166 SO:S[E FRAGMENTS OF WEED 



method of manipulation is that preferred by me. It is as follows :- 

 Mix the sputum with double its volume of water, and add to each 

 tablespoonful of the mixture 5 minims of liquor sodae or potassse 

 (preferably the former). Boil until perfectly fluid, and then add 

 an equal volume of water and boil again. Let stand for a couple 

 of days, and then pour off the clear supernatant fluid. Add a 

 little fresh egg albumen to the residue ; mix and prepare the 

 cover-glasses with the mixture. Thus prepared, you will have a 

 mount of tubercle baciUi that will surprise you — not only as to 

 tlie quantity of bacilli, but as to the sharpness and clearness of 



Some 3f ragnicnte of Mccb from a pon^, an& 

 tbcir ^cnant6. 



By J. C. Webb. 



WHEN we gathered our fragments of w^eed, we placed them 

 in a glass jar with some of the pond water in which they 

 had grown, and on making a careful examination with 

 the aid of a small hand-lens, we quickly discover adhering to them 

 specimens of the Hydra, Melicerta ringens, Stephanoceros, and 

 Vorticelli ; whilst darting about amongst other animalculse we 

 notice several rather lively specimens of the Water-Flea. Each of 

 these creatures has a history which cannot fail to awaken interest 

 in the mind of the merest novice in natural history, especially 

 after looking at the objects themselves through a microscope. 

 Let us, then, place our pieces of weed in a suitable glass trough, 

 and have a glance at the specimens they contain. 



Our first specimen, the Hydra, belongs to the Zoophyte 

 family, so named from their resemblance to plants. It is a small, 

 tubular body, attached at one end to the water-weed, with an open 

 mouth, surrounded by long tentacles at the other. It is exceed- 

 ingly contractile, and capable of many changes of form. Some- 

 times it draws itself up into a shape resembling a button, while at 

 others it may be seen stretched out to a marvellous length, the 

 tentacula changing in length and diameter in a similar way. 



