_Watson’s Bacteriological Improved Van Heurck’s Microscope_ (Fig. 77) is in every way a superior instrument, and it at once conveys a favourable impression to the practical worker. When set up for use its many convenient points--its excellence of workmanship and the precision of its movements--seem to imply its special adaptation for the bacteriological laboratory and for other high-class work where absolute reliance has to be placed in the results obtained. Every detail of the instrument is carried out in the best possible manner. The coarse adjustment is effected by means of a diagonal rack and spiral pinion, which ensures the smoothest possible motion; while the fine, the most important movement in the instrument, is made with an extra long lever, a specialty of Messrs. Watson’s, and which imparts an extremely slow action: this is now one of the most delicate and reliable forms of fine adjustment. By its means the entire body is raised or lowered by means of a milled head fixed to a screw having a hardened steel point acting on a lever against a point attached to the body slide, in a dove-tailed fitting about 2-1/2 inches long. Owing to the position of the controlling milled head on the limb, it can be worked with either hand. Another feature of importance is that, in using the fine adjustment the distance between the eye-piece and objective remains unaltered. All the frictional parts of the microscope have spring slots to the dove-tailed fittings, in which compensating screws are fitted. These are some few of the more important points, to which much thought and attention have been given. The body permits also of the use of objectives of any other optician, since its total length when the draw tubes are closed up is only 143 mm.; when extended, a total length of 320 mm. is available. By this means an ample margin is left for the correction for cover-glass thickness, whether the objective used be intended for the 160 mm. or 250 mm. tube length. The height of the microscope when placed in the vertical position is 13-1/8 inches. [Illustration: Fig. 77.--Watson’s Improved “Van Heurck Bacteriological” Microscope.] _The Stage._--A somewhat new design has been used in building this up so as to reduce vibration to a minimum. The bracket carrying the stage, instead of being screwed on to the front of the limb, as is usually done, is made in a solid casting, taking the sub-stage beneath, and passing into the joint at the top of the foot. The joint bolt goes through the whole (limb and stage bracket), rendering the limb stage and sub-stage as firm as if it were one piece; a point of considerable importance.