4 ANIMAL LIFE

his net splits, his bait can springs a leak, or the joint of his y gives
way ; and the repairing occupies only a few minutes.

A dipping-bottle is exceedingly useful, especially when the
collector is the fortunate possessor of a good microscope. It con-
sists of a wide-mouthed bottle of medium size, with a spreading
rim. A stout wire ring is fastened securely round the neck, and the
twisted ends of this serve to fix the arrangement to a stick.
Stagnant. water usually teems with the lower forms of life, both
animal and vegetable; and with the aid of the dipping-bottle
samples of water may be collected from different parts of a pond.
When it is intended to search for microscopic objects, a hand mag-
nifying lens should always form part of the equipment. Each
sample of water removed from the pond is held up to the light and
examined with the lens. If abundant signs of life are visible, the
greater portion is gently poured back into the pond, and the lower
richer part, with all its sediment, put into a collecting-bottle for
further examination at home.

Many interesting low forms of life may be secured by gently
scraping the submerged surfaces of piles
and other objects. Of course, this may
be done by means of the simple dipping-
bottle and stick. My own plan, however,
which seems to be in every way satisfac-
tory, is this: A small tin funnel with
a wide tube fits firmly in the cork of a
wide-mouthed bottle. Two other holes
in the cork are covered with fine muslin .
Ania anda ferrule soldered to a metal band
round the neck of the bottle serves to fix
the whole to a stick.

As the funnel moves upwards in the
water, gently scraping the surface to
which it is applied, a current of water sets
downwards into the bottle, afterwards
escaping through the muslin covering the
Tee Bien woe ors holes in the cork. In this way a large

rectine Low Forms or dUantity of water may be strained through
Ponp Lirr. the apparatus, while the little living beings
passing down the funnel are continually

adding to the density of the population.

After a time the cork is removed, and the contents poured into