oontouts being shakiMi together. I'ho instrmuont
cases liavc each its own coni])artnu'nt in the drawers
and Clipboards in Avhich they arc secured hy liattcns.
A iVcsh-watcr tank and sink occupy a space against
the side bulkhead, and spirit of wine is laid on to
a loeked-ii]) tap from a cistern in the nett ings above,
r.ong shelves with ledges, running parallel Avitli tlic
lieams overhead, give a great deal ol stowage room,
and various implements sucli as harpoons, botanical
vasculums, an injecting copper, &c., are conveniently
suspended from the beams and deck hy hooks. A
long table is placed across the centre of tlic Avork-room
running right up to the port, so that tAvo persons sitting
opposite one another at the end of the table close
to the port have a good side-light for their microscopes.
The most couA'enicnt height for the table, using
principally llartnach’s microscopes, Avas found to he
2 feet 9 inches. Tlie microscopes are secured to the
table hv brass holdfasts like t those in common use
on carpenters’ benches. The holdfast Avhen brought
to hear upon the hack of the footpiece holds the
instrument rigidly firm; two holes are bored in
the table for the holdfast, one for holding the
microscope in position Avlien in use and the other
for securing it Avlien set aside.
The centre of the table is divided hy low fixed
battens into oblong compartments for micro-reagents,
canada-halsam, glycerine jelly and the paraphernalia
used in examining objects Avitli the microscope and
mounting microscopic preparations, ink-stands, and
draAving materials. Tavo large moderator lamps
swing heloAv the cupolas, moveable branches for
candles are screAvcd to the bulkheads, and for examining
minute surface animals at night when they
are Ircipiently in greatest ahundanec the Rockett
microscopc-lamp made hy Collins is lound most
useful.
Three of llartnach’s small model microscopes wuth
ohjcctives 2, 4, 7, 8, and 10 are in constant use in
the work-room, but one ot Smith and Deck s binoculars
is found more convenient for observing objects
such as the largo foraminifera, hy rcilcctcd light.
There arc also several other microscopes by Ross,
Zeiss, and other makers available, and a number of
the ordinary dissecting microscopes.
The heat of the tropics affects unfavourably many
of the substances in common use in mounting microscopic
preparations ; thus glycerine jolly will scarcely
set at all hut remains nearly fluid, and the different
varnishes and lacs remain soft and sticky. I t is
unsafe to put preparations on edge, and we find
small pine-AVOod cases supplied hy Baker, Ilolhorn,
containing each twelve horizontal trays with accommodation
for six dozen slides, most suitable for
storing. I t is almost inconceivable how difficult it
is to keep instruments, particularly those which are
necessarily made of steel, in AVorking order on hoard
a sh ip ; or how rapidly even with the greatest care
they become destroyed or lost. Dor this reason it
is necessary to have an almost unlimited supply of
those in most frequent use, such as scissors, forceps,
and scalpels of all siz e s; reserves being rubbed over
with mercurial ointment and stoAved^ aAvay where
thev can he looked at from time to time.
The operations carried on in the Avork-room on
ship-hoard are of course very much the same as the