206 ■ MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



PLANS FOE A BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY. 



S. O. MAST^ HOLLAND, MICH. 



The plans which I am to present to you are plans which have been 

 drafted for a biological laboratory to be built on the campus of Hope 

 College during the coming summer. The laboratory, in connection with 

 a lecture room, is to occupy the east end of the second floor of a three 

 story building 150 feet long and 70 feet wide. The entire third floor will 

 be set aside for museum purposes. 



Biology consists of morphology, physiology, embryology, and ecology. 

 A biological laboratory should therefore be such that work can be carried 

 on in it along these lines. A great part of such work must necessarily 

 be microscopic. We must then, first of all, have proper light relations 

 for microscopic work. As far as our experience goes, we have always 

 found reflected sky light, or light reflected from white clouds, most satis- . 

 factory for such work and consequently have planned the laboratory so 

 that fiVe of the seven working tables will be situated directly opposite 

 north windows and two opposite east windows, thus avoiding direct 

 sunlight largely in the forenoon and entirely in the afternoon. 



Strasburger and Ganong claim that direct sunlight can be filtered 

 through light colored shades so that it can be successfully used in micro- 

 scopic work. Strasburger even seems to prefer direct sunlight filtered 

 through tracing linen for high magnification. But even if direct sun- 

 light could be perfectly filtered by shades, the shades would have to be 

 raised when the sun is hidden bj^ clouds, for then the filtered light would 

 not be strong enough; and when, as often happens, light frequently 

 changes from direct sunlight to cloud filtered sunlight, the raising and 

 lowering of shades would be a constant source of annoyance. Further- 

 more light colored shades would soon become soiled in a general labora- 

 tory and would consequently have to be cleaned frequently or replaced 

 by new ones and would thus be the source of an extra item of expense. 

 If, however, these objections could be overcome, it would seem preferable 

 to have the laboratory face the south since quite a number of physiologi- 

 cal experiments require, if not direct, at least strong, sunlight. The 

 laboratory would then, admitting direct sunlight during the greater part 

 of the day, ofl'er a suitable place to perform such experiments. 



The laboratory is to accommodate 28 students at a time. It is to be 

 26 feet wide and 37 feet long, and as above stated is to contain seven 

 working tables. These tables are to be 3l^ feet wide, 7 feet long, and 2i/^ 

 feet high. Each table is to have 4 drawers, 18 inches wide, on a side, 

 arranged one above the other near the middle of the table, and will be 

 provided with 4 adjustable swivel chairs with backs, known as typewriter 

 chairs. A space of four feet will be left between the tables so as to leave 

 room enough for the instructors to get to each student while at work. 

 The supply of suitable materials is always an important problem in 

 connection with a course in biology. We must always depend, to some 

 extent, upon preserved material, dry or alcoholic, but the more good fresh 



