1406 Journal of Applied Microscopy 



cloth of the sort known to the trade as •' India linen." This is faced with 

 muslin at the top and bottom. 



In my first nets I made the cone top removable, and this, of course, can easily 

 be done. I discovered, however, that in working among weeds I practically always 

 used the netting and that it was easier to carry a second net of the small size 

 for work in open water than to have the more complicated and heavier arrange- 

 ment necessitated by making the net removable. 



The collecting funnel (Fig. 2) is the part of my apparatus which seems to 

 have been least used, but which I regard as even more important than the cone 

 dredge. The funnel is two inches in diameter at the top and has a cylindrical 

 spout about three inches in length. The bottom of this is formed by a cylinder 

 of tin (A) one-half inch in height, connected to the body of the funnel by two 

 strips of folded tin (B). Outside of this is soldered a cylinder of fine brass 

 wire netting (C). I have used a fine milk strainer, which is about one-fiftieth of 

 an inch mesh, and also a finer netting, one-hundredth of an inch mesh, for this 

 cylinder. For general use the coarser mesh is sufficiently fine and is decidedly 

 more convenient. The diameter of the spout is about half an inch. It is made 

 of such a size as to slip into the opening of an eight dram homeopathic vial, 

 short form. This funnel is used in connection with a tin cup in collecting 

 material, especially from among weeds. The material collected by the net is 

 washed into the cup, which is then filled with water and allowed to stand for a 

 short time. The vegetable debris settles to the bottom and most of the animals 

 remain in the water above it, together with some of the lighter parts of the veg- 

 etation. The water is then poured through the funnel, the lower end of which 

 may be stopped with a cork, or, as I find, more conveniently by the finger, and 

 when the water is drained off, the spout of the funnel is thrust into a homeo- 

 pathic vial filled with alcohol, and its contents washed out. In this way the 

 greater part of the animals can be separated from most of the accompanying 

 vegetable debris ; thus greatly facilitating the subsequent study of the collection. 

 Still further, the results of a large number of hauls of the net can be con- 

 centrated and preserved in a single bottle. In all cases, however, some of the 

 material which settles to the bottom of the cup should be preserved, since it 

 always happens that part of the animal life seeks refuge at once in this. The 

 cup which I use is made of such a size as to contain the funnel, and the dredge 

 net with the bottom part easily finds place in the interior of the cone. 



The net can be used as a tow net, or can be thrown either from the shore or 

 from a boat. In working among weeds, I prefer, if possible, to use it as a tow 

 net, keeping it close to the boat and working it by the line in and out among the 

 weeds. There is very little use in putting out a long line and allowing it to 

 drag through the weeds, as the vegetation collects and very quickly entirely 

 covers the top of the dredge. In hauling the net, it is better to use a violent 

 jerking motion than to pull steadily, and the line and net should be so 

 strong as not to suffer by this method. In throwing the net, it is often 

 found difficult to make it sink after the cloth has once been wet. If the throw 

 is not to a great distance the net can often be made to fall with bottom down- 

 ward by a little manipulation of the line. The sinking can also be secured by 



