214 Modern Microscopy 



formed of the lighter debris of the shore, must look for 

 foraminifera wherever he observes that such debris has 

 been deposited. 



On every coast, at intervals of varying distance, there 

 are spots which appear to be the foci of the local tides and 

 currents, and here the material will be found in the 

 greatest abundance. These points will soon be discovered, 

 and may be worked at every tide, but they vary continually 

 with the set of the tide and wind, so that a spot which has 

 proved rich may be quite bare the next year. Thus, in 

 October, 1896, Bognor — always a rich collecting-ground 

 — had its richest point to the west of the pier ; while in 

 September, 1901, there was very little material obtain- 

 able except at Felpham, two miles to the east, where the 

 beach was thick with debris. 



Having found the material, the collection is quite an 

 easy matter. With the celluloid scraper at an angle of 

 60°, the thin surface film of foraminifera and debris is 

 easily scraped into a heap and transferred to the box or 

 bag. Great care must be exercised not to dig down into 

 the sand, for nothing but a heavy bag will result from this, 

 the foraminifera being confined to the surface layer. The 

 material thus collected may be either cleaned at once, or, 

 after being slowly dried — avoiding great heat — may be 

 packed away in bottles for a more convenient period. 



The apparatus required for the cleaning and preparation 

 of the dried material is simple and inexpensive, and, if 

 desired, much of it may be easily improvised. The most 

 necessary articles are a photographic developing-dish of 

 china, quarter or half plate size according to fancy, sieves 

 of different sizes and materials according to the collector's 

 pocket, a cylindrical glass jar with a lip, and without any 

 neck or constriction at the top, and a retort stand or tripod, 

 made of an iron ring riveted on three legs. 



The sieves can be made by any coppersmith, and it 

 is very convenient to have a series of varying degrees of 

 coarseness ; but for the beginner, two sieves of 40 and 



