HANDBOOK 



OF 



INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY. 



I. THE STRUCTURE OF AMCEBA. 



(Amoeba proteus.) 



AMCEB^E are frequently to be found in abundance in 

 the superficial ooze which forms a thin layer upon the bot- 

 tom of nearly every quiet body of fresh water. The ooze 

 may be collected from a pond, stream, or ditch, by gently 

 and slowly skimming the bottom with a tin dipper fastened 

 to a long handle. In gathering the ooze be careful to 

 barely skim the surface, and to avoid disturbing the black 

 mud which usually occurs just below the ooze. 



Transfer the material thus gathered to a collecting- 

 bottle, and gather ooze from several bodies of water, pre- 

 serving each specimen in a separate bottle, for amcebee 

 may be abundant in one locality and almost absent in 

 another. 



Pour the ooze into shallow dishes, such as soup-plates 

 or baking-dishes, putting enough into each dish to form a 

 layer about an eighth of an inch deep over the bottom. 



Place the dishes near a window, where they will be 

 well lighted without exposure to the direct rays of the 



