72 PENIKESE. 



every animal in existence. Lectures upon these sub- 

 jects are of the highest importance to those engaged 

 in microscopic work and study. One is often com- 

 pletely at a loss how to make the best use of the 

 material at one's command, without a thorough 

 knowledge of just these very minute organisms; and 

 what a field for microscopic investigation they un- 

 fold. 



Among the rare captures, which have been made 

 during the week, mostly from the contents of the 

 "pounds," several of which are located in various 

 places in the water not far from our island, and out 

 of which fishes and other marine animals are brought 

 to the school several times each week, are quite a rare 

 species of the skate fish, a specimen of the thrasher 

 shark, and several other species of fishes interesting, 

 especially, for dissection. The students have already 

 made abundant alcoholic dissections of the common 

 ground shark a small animal of the shark family, 

 about three and a half or four feet in length, which is 

 a very great nuisance to the fisherman; of the com- 

 mon skate; and of the flounder or "flat fish," as we 

 were wont to call it when we were boys. In these 

 the various organs and systems have been traced out, 

 and are shown in a most perfect and beautiful man- 

 ner. The work in this department is going forward 

 under the direction of Professor Putnam. 



A few of our students are particularly interested in 

 the minute dissection and study of animals of the 

 molluscous order. These are guided by Professor 

 Morse, who is assisted by Mr. Brooks, who evidently 

 knows nearly as much about the subject as the profes- 

 sor himself, and whose beautiful preparations are the 

 wonder of all who behold them. 



A number of large diagrams have been prepared, 

 with great skill and labor, for the use especially of 

 beginners, illustrating the complete anatomy, as fine- 

 ly as it can well be rendered on paper, of the leading 

 animals in each group of the animal kingdom; these 

 have been hung about the walls of the laboratories in 



