PART II. 



OX THE COLLECTING AND PllEPARING 



INFUSOIUAL ANIMALCULES 



FOE 



Section I. — On the Method of Capturing, Selecting, and Placing 

 Infusoria for Examination under the 3Iicroscope. — To procupe specimens 

 of Infusoria for examination and study, no expensive apparatus is 

 necessar}^, a few common wide-mouthed pliials are sufficient — those 

 containing about four ounces a piece will be found most suitable — let 

 them be fitted Avith proper corks, and not with glass stoppers. Some 

 persons insert a piece of quil into the cork to give the creatures air. 

 I have not found this necessary, but always remove the cork when I 

 arrive at home. If it be requii'ed to have all the tackle neatly 

 arranged, they may be put into a small tin case, expressly con- 

 structed for the purpose, and each bottle separately marked. In 

 place of phials, however, cylindrical glass vessels, from three to five 

 inches long, may be substituted, as they will lay better in the case, 

 which need not exceed the dimensions of a common sandwich-box. 

 A good walking-stick, "with a hook at the end of it, and a piece of 

 twine, should always foiTQ part of the equipment. As the margin 

 of small ponds is sometimes difficult of near approach, I have con- 

 tiived a spring-hook, which is attached to a moveable ferule, and 

 made to fasten to the end of the walking-stick. Tins lays hold of 

 the phial, and enables you to charge it from the surface of the 

 water, in the immediate viciaity of the stalks of water-plants, a 

 situation generally abounding with Infusoria. 



Various ingenious contrivances have been invented for the same 

 purpose since the above was published, but, as most persons would 

 be induced to adopt such a plan as would best suit themselves, it will 

 be unnecessary to describe these contrivances in detail. I may only 



