HANDBOOK 



OF 



INYERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY. 



I. THE STRUCTURE OF AMCEBA. 



(Amoeba proteus.) 



Am(eb^ are frequently to be found in abundance in 

 the superficial ooze which forms a thin layer upon the bot- 

 tom of nearly every quiet body of fresh water. The ooze 

 may be collected from a pond, stream, or ditch, by gently 

 and slowly skimming the bottom with a tin dipper fastened 

 to a lono^ handle. In sratherinof the ooze be careful to 

 barely skim the surface, and to avoid disturbing the black 

 mud which usually occurs just below the ooze. 



Transfer the material thus o^athered to a collecting- 

 bottle, and gather ooze from several bodies of water, pre- 

 sening each specimen in a separate bottle, for amoebse 

 may be abundant in one locality and almost absent in 

 another. 



Pour the ooze into shallow dishes, such as soup-plates 

 or baking-dishes, putting enough into each dish to form a 

 layer about an eighth of an inch deep over the bottom. 



Place the dishes near a window, where they vn\\ be 

 well lighted without exposure to the direct rays of the 



