Abstract
IN reference to the discussion between Dr. Sydney Hickson and Mr. Benjamin Lowne, I beg to state that I have been favoured by both of those gentlemen with opportunities of carefully studying their preparations, and I feel it to be my duty to state that in my judgment Mr. Lowne's preparations do not justify the conclusions which he has based on them, and are, in fact, not made with that skill and knowledge of modern histological method which is necessary in order that trustworthy conclusions may be obtained. On the other hand, Dr. Hickson's preparations are thoroughly satisfactory as examples of histological manipulation. Dr. Hickson supports the accepted view as to the termination of the optic nerve-fibres in the nerve-end cells of the retinulæ. Mr. Lowne denies this connection. I have no doubt that such a connection cannot be readily observed in Mr. Lowne's preparations. At the same time I have no doubt whatever that this is because the preparations are badly made. Mr. Lowne's preparations fail to show many other simple features in the structure of the insect's eye, which are readily seen in preparations made by the application of methods now recognised and approved, but not made use of by Mr. Lowne.
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LANKESTER, E. Mr. Lowne on the Morphology of Insects' Eyes. Nature 31, 504 (1885). https://doi.org/10.1038/031504a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/031504a0
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