35 



quarter of an inch wide, and about eighteen inches long, and three 

 brass curtain-rings. Two of these rings fit loosely over the end of a 

 common walking-stick. The strip of whalebone is bent into a loop, 

 and the ends being applied to the sides of the end of the stick, are 

 firmly secured by two of the rings ; the one being brought up over 

 them from below, and the other applied at the upper end, leaving an 

 interval of two or three inches between them. The third ring, which 

 is considerably smaller than the other two, is employed for contract- 

 ing the sides of the fig. i. fig. 2. 

 aperture formed by the 

 strip of whalebone : a 

 small wide -mouthed bot- 

 tle with a rim being 

 now slipped into the 

 loop is held firmly, and 

 can be employed in 

 collecting animalcules. 

 When no longer requir- 

 ed, the whalebone and 

 rings can be instantly 

 removed, and the appa- 

 ratus becomes an ordi- 

 nary walking-stick. By 

 using rings of suitable 

 sizes, the same contriv- 

 ance can be applied with 

 equal facility to an um- 

 brella. The advantages 

 of this modification are, 

 its extreme portability, 

 its cheapness (the whole 

 cost not exceeding a few 

 pence), and the readi- 

 ness of its application 

 to articles ordinarily 

 carried by persons in 

 their country excur- 

 sions. The accompa- 

 nying figures will fully explain the mode of fixing this piece of appa 

 ratus to a walking-stick and umbrella. 



Fig. 1, A, the end of a walking-stick. B, the strip of whalebone. 

 C, the lower ring brought up from beneath. D, the upper 

 ring applied over the top. E, the small ring to contract the 

 loop. 



Fig. 2. A, The end of an umbrella. B, C, D, E, as in fig. I. 



