic plate, covers it with the glass cell, and by 
a few pulls of the syringe exhausts the air. 
The last novelties we have to notice are those in 
relation to our fourth section — Collecting. First in 
order comes Mr. Collins’ collecting-case (fig. 1G), a 
handy tin box, with hinged cover, and which is either 
suspended by a sling passing over the shoulders, or 
is fixed in an ordinary tourist’s bag. It contains 
three large bottles for water animals, and three or 
four tubes, with corks, for insects, &c., besides a 
small net, which, when used, is attached to the 
ferule of a stick which accompanies the case. Mr. 
Higbley makes a smaller case, or rather pair of 
cases, which are intended to be stowed away in the 
naturalist’s pocket. Ills net is mounted in spring- 
steel and packs into a very small space. Mr. 
Baker’s pond-stick (fig. 17) is somewhat like that of 
Mr. Highley and Mr. Collins. Removing the 
