292 . THE MICROSCOPICAL NEWS. 
abundant, and have usually failed to capture a single individual, 
when a few sweeps with a suitable net would make a good gathering. 
Then, as to choice of localities. As you know, water only needs 
to be exposed to the air, with the addition, perhaps, of: a little 
animal or vegetable matter, for a very short time to become charged 
with organisms of some kind, and the grand work of Dallinger and 
Drysdale alone shows of what deep interest even the earliest 
appearance of flagellate Infusoria is to the careful and skilful 
observer ; but most of the larger and more beautiful forms require 
a more congenial habitat than this, and therefore those who wish 
to find and study them must search in spots where conditions are 
most favourable. 
Now let us take a large pool or reservoir, where the use of a boat 
is out of the question, and see how we are to go about ascertaining 
what it will yield to our search. We first find out where we may 
best approach close to the water, and, taking a dip with our screw 
bottle, soon gain some knowledge about the creatures which may 
thus be gathered. At the same time we take particular note of the 
plants growing about the edge of the pool, so as to make sure as 
soon as possible whether the present water-line is fairly constant, or 
only very temporary, for we know it is useless searching aquatic 
plants for good finds unless they are submerged, if not permanently, 
at least for considerable periods of time. 
Well, while I am writing this I have in my mind that elysium of 
microscopic life, the reservoir at Barnt Green, which, until a large 
area had been scoured by means of the before-mentioned hook and 
line, had been considered barren of anything of special interest. 
It is certain that when the bottle only was dipped in near the side 
nothing of more than ordinary character was found ; but when the 
hook was sent flying through the air, and a good bundle of weeds 
(Polygonum amphibium, 1 believe) was brought to shore from a dis- 
tance of thirty or forty yards, and carefully examined, living 
treasures were found in perplexing abundance. 
I need scarcely remind our members of the many splendid 
creatures which that locality yielded, the delight with which we 
looked upon that rare beauty Zoothamnium arbuscula, the lovely 
groups of rotifer life, Zacinularia socialis, the numerous species of 
Polyzoa, the interesting and typical creature, Dendrosoma radians, 
and hosts of other things which gave a charm to our weekly meet- 
ings for a long time, and made us the justifiable envy of our less 
fortunate neighbours, who only heard of our good fortune, or per- 
haps got a specimen bottle from our friend Mr. Bolton. 
Now I do not think it too much to say that this, like many other 
localities, had never been thoroughly searched before, and am quite 
sure that some of our neighbours who regard their districts as un- 
favourable for pond life may find riches within their reach quite as 
