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DIRECTIONS TOR THE MICROSCOPE. 
Shells . — Minute shells; these form most elegant subjects, and in g e ' 
neral fetch a very high price ; but they may be easily obtained by ex ' 
amining with a microscope the sand found on the seashores; they are 
used as opake objects, and should be placed on a coloured paper that is 
the greatest contrast to the shell. An enumeration with figures of most 
ot the minute British shells will be found in Montagu’s Testacea B’ 1 ' 
tannica, and Walker's Testacea minntu., 4to. 1704. 
Animalcule . — These animals are so exceedingly numerous that vo- 
lumes might be written on them. 1 shall therefore give only a fp' v 
brief directions for the best methods of obtaining them in vegetable in ' 
fusions, &c. 
Infusions of Pepper . — Bruise as much common black pepper as wi 
cover the bottom of an open jar, and lay it thereon about half an inc' 1 
thick: pour as much soft water into the vessel as will rise about a 11 
inch above the pepper, shake the whole well together; after which they 
must be stirred, but he left exposed to the air for a few days, in which 
time a thin pellicle will he formed on the surface, in which innume- 
rable animals are to be discovered by the microscope. 
E eh in Paste — may be obtained by boiling a little flour and water 
into the consistence of honey, then exposing it to the air in an op® 1 
vessel, and beating it frequently to prevent the surface from growing 
hard: in summer, after a tew days, eels will he found in myriads visi- 
ble to the naked eye, and may be preserved for a length of time by 
keeping the paste moistened with water. 
Vegetable, infusions . — These as well as animal infusions are by far th® 
best methods of procuring animalcula. Plafi'’ should be placed m 11 
glass of either rain or river water, and suffered to remain until a scum 
is observed on the surface of the water, which acquires thickness by 
standing. In this scum the greatest number of animalcules arc found 1 
Sometimes it is necessary to dilute the infusions; but this ought a*' 
ways to be done with water, not only distilled but viewed through ® 
microscope, lest it should also have animalcules in it, and thus proV 1 
a source of deception. 
Stagnant waters contain also immense numbers of these very mi- 
nute but interesting animals; they arc also found adhering to duck- 
weed, pieces of wood, &c. A quantity of these should be collected a® 
thrown into clean water; they may then be separated and further ® s ' 
amined. 
Zoophytes and Corals . — These are only to he obtained on the s ctl 
shore, and are found at the recess of the tide. When an oppoi 
occurs of collecting in t hese places, every piece of sea weed, Sec. 
• be examined, as many very rare marine animals are frequently 
in them, especially after a storm. 
shoukj 
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