ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY, MICROSCOPY, ETC. 



977 



Fia. 161. 



i3. Collecting, Mounting and Examining Objects, &c. 



Hardy's Collecting Bottle. — We are now able to give a woodcut 

 (fig. 161) of one of Mr. J. D. Hardy's bottles for collecting and 

 examining aquatic specimens (6 in. X 2 in. 

 X 3/8 in.) described ante, p. 803. At tbe 

 October meeting of the Society, at which it 

 was exhibited, the opinion was very generally 

 expressed that the bottle was a most useful 

 contrivance, and one that it was somewhat 

 surprising had not been adopted long ago. 



Collecting Desmids.*— The Eev. F. WoUe 

 gives the following directions for collecting 

 desmids : — 



" The outfit need not consist of more than 

 a nest of foitr or five tin cans (tomato or fruit), 

 one within the other for convenience of 

 carriage ; ten or a dozen wide-mouthed vials, 

 and a small ring-net made of fine muslin at 

 the end of a rod about four feet in length. 

 Should a boat be needed, it can usually be 

 hired on the spot. After selecting what seems 

 to be a good locality, drag the net a few feet 

 among the grass and mosses, allow the bulk 

 of the water to drain through the muslin, and 

 then empty the residue into one of the cans ; 

 repeat this process as often as may be desirable. 

 Ten or fifteen minutes after the cans have 

 been filled, most of the surface-water may be 

 poured off, and the remainder transferred to 

 a glass vial, when the solid contents will 

 gradually sink, and the superfluous water can 

 be again poured off and the vessel filled up 

 with deposits from other vials. In shallow 



places what is known as swamp-moss (Sphagnum), bladder-wort 

 (Uiricularia), water milfoil (Myriophyllum), or other finely cut-leaf 

 water-plants are likely to abound ; these should be lifted in the hand, 

 and the water drained or squeezed from them into a tin can to be 

 subsequently treated as already stated. 



A few drops of carbolic acid in each vial, just enough to make its 

 presence perceptible, will preserve the contents for months, and even 

 years, from deterioration : the green colouring matter (chlorophyll) 

 may fade, but this, in the case of desmids, is of little importance; 

 nevertheless, when practicable, always examine the materials when 

 fresh. When dried on paper for the herbarium, the specimens can 

 still, after being moistened with water, be microscopically examined, 

 but not with the best results, since the drying up is apt to collapse 

 or otherwise distort the cells." 



♦ Wollo, F., ' DcBiuida of tlio United States.' Sco thia Journal, ante, p. 791. 



RUFFLE 



