Page:Science vol. 5.djvu/180

164 is a microscopist? First and last, an amateur who rejoices in the beautiful variety of microscopical specimens; one who treasures alides in the exact centre of which is a ring of cement neatly put on, and holding & cover-glass under which lies some fine test-object, — a. delicate diatom, a podura scale, a bit of tissue the vessels of which are injected with gor- geous red, a polarizing crystal: in short, almost any tiny scrap of the universe, if so it be pretty in the pattern of ite shape and color. These same treasured slides must have neatly bordered labels, and be catalogued and stored by a special system. The microscopist is one who has a formidable and extensive deal of brass stand, which can hold together a cabinet of appliances; and he will display the most admirable patience in getting them in posi- tion, until at last he sees the specimen, and la ready to clean and pack away his apparatus. His series of objectives is his glory; and he possesses a fifteenth of Smith and Brown, which will resolve a band of Nobert's not to be re- solved by the objectives of any of his friends. Hla instrument is his pat: about it his interest centres, while the direction of his studies is determined, not by any natural bond between the objects, but by the common quality of minuteness. Is it not curious? Imagine any one deliberately setting out to study whatever he could cut with a knife. We should pity the man who chopped up the sciences according to the instrument be used. We cannot be brought to regard anatomy as a department of cutlery, mor can we seriously admit histology as a de- partment of microscopy.

Scientific men have been very lenient towards the microscopists; and yet the latter, who have long been allowed to march as bangers-on to the regular scientific army, have gradually lagged behind. The army has grown, and divided into many separate corps, traversing the country of tbe unknown in all directions, and the micros- copist knows not whither to follow. If he turne in any direction, he must join with the special work there, and can glean only in one field: he is no longer the universal gatherer. One munt be of the army to be with it, and the forces are too scattered for any hanger-on to flit from one division to another. The would- be microscopiat has no place ainong scientific investigators. He must enlist in one company and there remain, or else be content to rank as an amateur, and not as a scientific man.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

''Chorrespondents are requested to be as brief ma possible. The writer's name is in all causa enquired as proof of good faith.''

The north magnetic pole.

WITH my article in Science, No.98 (Dec. 19, 1884), en- titled 'The Netschilluk Innuit,' there appeared a mag of the distribution of those Eskimo, in which I placed the north magnetic pole in about longitude 09° $5° west from Greenwich, or about sixty-five miles due west of the position given by Ross. Its discoverer, In his sledge-journey of 1881. Since this map was Issued I have received two letters from well-known scientific gentlemen, and a personal inquiry from another, mak- ing why I so mapped thle change in the magnetic pole, and on what observations or conclusions It was based, even though I had put an Interrogation-polat after the words Indicating the position. It is well known that many calculations have been made re- specting the western movement of this pole since its discovery; and, varying as they do, they all, so far as I have seen, would place it much farther to the west, for the year 1879, than my location gives It. The above Inquiries and facts make me think it would be interesting to give in your publication the rude and approximate manner in which I located it as above, leaving each one to fudge of its value. Its latitude I assumed to be the same as that determined by Rose, as all writers speaking of its revolution. whatever be its rate, give the geographical polo me its centre. Its latitude, therefore, would not vary. 1 consider this co-ordinate, determined in this manner, by far the most unreliable of the two; I believe, how- ever, that those interested in the subject will consider It also the least important, as being the least likely to vary considerably. My only instrument for deter- mining the position of the pole was an ordinary.com. pass, but an extremely delicate and reliable one lu Its proper sphere, and returning to the same point. In the temperate zones, to within less than a degree of are started from any position that could be given. When at Cape Felix, the most northern point of King William's Land, the needle remained aluggishly In almost any position that was given it; when pointed in north-eaat or south-west direction, I thought I detected a slight tendency to move to the westward. At Franklin Point I made some seventy-five to one hundred observations (the exact number I have in my journals, packed in Portland, Ore.; but I think my memory will be close enough for descriptive pur- poses, and probably more exact than the rough approximations), and the horizontal needle now commenced to show a little activity; a mean of the observations showing about longitude 90°, where Its direction cut the Ross latitude of the magnetic pole. Near Point Little, I took the longest and most careful series of observations, and the needle always returned to within 18° (this I distinctly remember) of the pole as I have localed it in the Netschilluk map, and this