USE OF BLISTER MICROSCOPE SLIDES

About Blister Microscope

As almost everyone who has tried to prepare a microscope slide has observed, the standard glass slide is designed for use with very thin sections of tissue or smears only. The depression slide can be used for a hanging drop, but it too is unsuitable for bulky objects. Blister slides, however, make it possible to contain and observe three-dimensional objects.

GROOVED COVER SLIDES
The Blister slide with the grooved edges makes it possible to capture, observe
and maintain small to medium sized insects, spiders, worms, etc. In fact, one of our users was able to maintain a crab spider for two years and four months inside a grooved Blister slide. It was, of course, necessary to feed and water it! Flies and mosquitos were provided as food, and water was given four times a week by placing a
small drop in front of the spider with an eye
dropper.

Of the spiders observed, the jumping spiders are perhaps the most interesting. The Blisters with the grooved edges are also excellent for hatching insect and spider eggs.

SNAP-BACK BLISTER
The snap-back Blister can be left in the strip and used for the study of many minerals, especially table salt, small insects, and seeds; and the comparative study of such things
as seeds, minerals, soil samples, etc. The best viewing is through the flat side. They can also be cut off and used singly as shown in Figure 3.

PEEL-BACK SLIDES
The Blister peel-back slides with the red and yellow bands are excellent for mounting small dead insects, bits of cloth, seeds and minerals. In fact, almost anything that is dry and will fit can be used. It is not necessary to
use any preservative on the insects and spiders as they will keep their outward appearance due to their exterior skeleton.

These slides can also be filled with stagnant water
which might contain one-celled plants and animals, as well as daphnia, water fleas, etc. To fill this mount, first snip off the tip with a scissor, then fill with an eye dropper. It must be kept in mind that these organisms are probably not uniformly dispersed through the water of a pond. It often happens that in
a quart of water there could be as few as half a dozen organisms. Since only a few drops of water can be examined at one time, the problem of locating becomes apparent. To increase the number of organisms present, one can add a handful of hay to the jar of pond water and set it aside for a couple of weeks.