1887.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. a 
that perfect sections are the exception; the section shows that the method 
of imbedding would be of great value for rapid use. We regret that we have 
not had an opportunity of testing the method as contrasted with the other 
more laborious one we have hitherto employed, but shall find time to do so 
before long. 
EDITORIAL. 
Summer schools for biological study.—We begin to hear thus early 
of the summer schools for biological study at the sea-side, and have learned 
of the plans of three. The Chesapeake Zoological Laboratory, which has 
so successfully studied the waters of the southern United States Atlantic coast, 
was located last year at Nassau, N. P., Bahama Islands, and very interesting 
results were obtained from the study there. Dr. Brooks, the director, has 
already gone there for the season of 1887 and begun work, and from his early 
start many results of the highest interest may be anticipated. Several other 
members of the station will go down to Nassau later and join Dr. Brooks. 
Prof. J. S. Kingsley, of Malden, Mass., announces that he will conduct a small 
laboratory during the summer at Salem, Mass., with accommodations for a 
limited number of advanced students. The usual outfit of tables, nets, aquaria, 
and reagents, a small morphological library, boats, etc., will be provided ; but 
microscope and material, dissecting instruments, slides and covers, and alco- 
hol must be furnished by the student. The laboratory will be open from July 
ist till September 1st. The vicinity of Salem furnishes fine collecting grounds, 
and any who are so fortunate as to be able to attend the laboratory will find 
abundant opportunities for work. 
A ‘summer school’ is also announced by Dr. H. W. Conn, of Wesleyan 
University, to be held at Martha’s Vineyard. We are not fully informed with 
respect to this, but understand it to be more elementary in character than the 
other two, which are only open to independent workers. Information with 
regard to it can be obtained by writing to the director at Middletown, Conn. 
In regard to summer schools, we would say as strong a word as possible to 
urge all students of zoology and some of the botanists to by all means, if pos- 
sible, visit the sea-shore and stay there just as long as they can. To one who 
lives very far from the sea-coast this does not seem an easy thing to do, but, 
with the present facilities of travel, it is not the difficult task it once must have 
been. No teacher who has zoology to deal with can afford to pass a summer 
vacation in resting and jaunting if he can in any way reach the ocean. Six 
or eight weeks there will build him up physically and intellectually in a way 
beyond the imagination of any one who has not tried it. Instead of the few 
sparsely-attended summer schools along the coast there should be two dozen, 
where work is well done, for those who cannot attend a good laboratory course 
in the winter. Whole classes of animals abundant in the ocean are never 
seen away from it, and long life-histories with most interesting larval metamor- 
phoses are abbreviated by the fresh-water or landforms. Thus the precocious 
cray-fish has relatives in the salt water who pass through long and most inter- 
esting stages of babyhood and youth before they assume the adult form. The 
salt-water crustacea are also so manifold in form, etc., that one who has known 
only the fresh-water or land forms does not truly know the group at all. In- 
sects and vertebrates may be studied inland, but all the rest of the animal 
kingdom must be sought out in marine haunts. 
Schools for both beginners and older workers are growing in number and 
favor, and we are glad to see this another sign of progress in this line. Not 
