194 



THE MICROSCOPE. 



sents a piece of whalebone, about 18 inches long, bent 



round the end of the stick or umbrella, b. and made fast 



in that position by one or two rings, 

 c. of gutta-percha, india-rubber, or 

 of brass, d. A small wide-mouthed 

 bottle, having a rim which will 

 prevent its falling through, is 

 now inserted in the loop thus 

 formed, and is held tightly there 

 by the ends of the whalebone 

 being drawn further through the 

 ring, and thus diminishing the 

 size of the loop. The bottle thus 

 fixed may be used for dipping out 

 the animalcules. Whalebone can 

 be moulded to any form by plac- 

 ing it for a short time near the 

 fire. 



Fig. 120 is a box containing 

 six bottles for holding the speci- 

 mens when caught. These bottles 

 should be filled up to the cork 

 with water when and where col- 

 lected, and care must be taken 

 not to mix the specimens from 

 one brook with those from another, 



otherwise serious damage may take place, and on reaching 



home we may find the greater part of our stock either 



dead or dying. Always separate 



the various species as speedily 



as possible. This can be done 



easily, by emptying each bottle 



in its turn into a soup-plate ; 



then with the feather of a pen 



first lift out the smaller ones, 



and with the quill-end cut like 



a scoop lift out the larger, 



classifying and allotting each 



to its separate bottle. 



Live-Box. — Mr. Varley im^ 



proved the form of this instrument by making a channel 



Fig. 119. 



Fiac. 120. 



