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ueedful collecting equipinent of the biological station the entire party made 

 trips to Matanzas, Thompson's, and other lakes within reach of Havana. 

 The use of the station launch made the excursion highly enjoyable, and by 

 reducing to a minimum the time en route gave the party ample opportunity 

 for observing, collecting, and preserving such animals and plants as would 

 best repay further study, or would be useful in the laboratories or museums 

 of the high schools iu which the various teachers present were interested. 

 The work done in the laboratory by the several members of the school was 

 largely determined by their past experience and the application to be made of 

 the knowledge acquired. 



Soon after the opening of the session it became evident that the needs of 

 the students would be best met by dividing their time equally between the 

 zoolog5' and botany; the forenoons were accordingly given to the former, and 

 the afternoons to the latter. 



In the department of zoology emphasis was given to the lines of work most 

 useful to teachers. Material collected on excursions was used in various 

 ways. For correct methods of dissection as well as a better knowledge of 

 anatomical details some work in dissection was done. Time was also given 

 to acquiring the best methods o'^ preserving specimens of various kinds of 

 animals, as Hj/dra, worms of various groups, mollusks, Crustacea, insects, — 

 both larval and mature, — and fishes. The identification of annelid worms, 

 insects, mollusks, and fishes received due attention, and was aided by named 

 collections belonging to the State Laboratory, and also by literature and by 

 a number of synoptic keys to these groups prepared by members of the State 

 Laboratory stali'. As a result of this part of the work, teachers were enabled 

 to take home with them properly preserved and named collections of various 

 kinds of animals. All persons not already familiar with the ordinary methods 

 of section-cutting and the making of permanent microscopic preparations had 

 practice in such work. 



The work in botany consisted of as thorough a study of the aquatic and 

 terrestrial flora of the surrounding region as the time would allow. The alga? 

 of the Illinois river and connected waters were studied with special reference 

 to their moi-phology and reproduction. The relation between land and water 

 plants both as to their differences in morphology and distribution was ob- 

 served and discussed on the field trips. 



The phanerogams of the vicinity were treated with special reference to their 

 adaptation for protection and ci-oss fertilization. Instruction in the methods 

 of the collection and perservation of herbarium material was given to those 

 who desired it. The systematic work on the higher plants was in the nature 

 of a study of the characteristics of orders from different representatives rather 

 than by following an artificial key. 



General plant physiology was illustrated by demonstrations with apparatus 

 such as can be employed in laboratories of limited equipment. In the field 

 special attention was paid to the movements of plant parts as influenced by 

 light, temperature, and progress in seed development. Time at the end of 

 the month was devoted to a discussion of the matter presented and its adapta- 

 tion to the needs of the secondary schools, with which most of those present 

 were connected. 



Each student was provided with a first-class compound microscope for use 

 in both botany and zoology and had also the use of a microtome and an 

 abundance of apparatus, reagents, and general laboratory equipment from 

 the zoological, botanical, and entomological laboratories of the Univei'sity. 

 An abundance of literature for genei'al reading as well as for work for special 

 groups was provided from the libraries of the University and the State Lab- 

 oratory. 



The instruction in field and laboratory was supplemented by lectures on 

 special forms and groups of animals, and by others, of general biological interest 

 on cell division, development, parasitism, cross- fertilization of plants, adaptive 

 modifications for protection, etc. 



Very respectfully yours, 



Frank Smith, 

 Assistant Professor of Zoology. 



—1 F. C. 



