106 NATURALISTS' ASSISTANT. 



table, the length should be increased so that each may have 

 at least ten square feet of table room. 



The support of the table as well as the floor of the labora- 

 tory should be firm, so that all unnecessary vibration, which 

 would prove very annoying in microscopic work, may be 

 avoided. In the laboratory of Prof. Alex. Agassiz, at New- 

 port, each table has a support of its own wholly unconnected 

 with the floor of the room. 



Concerning the chairs to be used in the laboratory but 

 little can be said. It is best, however, to use either wood or 

 leather-bottomed chairs. Of course no varnish should be 

 used upon them. 



Larger tables than those mentioned above should be pro- 

 vided for the dissection of the larger forms, and these should 

 have either slate or metal tops to prevent the fluids, etc., from 

 sinking into the wood and causing disagreeable odors by their 

 decay. 



The order should be enforced that every student should 

 put his table in good order at the close of the day, should dis- 

 pose of all refuse and clean all instruments before leaving 

 the laboratory. 



If possible, the laboratory should be provided with water 

 and gas, and there should be kept in close connection a well 

 selected library of morphological works to which the students 

 should have unrestricted access, but should not be allowed 

 to remove from the building. A list of indispensable morpho- 

 logical works is given at the end of the next chapter. Good 

 bibliographies of anatomical and embryological works and 



