34 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Feb., 



that travelers would not easily suspect that they had left 

 the mainland. All these lakes are as beautiful as they 

 are secluded, in the midst of a quiet forest region ; and, 

 in fact, the whole peninsula from Traverse City to Mack- 

 inaw is little more or less than a great summer park, or 

 national pleasure ground, which constantly reminds one 

 of the non-mountainous portion of the Adirondack wil- 

 derness, and which might be almost described by calling 

 it the Adirondacks of the West. A more agreeable, salu- 

 brious or generally available region for summer relaxa- 

 tion or for biological studies could scarcely be imagined. 

 Obviously the fishing interests of such a region are very 

 great, not only in relation to food supply, but as a prom- 

 inent attraction to visitors. And it is believed that the 

 rich and interesting collections made on this occasion 

 and which have been turned over to the specialists of 

 the laboratory for study and comparison, will be of value 

 as to the questions of food supply for the fishes, and 

 therefore of the capacity of the lakes for their breed- 

 ing and maintainance. 



The present object is to explain some improved meth- 

 ods that were devised for collecting samples of the 

 minute crustaceans, worms, protozoans, algge, etc., that 

 inhabit those waters. The earlier apparatus for collect- 

 ing such microscopic organisms, which were then called 

 infusoria, were little nets, drags, knives, hooks, vials, 

 spoons, etc., with attachments to canes or other handles; 

 which we tried to use a score of years ago, but which 

 proved to be little more than ingenious toys, and which 

 have long ago been relegated to the sphere of curios, 

 having been superseded by far more eflScient instruments. 



Probably the best of the modern collecting nets is the 

 one contrived and introduced by Prof. E. A. Birge, of 

 Madison, Wis. In this system a comparatively large 

 net {q, a, r, in the Fig.) is dragged through the water, 

 its front end, and entrance, being protected with a con- 



