Looking back, and taking a general survey of the work of nearly two centuries in the history of the microscope, it cannot be said that either in its optical or mechanical construction any great amount of progress was made. This in part may have arisen from the fact that no pressing need was felt for either delicate focussing or higher magnification. At all events, it was not until the application of achromatism to the instrument that new life was infused into its use, and a great impetus was given to its development, both optically and mechanically. In the year 1823 a strong desire became manifest for improved forms of the instrument, in France by M. Selligue, by Frauenhofer in Munich, by Amici in Modena, by M. Chevalier in Paris, and by Dr. Goring, Mr. Pritchard, and Mr. Tully in London. The result was that in 1824 a new form of achromatic object-glass was constructed of nine-tenths of an inch focal length, composed of three lenses, and transmitting a pencil of eighteen degrees; and which, as regards accurate correction throughout the field, was for some years regarded as perfect. Sir David Brewster was the first to suggest the great importance of introducing materials of a more highly refracting nature into the construction of lenses. He wrote: “There can be no essential improvement expected in the microscope unless from the discovery of some transparent substance which, like the diamond, combines a high refractive with a low dispersive power.” Having experienced the greatest difficulty in getting a small diamond cut into a prism in London, he did not conceive it practicable to grind, polish, and form it into a lens. Mr. Pritchard, however, was led to make the experiment, and on the 1st of December, 1824, “he had the pleasure of first looking through a diamond microscope.” Dr. Goring also tried its performance on various objects, both as a single microscope and as an objective of a compound instrument, and satisfied himself of its superiority over other kinds of lenses. But here Mr. Pritchard’s labours did not end. He subsequently found that the diamond used had many flaws in it, which led him to abandon the idea of finishing it. Having been prevented from resuming his operations on this refractory material for a time he made a third attempt, and met with another unexpected defect; he found that some lenses, unlike the first, gave a double or triple image instead of a single one, in consequence of some of their parts being either harder or softer than others. These defects were found to be due to polarisation. Mr. Pritchard having learned how to decide whether a diamond is fit for a magnifier or not, subsequently succeeded in making two planoconvex lenses of adamant; these proved to be perfect for microscopic purposes. “One of these, of one-twentieth of an inch in focal length, is now in the possession of his Grace the Duke of Buckingham; the other, of one-thirtieth of an inch focus, is in his own hands.”