308 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



terms rotifer, daphnia, entomostraca, 

 rhizopod, vermes! 



Can you give an English equivalent 

 or their meaning? What books can we 

 find these small monsters in. Well, 

 turn to your Alfred C. Stokes's "Aquat- 

 ic Microscopy for Beginners." The 

 doctor was formerly contributor to 

 "The Observer" and works he has writ- 

 ten will repay you. 



Another excellent manual — but now 

 we must cross the Atlantic for Eng- 

 land and France are the homes for 

 handy cheap manuals — is that veter- 

 an and kindly teacher's book in natural 

 history rambles, "Ponds and Ditches" 

 by the late M. C. Cooke. His death 

 at the ripe age of eighty has just been 

 noted and his loss is world-wide. To 

 this series add his "Woodlands," and 

 "Rust, Smut and Mildews" for another 

 day; Napier's "Lakes and Rivers" 

 costing about sixty-five cents witnoui 

 duty. Another is H. Scherren's "Ponds 

 and Rock Pools," fifty cents, J. Bab- 

 cock's "Vignettes from Invisible Life," 

 "Marvels of Pond Life" by H. J. Slack. 

 Of the "Peeps at Nature" series, few 

 can equal for the price "Pond Life" by 

 the Reverend Charles A. Hall, with 

 colored plates and photomicrographs, 

 (Black). In Dent's "Open Air Nature 

 Books," "The Pond I Know" for six- 

 teen cents. 'The Stream I Know" is 

 nearly ready and a series of others very 

 useful and well illustrated with colored 

 plates and photomicrographs. The 

 People's Books are handy and "Pond 

 Life" by E. C. Ash, No. 65, for twelve 

 cents net is not to be despised because 

 it is cheap. The Young Collector's 

 Series of Sonncenschein & Company 

 are inexpensive — about twenty-five 

 cents each. "Pond Life and Insects" 

 by E. A. Butler, "Land and Freshwa- 

 ter Shells" by J. W. Williams, Roebuck 

 & Taylor; "Pond Life" (algae and dia- 

 toms) by T. S. Smithson, "Crustaceans 

 and Spiders," F. A. Skuse ; "Ants, Bees 

 and Dragon Flies," W. H. Bath, all 

 help. To these add W. Furneaux's 

 "Life in Ponds and Streams." This 

 set is a most useful adjunct to one's 

 library and all are well illustrated, pub- 

 lished by Longmans Green & Com- 

 pany. To those desiring helo in keen- 

 ing "Fresh Water Aquaria," G. C. 

 Bateman. 2 to 6 (Upeott Gill) is a 

 great help. These are all handy vol- 



umes and for those taking up special 

 studies like diatoms, desmids, algae, we 

 shall have something to say at another 

 time. More advanced books can be 

 found on all subjects, and you cannot 

 do better than consult "The Transac- 

 tions of the American Microscopical 

 Society." Do not forget the great 

 study on "Rhizopods" by Jos. Leidy, 

 whose monumental work will never be 

 forgotten. 



I must stop or the editorial stick 

 will be chasing me from my pool so I 

 will say all the old volumes of the 

 "American Monthly Microscopical 

 Journal," "Microscope," "Quekett," 

 "Royal Microscopical Journal," "New 

 York Microscopical Society" and our 

 own back numbers of "The Observer" 

 w ill help in many details. 



Some day I hope to see that pond and 

 tell you what I found, but possibly our 

 correspondent, Frank J. Myers, can 

 continue his findings since the Atlantic 

 City ponds, as he has been home to 

 study them out. How I wish I had 

 been in his company for so many ask, 

 'Where shall I go when visiting in 

 new places?" And it seems a pity not 

 to take advantage of the trip when able 

 to do so. Wintertime is good to obtain 

 the statoblasts, fresh-water sponges 

 volvox, cyclops, daphnia, polyzoa and 

 tubular Rotifera, etc. It is also a good 

 chance to prepare your collecting out- 

 fit, to read up and to experiment in 

 mounting for permanent preservation. 



[Nothing could better show the need 

 of this magazine than this list of books 

 and periodicals. Nearly all are out of 

 print or out of date. We need modern 

 guidance from present day workers 

 with the enthusiastic spirit of these old- 

 time publications. Let us have this 

 in this department under the skilled 

 leadership of Dr. Latham. We heart- 

 ily echo the editorial appeal, "Let us 

 in the old spirit of good comradeship 

 'get together' so our friends can find 

 us."— E. F. B.] 



Avoid Rust on Instruments. 



Equal parts of almond oil and al- 

 cohol. Keep instruments especially hy- 

 podermic needles, in a covered dish. 

 To use, drain off oil and clear with a jet 

 of alchohol if they are needles. — Ber- 

 nard Wolfe, M. D. 



