394 



KNOW LIIDC.K. 



October, 1912. 



uid ill 



parts by 



Figure 425 



CainbritlKC None of the iiiininia wen-, houi'ver. below the 

 freeziiii; point, the lowest being id" at Maikree Castle and 

 J?" at Kilkenny ami H.ilinoral. On the grass also, no readings 

 below freezing point were reported, the lowest of the radiation 

 temperatures being 32*^ at Markree Castle and 3J° at Dublin 

 and Crathes. 



The temperature of the soil, both at one foot and four feet 

 depths, was below the average. 



Kainf.'ill was in excess in all districts, 

 considerable amounts. In Scotland. 

 E., Kngland, S.W., and llie Knglish 

 Channel, the total was about thrcr 

 times as much as usual. Sunshiiu 

 was in defect at every station, and 

 in Scotland, E., the mean daily 

 amount was only 0-8 hours, as com- 

 pared with an average of 4-9 hours, 

 or one-sixth of the usual amount. 



The mean temperature of the sea 

 water round our coasts ranged from 

 52-7 at Berwick to 63^-2 at the 

 Shipwash light vessel. 



OCEAN WAVES. — In the 

 monthly meteorological chart of 

 the Indian Ocean and Red Sea for 

 August, some very interesting par- 

 ticulars are given of high ocean 

 waves. It appears that the abnor- 

 mally high solitary sea is the most 

 dangerous, and that these are not 

 confined to tropical seas, but are 

 occasionally met with near our own 

 coasts. Thus, in 1S97, at the entrance to the Knglish Channel. 

 the steamship "Millficld" encountered a sea which washed 

 overboard the upper bridge, the funnel and the boats, and 

 had her fires extinguished by eight feet of water, which entered 

 by the openings on deck. 



.■Vnother case mentioned is 

 that of the " Brandenburg," 

 which shipped a tremendously 

 high wave, estimated at sixty- 

 five feet in height, which stove 

 in the crow's nest constructed 

 of quarter inch steel plating at 

 fifty feet above sea level I 



MICKO.SCOFV. 



By F.U.M.S. 



A NEW POND COL- 

 LECTING APPARATUS.— 

 For collecting pond and marine 

 life it is necessary to have 

 some appliance which shall be 

 simple, ellicient, portable, and 

 if possible, cheap and easy to 

 clean. The first three or four 

 of these requirements arc 

 obviously essential and de- 

 sirable, but the last also is an 

 essential as we may on one 

 occasion be studying ordinary 

 pond life, on another it may 

 be marine life, whilst on yet 

 another we may be engaged 

 in examining the vegetable 



or bacterial organisms existing in, say, a filter bed or its 

 effluent. This last is a most important department of 

 research, and requires considerable care if reliable results are 

 to be obtained. Many, indeed, use the ordinary Wright's 

 bottle, which, however effective in most cases, is of but httle 

 use when bacterial life is abundant. Others use a funnel 

 plugged with cotton wool, but this soon gets clogged with the 

 fine ooze which predominates in a filter bed. 



A very simple and inexpensive arrangement may, however, 



Fkukv. 426. 



be contrived which answers well not only in all ordinary cases, 

 but also for collecting even such minute organisms as diatoms 

 and bacteria. The use of it for some time compels the author 

 to give the whole his warm reconnncndation as fulfilling every 

 re(iuirement (see Figure 425). 



It consists of three parts, the first of these being a common 

 honey-bottle six inches long by two in internal diameter. The 

 kind I use is called Gray's Honey jar which is of the same 

 internal diameter throughout and can be purchased at Mr. 

 George Rose's. 30, Bolton Street, Liverpool, at the cost of 

 twopence each. Half a dozen of these should be obtained, 

 costing with postage about eightcenpence. They are portable, 

 which cannot be said of the ordinary collecting bottle, and 

 three or four can easily be carried in the coat pockets. They 

 arc fitted with a good cork wad and a screw cap which secures 

 the contents perfectly without any leakage — an advantage of 

 some value when investigating sewage life. 

 Over the cap fits loosely a tin cup about 

 two or three inches deep, and just wide 

 enough to go freely over the cap or bottom 

 of the jar. It has no handle, and only one 

 is needed even if we carry more than one 

 honey jar on our expeditions. It is obviously 

 easy to clean. It may, however, be dispensed 

 with altogether if required. Muie cost six- 

 pence at the tinman's. The top is "wired," 

 not left sharp (see Figure 426). 



The filtering apparatus itself, upon which 

 the efficiency of the whole depends, con- 

 sists of a simple tin tube, five inches long 

 by one and three-quarter inches external 

 diameter. It is open at both ends, which 

 are both wired. On the lower half numerous 

 slots or circles are cut about half an inch 

 in diameter, as shown in the diagram. .-V 

 piece of curved spring is soldered to the side, and the w-hole 

 should be of such a diameter as to fit without stiffness into 

 the honey jar. Over the 

 bottom, about three inches up 

 the sides, is stretched a piece 

 of the finest silk gauze, or better 

 still, a piece of what is known 

 as IfiO bolting silk, which can 

 be obtained at Messrs. C. 

 Baker's in Holborn, and doubt- 

 less of other opticians. For 

 bacteria and diatoms this may 

 be replaced by a bit of fine 

 Japanese undyed silk. .An 

 indiarubber band (mine is 

 made from an old bicycle inner 

 tube! securely fastens every- 

 thing in place. 



Thus equipped we go forth. 



and on arriving at the scene of 



operations, remove the cup and 



cap and draw out the filter. 



which we suspend by its hook 



so as to hang outside the jar. 



We then proceed to work, and 



by means of the cup fill the 



filter time after time, until we 



judge that enough has been 



gathered. We then empty the 



filter into the jar and recom- 



■ - ■ mence. It is, however, a great 



mistake to overcrowd the jar, 



and very cruel, too. A large amount of life is lost, and many 



rotifers will not work in such unnatural surroundings. When 



finished, unhook the filter, replace it in the jar, and put on the 



cap and cup after wiping the latter. As we have already said, 



the cup m,ay be dispensed with, the filter being held in the one 



hand and the jar used as a ladle. 



With care in the selection of the straining fabric, compar- 

 atively few living things will be lost, as they are not so crowded 

 together as when passing down a narrow tube. The fabric 



