ON THE ANIMALCULE OCCURRING IN A DROP OF WATER. 31 



To this we will add, from our own knowledge, that fish, after having been 

 frozen so stiff that they might have easily been broken asunder, have, by 

 immersion in cold water, regained their usual functions. 



During our residence on the continent, not far from Paris, during the severe 

 winter of 1837-38, we had a quantity of Gold-fish (Cyprintis auratics) in small 

 shallow tanks: the water and fish became one solid mass of ice, which we had 

 broken up in pieces, so as to injure the fish as little as possible, and placed 

 in tubs in an out-house to thaw, which was done in the course of two days. 

 We had, the satisfaction and pleasure of seeing our little pets swimming about, 

 in what had only a short time before appeared their grave. Some of the 

 lumps of ice containing a fish we had thawed before the fire, but the change 

 in all cases proved too sudden, and the death of the animal was the consequence, 

 after lingering for some time. How long they would have lived in this frozen 

 state, I do not know, having been more anxious to recover those frozen, than 

 to ascertain the time they would live. 



Gharminster, Dorset, Feb. ISth., 1851. J. MCINTOSH. 



SOME REMARKS ON THE ANIMALCULE 



OCCURRING IN A DROP OF WATER TAKEN FROM 



ASKHAM BOG, NEAR YORK. 



BY BEVERLEY R. MORRIS, M. D. 



The object which I have in view in the following observations, is, not to 

 bring forward anything new, or even to place anything already known, in a 

 new light; but, simply to invite the attention of such of my readers as have 

 hitherto paid little or no attention to microscopic research, to the extensive 

 and deeply-interesting world, which the microscope, as now improved, opens 

 to us. I will not enter on the Subject by going into the details of the classifi- 

 cation of the Animalculge which I intend to notice, but shall content myself, 

 in this instance, with shewing, in somewhat of systematic order, the results 

 of my observations on a single drop of water, taken on the 28th. of June, 

 1849, from Askham bog, near York. It may not be amiss, for the benefit 

 of those who are only commencing the use of the microscope, to detail the 

 steps, usually had recourse to, in examining the water of any stagnant pond. 

 In selecting the water, it is best to take it from the side of the pond towards 

 which the wind is blowing, for the simple reason, that any light matter on 

 which the Animalculac may be feeding, as well as the Animalculae themselves, 

 are driven there by the wind. At the same time a small portion of duck- 

 weed, or other water-plant growing on the sm'face, should be placed in the 

 bottle. If any decaying straw or blade of grass be perceived floating about 

 in the water, it will be well to secure it, as it is frequently very rich in 

 microscopic forms. The water should be kept in wide-mouthed bottles^ as a 

 certain amount of air is necessary to keep the Animalculae alive. I need 



