WATER-MITES AND THE WATER-BEAR. 273 



also surrounded by hairs. The coxse do not make the 



prominent elevations common to the other mites, but 



seem rather to be beneath the skin. " The 



coxae of the anterior two pairs of legs are 



closely approximate, as are also those of 



the two posterior pairs, but the two groups 



are widely separated." The anterior are 



larger than the posterior. The mites are 



small. I have never been so fortunate as to meet with 



Limnochares nor with Diplodontus. 



If the observer should desire to make permanently 

 mounted slides of his specimens of mites, he may try 

 a preservative medium prepared by mixing eight parts 

 of water containing a drop or two of carbolic acid, with 

 one part of glycerine. This is said to keep the bodies 

 without the loss of their characteristic plumpness, nor 

 much of their color, if mounted in a deep cell. Two 

 specimens should, if possible, be preserved in the same 

 cell, and so arranged as to show both surfaces. They 

 will usually need a large and deep ring. 



The fresh -water mites have never been studied by 

 any American naturalist ; there are, therefore, no books 

 nor even isolated papers to which the beginner may be 

 referred for further aid. The field is an entirely unex- 

 plored one so far as the water-mites of this country are 

 concerned. To a student with an eye sensitive to color, 

 and with a large amount of patience, the subject ought 

 to be an attractive one. 



