16 



whether the students have been better prepared for pursuing more ad- 

 vanced studies hereafter. I have had reason to be pleased with the dili- 

 gence and activity of the class, and feel that, although we have labored 

 under several disadvantages necessarily attendant upon the introduction 

 of a new course, the students have done all in their power to profit by the 

 instruction and to make the position of their instructor a pleasant one." 



The work of the term assigned to Zoology was begun by the 

 study of the structure of the animal cell as shown in the tissues 

 of the fresh-water polyp (Hydra). Besides seeing, describing, 

 and drawing every point in the structure of the Hydra, each 

 student is required to stain and mount on glass slides microscopic 

 sections for permanent preservation ; and these mounted prepara- 

 tions are taken into consideration at the end of the year, when 

 the student undergoes examination on the work of the year. 



This was followed by study of Amseba, Sea- Anemone, Starfish, 

 Lobster, Oyster, and Clam. 



By presenting to the student a few forms typical of the chief 

 great groups of the animal kingdom, an idea is given of the most 

 important modifications of structure. But through these few forms, 

 naturally so widely separated from each other, the beginner is 

 unable to take the important lesson in comparative study without 

 which any elementary course in Natural History would seem to 

 me grossly defective. In order to afford this lesson in the study 

 of homologies, as complete a series of Echinoderms as possible was 

 placed before each student, who, with a number of clearly related 

 forms before him, is now led to determine the identical structural 

 parts in the difierent forms, and to realize the fact that all these 

 forms, superficially so different from each other, are but modifi- 

 cations of one type of structure. 



The history of the development of three or four Invertebrates 

 was given by means of lectures, preparations, and diagrams ; and 

 even here it was found possible in the spring of the year to de- 

 monstrate with fresh specimens many phases in the development, 

 such as the segmentation of the egg and various stages in the 

 larval life of the animals under consideration. 



Owing to the extreme shortness of time allotted to the zoologi- 

 cal half of this course, the study of a vertebrate animal, with 

 which the course was to have closed, had to be omitted last year. 

 Another year the plan can doubtless be carried out more nearly 

 to meet the programme ; but the instructor wishes to suggest the 



