54 THE MICROSCOPE. April 



ends of the wires bent at right angles, and in opposite 

 directions. To the loop is fitted a conical cheese-cloth 

 bag, and to the bottom of the bag, upon the outside, is 

 attached a strong string, which extends over the top and 

 down to the bottom in the inside, where it is again fast- 

 ened. The spoon is inserted between the bent end of the 

 loop and turned, and the point of the bowl is slipped 

 through the loop. 



The instrument is used in the manner shown in Fig. 85, 

 that is to say: it is scraped along the surface of objects 

 submerged in the water, the water passing through the 

 cloth, and the objects being retained by the conical bag. 

 When a quantity of material has accumulated, the bag is 

 turned inside out by pulling the string, and the pointed 

 end of the bag is dipped a number of times in water con- 

 tained in a wide-mouthed bottle. The operation of col- 

 lecting is then repeated. The objects thus washed from 

 the bag are retained in the bottle for examination. 



The common method of examining small objects of this 

 kind is to place a drop of water containing some of the 

 objects upon a glass slide by means of a drop-tube, then 

 to apply a cover-glass, and remove the surplus water by 

 the application of a piece of blotting paper. This answers 

 very well for the smaller objects, but larger ones must be 

 examined in a tank or animalcule trough, which may be 

 obtained at a trilling cost of all opticians. To vary the 

 thickness of the body of water contained in the tank, one 

 or more glass slips are inserted behind the objects. — 

 Scientific American. 



Evils of the Microscope. — "Jolmnie, here you are at 

 breakfast with your face and hands unwashed ! " 



*'I know, mamma, I saw the little things that live in water 

 through papa's little microscope last evening and I'm not 

 going to have them crawlin' over my face with their funny 

 little legs." — Deimrest's Magazine. 



