l»l!KSII)KN'r S ADDHKSS. 



little animal or vegetable matter, for a very short time to 

 become eliarged with ortj^aiiisms of some kind, and the grand 

 work of Dallinger and Drysdale alone shows of what deep 

 interest even the earliest appeai*ance of flagellate Infusoria is to 

 the careful and skilful observer ; but most of the larger and more 

 beautiful forms require a more congenial habitat than this, and 

 therefore those who wish to find and study them must search 

 in spots where conditions are most favourable. 



Now let us take a large pool or reservoir, where the use 

 of a boat is out of the question, and see how we arc to go about 

 ascertaining what it will yield to our search. We first tind out 

 where we may best approach close to the water, and, taking a 

 dip with our screw bottle, soon gain some knowledge about the 

 creatures which may thus be gathered. At the same time we take 

 particular note of the plants growing about the edge of the pool, 

 so as to make sure as soon as possible whether the present water- 

 line is fairly constant, or only very temporary, for we know 

 it is useless searching aquatic plants for good finds unless they 

 are submerged, if not permanently, at least for considerable 

 periods of time. 



Well, while 1 am writing tliis I have in my mind that 

 elysium of microscopic life, the reservoir at Barnt Green, which, 

 until a large area had been scoured by means of the before- 

 mentioned hook and line, had been considered barren of 

 anything of special interest. 



It is certain that when the bottle only was dipped in near 

 the side nothing of more than ordinary character was found ; 

 but when the hook was sent flying through the air, and a 

 good bundle of weeds {Poli/f/unum nmphihium, I believe) was 

 brought to shore from a distance of thirty or forty yards, 

 and carefully examined, living treasures were found in per- 

 plexing abundance. 



I need scarcely remind our members ot the many splendid 

 creatures which that locality yielded, the delight with which 

 we looked upon that rare beauty Zuothawnhcm arbitscul((, the 

 lovely groups of rotifer life, TAicinitlnrin xnriidis, tlie numerous 



