COKRESPONDENCE. 



169 



the bottle. The other end f of the brass wire, which was left 

 projecting for about 6 inches, is now to be firmly lashed to a light 

 cane or stick, and your apparatus is complete. 



Fig. 1 6. 



A Wire bent into shape. 



a Ring to which muslin bag is sewn. 

 b Open ring to fix round neck of bottle. 



B Muslin bag. 



C Apparatus complete, with bottle D attached. 

 In order to use the apparatus, move it gently backwards and 

 forwards on the surface of the water, under the surface, or just 

 above the bottom of the pond, and among the weeds ; the muslin 

 will allow the water to pass through it, whilst any living organisms 

 will be retained by the bottle. This can from time to time be 

 examined with a pocket-lens, and when it is found to contain 

 game, the lower ring of wire can be slipped oif, and the neck of 

 the bottle pushed up through the upper ring, thus inverting the 

 net. The contents may thus be poured off into another bottle, 

 and after re-arranging the apparatus, fishing may go on again. 

 The object of the piece of wire connecting the two ends of the 

 net is to keep all stiif, so that the bottle can be turned in any 

 direction and yet both the upper and lower mouths of the net will 

 remain open. A trial of this simple apparatus will, I think, 

 satisfy all microscopic collectors of its great utiHty. 



P.S. — The Oribate figured on Plate lo, Fig. i, is not Notaspis 

 bipilis^ but, according to Michael, Notaspis lucorum, the Zetes 

 lucorujn of Koch. The Notaspis bipilis of Nicolet, or Oppia 

 cornuta of Koch, is a very interesting and not uncommon beetle- 

 mite, found generally singly, in moss. It is at once distinguished 

 from lucorum by the hairs of the stigmata, which in lucorum are 



