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63 





THE AMATEUR MICROSOOPIST DURiNQ WARTIME. 



By E. Kelly Maxwell, B.A. 



{Read April Qth, 1919.) 



Figures 1 and 2 in Text. 



It was my good fortune, during the war, to spend about a year 

 at a very picturesque little town in Northern France. From 

 the tall ramparts that completely surround the tov/n, there is a 

 lovely view over the peaceful rolling country all around, and one 

 looks over the tops of the trees to see the river that flows along a 

 winding valley, here and there giving a silver gleam back to the 

 sky, while from the citadel that guards the northern gate one 

 looks out along the widening marshy course of the river to a far 

 distance, where two tall white lighthouses speak of passing ships 

 and the ocean. The name of the town tells that once the sea was 

 near, but that was long ago. During the eighteen months or so 

 previous to my arrival here I had often cast a secret eye of longing 

 at likely ponds and ditches in Flanders — and there are many 

 around Bailie ul and in the direction of Ypres — and at times I had 

 inquired of priests, chemists, and other likely people whether 

 there were any local pond-hunters, but without success. The 

 quest was not entirely unfruitful, however, as it led to a very 

 interesting hour in the private museum of an old doctor, who 

 had a very fine specimen of young mammoth which he had 

 obtained from the quarries of Arques. It was not until I came 

 as sergeant-major to a company on duty near the little town 

 on the hill that my enthusiasm was roused to action by meeting 

 a kindred spirit. This was a tall sergeant of my company, a keen 

 lover of nature, who, when a day off duty came, enjoyed nothing 

 better than a long walk in the country, field glasses in his pocket, 

 eye and ear ever on the alert to pick up, here a stone-chat perched 

 on a stump, there a curlew skimming with plaintive note over a 

 marsh, or a blue tit, as we came striding along, darting for cover. 

 He was one of those rare people who can keep a diary going for 

 JouRN. Q. M. C, Series II.— No. 85. 5 



