Il8 W. C. ALLEE. 



of the work on formalin specimens. This has been done in the 

 Michigan course as outlined), by Shull and his associates, and I be- 

 lieve that the method is applicable in the majority of our lab- 

 oratories. This requires more work in the presentation of a 

 course, since it is easier as welii as cheaper to buy, for example, 

 formalin-preserved earthworms than to keep living ones ready 

 for study at the desired time. It necessitates also an acquaint- 

 ance with the local animals and their peculiarities of structure 

 and habit, when these are not described in the standard textbooks. 



2. Aquaria with living animals should be constantly in the 

 laboratories of appropriate classes even though no work is as- 

 signed to be done on them. They will interest our better students 

 in spite of themselves, even in the midst of the crowded winter 

 curricula and outside activities. These aquaria may well include 

 a balanced salt water one. 1 



3. Wherever possible, field work should be included with the 

 work in the first-year course, since it is impossible to understand 

 even the morphology of an animal when seen only in the pickle 

 jar and laboratory environment. Students should not be taken 

 out en masse, but in carefully divided groups and the trip should 

 yield definite information which the student will recognize as 

 being an integral part of the course. One section of the year's 

 work in the elementary course, preferably the spring, may well be 

 devoted to field studies which s'hould serve to emphasize many of 

 the problems discussed earlier in the year. 



4. A number of approximately equally well-trained instructors 

 should be associated in giving the larger courses. I regard the 

 results from the staff here described as definite proof of the in- 

 feriority of the usual method whereby one man, in charge of the 

 course, gives all the lectures and others, poorly trained, often be- 



i Salt water may be obtained from the sea shore and inexpensively shipped 

 by freight half way across the continent. Living animals for salt water 

 aquaria, together with plants to balance them, may be secured from Mr. G. M. 

 Gray, of the M. B. L. Supply Department. For best results this material 

 should be forwarded soon after definitely cool weather sets in. Mr. Gray 

 always sends more animals than can well be kept and the hardest task is to 

 kill enough at the beginning so that the others may have a fair chance to live. I 

 have kept such an aquarium running for seven months with no trouble other 

 than keeping the water level constant by adding distilled water. 



