290 THE MICROSCOPICAL NEWS. 
when ereatures new to me, and possibly new to science, were to be 
found, and in seeking them relied rather upon the knowledge 
gained by experience than any which might be gathered from books. 
There appeared two ways open for systematic hunting, and much 
might be said in favour of both—that first adopted being the plan 
of naming the localities, and then taking care to place the gathering 
from each in bottles bearing a conspicuous number, little time 
being spent in actual examination on the spot. The contents 
afterwards were carefully scrutinised by the aid of the microscope, 
which should always be done on the same day, and good note 
made of the localities from which anything of special interest was 
derived. 
This plan answers very well, and soon gives one considerable 
knowledge of the inhabitants of a number of habitats, but is open 
to the objection, especially where long journeys are made, that 
good gatherings may be taken of things of little interest, and small 
ones of what is most valuable, thereby wasting much time and 
possibly missing the opportunity of taking some specimens which 
are never again to be met with, an experience I have had many 
times. 
The next method is the one I greatly prefer, and always adopt if 
there is time to carry it out, and that is to ascertain on the spot, as 
far as possible, what the gathering contains. 
I fear many who think microscopic creatures altogether beyond 
recognition without the aid of a powerful instrument will regard 
this method as a difficult one, and yet I believe most persons, 
especially our younger friends, of keen sight, may, with a little 
study and careful training, become able to identify creatures more 
minute than would at first seem possible, either with that splendid 
binocular arrangement, the eyes alone, or, at all events, by the help 
of a good pocket lens, and a suitable pocket trough, which is of 
equal importance. 
Portable microscopes are made for this purpose, but I have 
never found the need of one for gatherings made so near home 
that they may be thoroughly examined the same day. 
As an illustration, I may say that I always search my bottles, or 
rather flat trough, with a pocket lens, for Amcebze, and usually find 
no difficulty in ascertaining their presence or absence by this means 
alone, and I may further note that it has been my pleasure on many 
occasions to help those who could not see one of these organisms 
with the aid of the microscope to see one without it, of course, 
procuring favourable specimens, and placing them in the best 
possible light. 
Choice of apparatus also requires thought, and as I intend that 
this may be of some real help to those who may follow me in 
pursuing this delightful study, I must ask the patience of those to 
