222 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. X'XIII. 



POND LIFE. 



Bv J. S he f hard, Electrical Engineer. 

 A start was made for some ponds not far from the camp. 

 The leader,, not having been in camp previously, was 'n- 

 debted to several members who had noted the locality of 

 the neighbouring pools, and were able to direct the party, 

 without loss of time, to the mos.t promising places. On 

 reaching the first pool, the party grouped itself under 

 the shade of a convenient tree, while the leader made 

 some remarks generally descriptive of the organisms 

 coming under the comprehensive term of ' ' pond life. ' ' 

 It was pointed out that the range was wide, stretching from 

 the simple Protozoa to Vertebrates. The Protozoa being 

 all microscopic, the neces.sity of optical means for their 

 study was apparent. The suggestion was made that where 

 possible a microscope would be a useful addition to a 

 school. If the instrument were of a simple character with 

 moderate powers, the glasses might be of excellent qualitv 

 and yet of very reasonable price. Such an instru- 

 ment would open out a very large field of 

 interest. The best methods of collecting were 

 explained. In the case of small free-swimming 

 animals the lecturer advised the use of a small 

 muslin net of conical shape, which could be made very 

 much more efficient by the addition at the apex of a piece 

 of glass tube 2 to 3 inches long and about f-inch diameter, 

 with muslin over the free end ; and where this was not 

 available, an ordinary small round bottle was much 

 superior to the net alone. The use of a flat-sided bottle 

 or trough to further examine the gathering was shown. 

 The groups Entomostraca, hisecta, Rotifera, and others, 

 v'ere described briefly, allusions being made to their 

 methods of preserving the species over periods of drought. 

 Stress was laid on the fact that very little work had been 

 done throughout the State in this branch of Nature-study, 

 and that opportunities of making valuable obs.ervations 

 as to the distribution of well-known forms were open to 

 teachers who were distributed in everv part of the State. 



The audience listened with attention, and it is hoped 

 heard something to help them in the branch of Nature- 

 study dealt with. Afterwards the pools were examined; 

 the members of the party being most persevering in their 

 efforts, to discover as much as possible. All the ponds 

 visited were probablv excavations for stock-watering pur- 

 poses, but many objects of interest were obtained. 



