1889] 



THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 187 



in all stages of life: adults ready to burst, and again start the ball 

 a-rolling, and young Globators, spinning about, with the germs of a 

 future generation within them. Then the slime is full of Desmidiacecz, 

 of various species, though not visible to the naked eye. Closterium 

 lunula and sundry Micvasteriacce are readily distinguishable with a low 

 power objective. The vivid green of the endochrome, and the delicacy 

 and variety of outline displayed by these microscopic plants, is 

 sufficient to make them interesting objects for study. 



Now the pool, Bromboro' Pool, to which reference has already 

 been made, -is not fresh water, but a tidal stream, empting into, and 

 receiving its waters from the Mersey. The Sunlight Soap Company 

 have a wharf here, and their handsome red brick buildings are close by. 

 The tide is out at present, and consequently a large expanse of mud 

 is sweltering under the sun's rays. The hard-baked surface is of a 

 deep olive green, and if we attempt to skin a portion of it off into a 

 tube, at a spot where the tide has just ebbed and left bare, it peels off 

 like rotten paper. This green deposit is Diatomaceous, and these 

 silicious Protophytes, like their more highly developed allies, evolve 

 oxygen-gas freely when exposed to daylight. Some of these sedimen- 

 tary Diatomacece are excellent species to introduce into the marine 

 aquarium : they spread with great rapidity, and, during the daytime, 

 will invigorate the vitiated water by a vigorous effervescence. 



The road is monotonously long until we come to the stone cross, 

 and diverging at this point to the right, we follow the lane until a 

 duck-pond of fairly large dimensions is reached. Here, in the dense 

 thicket (common) at the back, some profitable sweeping is done, 

 resulting in a net full of gnats, with their lovely pectinated antennae, 

 formidable probosces and imbricated wings. A quantity of these, 

 supplimented by members of the genus Psychoda, are boxed, for with 

 careful and proper treatment, they will make, mounted whole, micro- 

 scopic objects of great beauty. 



On the bridge spanning the railway are a few Ephemera, doubtless 

 from the pits in the vicinity. Descending the declivity, a peculiar 

 cottony appearance is noticed on some trees, produced by some species 

 of Coccus. Both larvae and pupae are present, and the infested trees 

 have suffered no small amount of damage from the attack. A pause 

 is made on the wooden bridge crossing the stream, to notice the clouds 

 of flies performing an endless aerial waltz over the surface of the water. 

 A few minutes busy work with the net secured us some four or five 

 species, supplimented by some very vigorous attentions on the part of 

 the flies. The neck was the principal part attacked, and several huge 



