Through a Microscope / Something of the Science, Together with many Curious Observations Indoor and Out and Directions for a Home-made Microscope.

A practical manual introduces the microscope, explains how to make and outfit a simple home instrument, and gives step-by-step guidance for preparing slides and conducting small experiments. It surveys common pond and household specimens and how to collect them, with descriptions of diatoms, desmids, vorticellas, bladderworts and various free-swimming animalcules, and offers illustrated field-of-view examples. Advice on care of living specimens, observation techniques, and methods for independent investigation encourages hands-on study and repeated experimentation, aiming to help young naturalists recognize forms, behaviors, and the pleasures of microscopic discovery.