,,through ,a ,,microscope ,,something ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,together ,,with ,,many ,,curious ,,observations ,,indoor ,,and ,,out ,,and ,,directions ,,for ,a ,,home-,,made ,,microscope ,,by ,,samuel ,,wells1 ,,mary ,,treat ,,and ,,frederick ,,leroy ,,sargent ,,chicago ,,the ,,interstate ,,publishing ,,company ,,boston3 #cj ,,franklin ,,street ,,copyright1 #ahhf1 ,,by ,,interstate ,,publishing ,,company4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter4 ,,page4 ,i4 ,through a ,microscope #g ,,ii4 ,the ,outfit #ad ,,iii4 ,the ,objects #bj ,,iv4 ,home ,experiments #bf ,v4 ,cochituate ,water #cc ,,vi4 ,interesting objects #ci ,,vii4 ,the ,brickmaker #df ,,viii4 ,the ,vorticellas #ed ,,ix4 ,the ,utricularia #fa ,x4 ,free ,swimming ,animalcules #gj ,,xi4 ,on the ,beach #gh ,,xii4 ,rizopods #hf ,,xiii4 ,how to ,see a ,dandelion #ig ,,xiv4 ,how to ,see a ,bumble ,bee #ajg ,,xv4 ,some ,little ,things to ,see #aad ,,part ,i ,,through ,a ,,microscope ,,by ,,samuel ,,wells ,,through ,a ,,microscope ,i ,an object one hundredth of an inch in diameter1 or of which it would take one hundred placed side by side to make an inch1 is about the smallest thing that can be easily seen by the unassisted eye4 ,take a piece of card and punch a little hole through it with the point of a small needle1 hold it towards a lamp or a window1 and you will see the light through it4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,this hole will be about the size just mentioned1 and you will find that you can see it best and most distinctly when you hold it at a certain distance from your eye2 and this distance will not be far from ten inches1 unless you are near-sighted4 ,now bring it towards your eye and you will find it becomes blurred and indistinct4 ,you will see by this experiment that you cannot see things distinctly when held too close to your eye1 or in other words1 that you cannot bring your eye nearer to an object than eight or ten inches and see it well at the same time4 ,you could see things much smaller than one hundredth of an inch if you could get your eye close enough to them4 ,how can that be done8 ,by a microscope8 yes1 but what is that8 ,this name comes from two ,greek words that mean to see small things2 and a microscope is an instrument by which your eye can get very close to what you want to see4 ,to understand this1 take out one of your eyes and look at it with the other one4 ,you see that it is a little round camera2 most boys have seen a camera and some boys can make one4 ,the simplest way to do that is to take a box1 say a cigar box 7empty1 of course72 pull off the cover and fasten in the place of it a piece of ground glass if you have one3 if not a piece of white letter paper1 oiled1 will do2 bore a hole in the middle of the bottom with a small gimlet and your camera is done4 ,point the bottom with the hole in it out of the window1 and throw a piece of cloth over your head and over the box1 as the photographers do1 to shut out the side light1 but mind and not cover up the hole2 look at the ground glass 7or oiled paper7 and you will see things upside down4 7,fig4 #a47 ,but what has it to do with my eye8 you say4 ,why1 your eye is just like it1 only round1 as in fig4 #b4 ,and if you hold a doll or anything else about ten inches in front of the eye you have taken out and look at the inside of it 7the eye1 not the doll7 just as you look at the ground glass of your box camera1 you will see the doll upside down on the back of the eye4 ,but how1 do you say1 can ,i see things right side up when they are upside down in my eye8 ,this is a very good conundrum and it will keep a long time1 till you are about seventy years old and have spare time to sit down and think about it4 ,now you see how your eye is a camera2 the pupil is the hole and the back of the eye1 called the retina1 is the ground glass4 ,but you will find that the camera you have just made does not show things distinctly and beautifully as the photographer's camera does2 how can they be distinct in the eye then8 ,because in the photographer's camera1 in the hole is a lens1 which is a piece of glass1 shaped like a sun glass2 and so in your eye just behind the pupil is a lens1 not made of glass1 but still almost as transparent as if it were4 ,in order to see what effect this lens has1 take your box camera1 make the hole larger and put a lens in it2 one of your magic lantern lenses will do2 and if the lens has the right focus you will see the images sharp and distinct on your ground glass4 ,the focus probably will not be just right1 so make a paper tube1 into which fasten your lens and slide the tube in and out of the hole until you find the right focus4 ,when you have got that right so that you see a boy on the sidewalk upside down and see his teeth when he laughs1 put some small object1 the little doll will do1 about three feet in front of your lens1 and you will find the image of it is blurred and indistinct1 and that you must pull your tube out to get the focus on the doll2 or if you had another lens of just the right shape to hold in front of your camera1 you would with that get the focus on the doll4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 ,thus you can see how it is with your eye1 and why you cannot see things distinctly held close to it4 ,the lens in the eye can change its shape a little1 so that it will focus objects a mile off1 or ten inches off1 but it cannot be pushed in and out like the tube in your camera4 ,you can do this1 however1 if you take another lens and hold it outside your eye and let the light go through that first before it comes to the lens in your eye1 and in this way you can get a focus in your retina1 and the outside lens thus forms a part of that optical instrument called your eye4 ,does your grandma know that her spectacles are a part of the cameras that she calls her eyes8 ,how is it that a lens bends 7refracts is the big word for it7 the rays of light8 ,you will learn by and by4 ,you can see that it does so by a few experiments with your sun glass or any such lens4 ,hold it between the sun and a piece of white paper until the white spot in the centre is as small as you can make it4 ,you will see that the rest of the lens casts a shadow although it is all glass2 this is because the rays of sunlight that fall on the lens are all bent towards the centre1 and so you have a small white spot on which is concentrated the light and the heat1 and before you have found out how it is all done1 your paper takes fire and the experiment ends in smoke4 ,take another piece of paper1 and when the white spot is at its smallest1 measure the distance between the lens and the paper1 and you will have the focal distance of the lens4 ,you have now found out how to get your eye close to an object and see something that is very small2 this is usually called magnifying it1 because it seems to make it look large4 ,suppose you have a lens that will let you see a flea through it held just one inch from it1 this lens is now an addition to your eye1 as we measure from the lens4 ,if you had another flea held ten inches off1 so big that it would just be hidden by the little flea1 the one farthest off would be ten times as large as the near one4 7,fig4 #c47 ,in this case it is said that the lens having a focal length of one inch magnifies ten times1 or has a power of ten4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4 ,the shortest usual distance of objects seen distinctly being taken as ten inches1 microscopists have agreed to consider that as the standard of measurement1 and objects seen through a lens are considered magnified to the size they would have if projected ten inches off1 like our little flea4 ,,ii4--,,the ,,outfit4 ,now that we have got hold of the idea that the eye is an optical instrument1 and that to increase its capacity for seeing small things we add to it other optical contrivances1 making with it one instrument composed of several parts1 let us look at such additions more particularly4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4--,,open ,,and ,,closed4 ,one pleasant ,september afternoon1 three gentlemen were strolling along the banks of the ,wissahickon1 in ,philadelphia's beautiful park1 and stopping now and then to examine some little flower or insect with pocket lenses1 when they discovered that some little boys out for a holiday were watching their proceedings with a curious and mystified interest4 ,one of the gentlemen had a pocket microscope with three lenses of different sizes1 as in ,fig4 #a4 ,calling the boys up to him he showed them a little flower magnified4 ,they had never dreamed of such a sight1 and their wonder and amazement were as great as if they suddenly beheld a new world4 ,you will be as surprised as they were when you take your first peep1 but you must learn to see such things by yourselves4 ,the first thing you need is a simple microscope1 that is1 one with a single lens1 small enough to be carried in the pocket4 ,there are different forms and sizes of such microscopes1 varying in quality and price4 ,those like the one just mentioned are made with from one to four lenses each1 and are perhaps the most generally useful4 ,then there is the ,coddington lens 7,fig4 #b7 which is still more compact2 and it is sometimes made in the form of ,fig4 #c4 ,it has a very short focus1 and is not1 therefore1 very easy to use4 ,achromatic doublets and triplets are made of two or more lenses cemented together and mounted in the same style as the ,coddington lens2 they are very much better than the ,coddington1 but are more expensive4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #e4 ,there are several devices for mounting these simple microscopes on stands so that they can be kept steady and the objects to be examined placed behind them4 ,one of these is illustrated in ,fig4 #d4 ,an ingenious boy with a block of wood for a base1 some stout wire and corks1 can make one almost as useful1 though not so handsome4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #f4 ,a more elaborate form is shown in ,fig4 #e4 ,it has a glass stage to hold transparent objects1 and a brass one for opaque objects1 and a mirror below to reflect light up through transparent objects4 ,it is much better to use a good simple microscope than a poor and cheap compound one2 be sure and remember this and not be enticed to buy such an one by any representations as to its great magnifying power4 ,a compound microscope is one with a tube from four to ten inches long1 an arrangement for holding the object to be looked at1 and a mirror below to reflect light upon or through it4 ,the lenses at the end next the object are small1 and are set in a small brass tube1 which is called an objective4 ,it screws into the large tube4 ,the lenses at the end of the large tube next the eye are set in a tube1 called the eye-piece1 which slides in and out of the large tube4 ,different objectives contain lenses of different sizes according to the magnifying power desired1 and they are named two inch1 one inch1 half inch1 and so on down to one seventy-fifth4 ,eye-pieces are sometimes named ,a1 ,b1 ,c1 but more properly two inch1 and so on down to one eighth4 ,there is a very great variety in the forms of compound microscopes1 from the very simple up to the very elaborate1 and the prices vary accordingly4 ,a simple but useful form is given in ,fig4 #f4 ,a great deal of money can be expended on a microscope and the various instruments made to use with it and which are called accessory apparatus2 but it is best not to buy these instruments until you know just what you want1 and not to spend much money at first except under the advice of a microscopist4 ,some simple things1 however1 you will need at once1 such as a few slips of glass three inches long and one inch wide1 called glass slides1 some pieces of very thin glass1 called cover glass1 a pair of tweezers1 some needles fastened into pen-holders for handles1 and a few glass tubes commonly called pipettes1 or dipping tubes4 ,these can be readily bought1 and some of them easily made4 ,illustration3 ,,catching ,,animalcula ,,with ,a ,,pipette4 ,,iii4--,,objects4 ,as soon as you have a microscope you will begin to look at everything and anything3 dust1 crumbs of bread1 flour1 starch1 mosquitoes1 flies1 and moth millers in their season2 flowers and leaves1 cotton1 wool1 and silk4 ,but this scattering kind of observation will soon weary you4 ,in order to get the greatest pleasure and best results from your work1 you must proceed with some system4 ,illustration3 ,,bull',s ,,eye ,,lens4 ,there are so many objects visible only through the microscope that life is not long enough for you to see them all1 much less to study them4 ,some microscopists devote the time they have for such studies to the observation of single classes of objects2 the physician observes the various parts of the animal structure1 and calls his work histology2 the botanist examines the vegetable kingdom2 the entomologist1 insects2 but in all these departments there are numerous subdivisions4 ,as a guide to your work1 you will find some book on the microscope very useful2 the best one is ,the ,microscope and its ,revelations1 by ,dr4 ,william ,b4 ,carpenter4 ,illustration3 ,,magnified #ej ,,diameters4 ,illustration3 ,,fly',s ,,eye--#e ,,diameters4 ,objects through which you can see light are called transparent1 and are the easiest to look at with the microscope1 because you can lay them on a glass slide and throw light up through them with your mirror4 ,thick objects through which light cannot pass are called opaque1 and are more difficult to examine1 and can only be seen with low powers and a bright light4 ,in order to see such objects in the evening1 you will need a bull's eye lens mounted on a stand1 which you can place beside your microscope and between the lamp and the stage1 condensing the light of the lamp on the object4 7,fig4 #a47 ,there are other methods of illuminating opaque objects1 but they are expensive and difficult to manage1 yet by and by if you persevere in this delightful occupation you will learn what they are4 ,illustration3 ,scale of ,butterfly ,,magnified #bjj ,,diameters4 ,illustration3 ,,head ,,of ,,mosquito4 ,,magnified #ae ,,diameters4 ,some persons will expect you to show them a fly as big as a horse2 but you will soon be able to prove to them that you know more about the matter than they do4 ,with a large hand-lens1 you can see a whole fly at once and magnify it two or three times2 but when you put it on the stage of your compound microscope and try to magnify it still more1 you will find that you can only see a part of it at a time1 and the higher the power you use1 the less can you see2 in other words1 the more you magnify an object1 the smaller is the field of view4 ,an inch-objective will show the head of an housefly1 which in a bright light is a very beautiful object4 ,no picture can equal the delicacy of the color of the eyes of a live fly4 ,illustration3 ,,section ,,of ,,wood4 ,,magnified #ej ,,diameters4 ,after a little practise you will be able to separate the different parts of insects and look at them with higher powers4 ,the moth fly will soon be on the wing1 and your aunt will not call you cruel if you kill and cut up large numbers of them4 ,put a little of the dust that comes off from the wing of a moth on a glass slide1 look at it with a high power1 and you will find that each particle of dust is a pretty leaf-like scale4 ,you have seen in summer the dust on the wings of butterflies2 remember this1 and look at this butterfly dust with your microscope4 ,flowers and leaves you can always easily obtain2 but in looking at them you must remember what has already been said about transparent and opaque objects4 ,thin slices or sections of stems1 leaves1 and portions of flowers1 can be made with a sharp knife1 and examined as transparent objects1 so that thus you can observe the internal or cellular structure of the vegetable kingdom4 ,,iv4--,,home ,,experiments4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,during the cold weather it is not pleasant to make excursions into the country and search for objects for the microscope2 so you will look about and see what you can find at home2 and if you live in ,boston1 ,cochituate water will invite your inspection4 ,the best way to get at the minute objects in this or any water that is supplied through pipes1 is to make a bag of cotton cloth1 not too fine1 well washed in water without soap1 about a foot long1 large enough at the top to slip over a faucet that has a screw on it 7like the common kitchen faucet adapted for a filter71 so that it can be tied with a string1 and small enough at the bottom to be tied on to the neck of a small bottle such as is used for homoeopathic pills4 ,this bag should taper gradually in size from the top to the bottom4 7,fig4 #a47 ,illustration3 ,the ,water ,flea ,,fig4 #b4 ,,cyclops ,,quadricornis4 ,,magnified #bj ,,diameters4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4 ,,canthocamptus ,,minutus4 #dj ,,diameters4 ,if there is a strong head of water where your faucet is1 you must reduce the pressure by opening other faucets on the same floor1 such as those in the laundry1 otherwise many of the small creatures will be crushed in the interstices of the bag4 ,now let the water run4 ,the bag will swell out and the water ooze through its sides1 and all objects too small to pass through it will fall down and settle in the little bottle at the bottom4 ,when you see that there is a considerable amount of sediment in the bottle1 shut off the water and gently squeeze the bag between your thumb and forefinger1 beginning at the top and moving your hand down towards the bottle4 ,this movement will cause much of the sediment that has adhered to the sides of the bag to fall down4 ,now untie your bottle and set it aside and let the water run through the bag to clean it4 ,if you have a filter attached to your kitchen faucet you can get a very good idea of the solid contents of the water by unscrewing it1 or turning it over if it is made so as to reverse1 and letting the sediment that has collected on it drip into a tumbler1 but the bag gives much better results1 as many of the delicate forms that live in the water are crushed to death on the filter4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d4 ,,chydorus ,,sphoericus4 #ej ,,diameters4 ,having got the sediment in either a tumbler or a bottle1 you must make your first observation on it with the naked eye by holding it up to the light and looking through it4 ,you will find it of a brown color1 because a large part of it consists of particles of earth and decayed vegetable matter1 but you will presently see many little white specks moving about with a jumping or hopping movement4 ,these are commonly called water-fleas1 on account of their peculiar movements1 but the name is misleading1 as they belong to the crustacea 7animals having a shell or crust like the lobster71 and not to the insects4 ,they are found abundantly in ponds and ditches1 and in salt water4 ,sometimes they are so abundant in drinking water that has not been filtered1 as to alarm a timid person1 but you will find them just as good to eat raw as they are cooked4 ,the most common of these little creatures is the ,cyclops ,quadricornis1 so called because he has one eye and four horns4 7,fig4 #b47 ,this picture represents a female1 and she carries her eggs in the two little black bags that you see fastened on each side of the abdomen4 ,you will find it very interesting by and by to watch the eggs hatch and see the little cyclops hop away4 ,when young they do not look much like their parents2 they are rounder and their legs are more prominent4 ,the female cyclops 7the male is comparatively rare7 is the most common creature in ,cochituate water1 and as it is constantly eating1 it helps to purify the water1 and1 in its turn1 is eaten by the fishes4 ,in swimming it contracts its four horns and its fringed feet with a quick movement that throws it forward through the water with a leap4 ,its one eye is of a brilliant red1 and is a beautiful object under the microscope4 ,the shell also is sometimes beautifully colored1 and is often transparent1 so that the internal organs are plainly visible through it4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #e4 ,another of the family of ,cyclopidae is the ,canthocamptus minutus 7fig4 #c71 which you see is longer and more tapering in its form than the ,cyclops ,quadricornis4 ,it is also very common and very active4 ,chydorus ,sphoericus 7fig4 #d7 is a very pretty round form interesting to study when transparent4 ,all these and some others with rather hard names are in that division of the ,crustacea called ,entomostraca1 meaning shelled creatures whose shells are cut and do not cover them all round4 ,on this principle1 an oyster on the half-shell might be called an ,entomostracan4 ,now to catch these lively fellows1 you must take a dipping tube and be patient1 and when you have got one in the tube1 carefully drop it on the bottom of the live-box 7fig4 #e71 and put on the cover4 ,examine it first with the lowest power you have4 ,by careful management of the cover you can catch it between the top and bottom without breaking the shell1 and in this prison you can study it at leisure4 ,v4--,,cochituate ,,water4 ,you have read or been told that if you look at a drop of water through a microscope you will find it full of animalculae1 and showmen will sometimes exhibit water containing entomostraca hopping about1 and will try to persuade you that all water looks in the same way4 ,illustration3 ,,rotifer ,,vulgaris4 ,but this is a common mistake1 as you will soon find out for yourselves4 ,water such as is commonly used for drinking purposes1 whether it comes from a well1 spring1 river1 or pond1 contains but little animal or vegetable life in proportion to its quantity2 you may place drop after drop under the microscope without finding anything visible1 and you can only tell what is in it by filtering a great deal of it4 ,water standing in ditches or pools for a long time1 becomes full of growth of various kinds1 and is then so discolored and slimy that no one would think of drinking it4 ,illustration3 ,,carapace ,,of ,,anurae ,,stipitata4 ,let us return to the little bottle which you filled with ,cochituate filterings last month4 ,take a little from the bottom with your dipping-tube2 put it in the live box and examine it with a half-inch objective4 ,you will see many forms that are strange to you1 and we will suppose that the first is that of one of the rotifers4 ,these little creatures are called by this name because of two ,latin words meaning wheel-carriers1 for on their heads they have an arrangement which looks like a wheel1 sometimes in rapid motion4 ,illustration3 ,,floscularia ,,ornata4 ,the most common kind is called ,rotifer vulgaris 7fig4 #a71 and is a very interesting and elastic being4 ,sometimes he is gloomy and draws himself in so that he looks like a ball2 then he will stretch out full length1 and opening his wheel1 shoot through the water with great speed4 ,again he will attach his tail to some fixed object1 and by the aid of his wheel draw a rapid current of water through his mouth2 it is thus that you can best observe him1 and by and by you will discover that the apparent wheel is only a result of the rapid sweeping movement of the long hairs or cilia which fringe the opening in the top of the head4 ,through this opening the water passes1 the rotifer gathers his food from the current1 and the food passes into the mastax1 where it is ground by the masticating apparatus1 which is easily seen in motion4 ,illustration3 ,,dinobryon ,,tortularia4 ,there are several different rotifers found in ,cochituate water2 among them the most common is the ,anurae ,stipitata4 7,fig4 #b47 ,it is like a turtle1 with a shell1 or carapace1 beautifully ornamented4 ,you will see plenty of these empty shells1 and sometimes you will find one inhabited1 when you will see that the creature has a bright red eye1 and several bundles of cilia1 in front of the projecting spires4 ,one of the families of the rotifers is called ,floscularia1 because it resembles a flower2 it is attached at the base to small plants1 or algae1 and occupies a sheath so transparent that it is hardly visible4 ,one species is occasionally found in the ,cochituate1 the ,floscularia ornata4 7,fig4 #c47 ,it is a beautiful object1 with its elongated radiating cilia1 which remain quiet1 and do not vibrate4 ,the specimen figured has three eggs attached to its stem4 ,you will find other rotifers in the ,cochituate1 some formed like vases1 others with long spires1 but all graceful and beautiful4 ,the ,dinobryon ,tortularia is sometimes very common in this water4 ,in ,october1 #ahha1 when the taste of the water was very bad1 the ,dinobryon was very abundant1 though we do not know that it had anything to do with the bad taste4 ,you will see by the figure1 that it is like a tree1 with an individual of the family at the end of every branch4 ,each one has its own organs of existence1 although attached to its brothers by its stem4 ,each has a bright red eye1 and a long slender whip1 called a flagellum1 with which it lashes the water1 and when all the flagellae are in motion1 the whole tree swims about4 ,the individuals are very small indeed1 and it will take your best objective to show the flagellum4 ,illustration3 ,,vorticella ,,nebulifera4 ,another tree-like group is that of the ,vorticella1 of which you will sometimes find in the ,cochituate1 the species ,vorticella nebulifera4 ,each animal is at the top of a stem1 and this stem has the peculiar property of being able to coil up and draw its head down close to the bottom4 ,this appears to be a defensive movement1 for whenever a big ugly creature comes by1 down go the whole family so quickly that your eye cannot follow the movement4 ,sometimes they will all bob down when you tap the stage of the microscope so as to jar them4 ,at a certain period of its life the animal suddenly leaves its stem1 and goes swimming about with great speed4 ,,vi4--,,interesting ,,objects4 ,illustration3 ,,stephanodiscus ,,niagarae4 ,the most beautiful of the small algae or water plants are the ,diatomaceae and the ,desmidiaceae1 sometimes called for brevity diatoms and desmids4 ,they are remarkable for the geometrical character of their forms1 consisting of circles1 triangles and polygons of infinite variety4 ,they are very small1 and cannot be satisfactorily seen with an objective of less power than a four tenths4 ,the diatoms are found everywhere in both fresh and salt water1 but the desmids live only in fresh water4 ,one of the most common diatoms in ,cochituate water is the ,stephanodiscus ,niagarae4 7,fig4 #a47 ,it is in shape like a pill box1 and its sides1 which would be called its top and bottom if it were a pill box1 are beautifully ornamented with dots in radiating lines with a ring of spines near the edge4 ,this circle of spines or thorns explains its name1 ,stephanodiscus1 from the proto-martyr1 ,saint ,stephen4 ,the name ,niagarae is from ,niagara ,river1 where it was found4 ,like all diatoms1 it contains when alive a yellowish brown matter with small globules of oil1 which is called endochrome4 ,the box or shell1 called pustule1 is of silex or quartz1 and is therefore almost indestructible2 and when the diatom dies1 sinks to the bottom of the water4 ,in this way beds of shells of diatoms are sometimes formed of considerable thickness4 ,illustration3 ,,asterionella ,,bleakleyii4 ,illustration3 ,,tabellaria ,,fenestrata4 ,under the city of ,richmond1 ,va41 there is such a deposit1 varying from ten to twenty feet in depth1 and extending for many miles4 ,some of the diatoms1 especially those shaped like a boat1 called ,navicula1 have a peculiar motion which at one time led observers to think them animals4 ,no one knows how this motion is produced1 and if you can find this out1 you will make a very important discovery4 ,the most common diatom in ,cochituate water is ,asterionella ,bleakleyii4 ,it resembles a star with rays1 or the hub and spokes of a wheel4 7,fig4 #b47 ,this diatom is often found in abundance in the water supplies of cities4 ,it never forms a complete circle1 but grows into spirals or whorls which easily break up4 ,illustration3 ,,spongilla ,,fluviatilis4 ,illustration3 ,,desmidium ,,swartzii4 ,,front ,,and ,,side ,,view4 ,another diatom common in ,cochituate is ,tabellaria ,fenestrata1 which grows in ribbon-like forms4 7,fig4 #c47 ,the desmids resemble the diatoms in the geometrical character of their forms1 but they have no shell of silex1 and are therefore easily destroyed4 ,they are readily distinguished at sight by the beautiful green color of the contained matter4 ,in many of them there is a curious circulation of small particles1 especially in the ends of those of a crescent or new-moon shape4 ,this circulation can only be seen with a high power4 ,desmids are easily found in ponds and ditches2 and there are several species in ,cochituate4 ,among them is ,desmidium ,swartzii 7fig4 #d71 and ,closterium moniliferum4 7,fig4 #e47 ,their beauty depends so much on color that they do not appear to advantage in the figures4 ,you will find in examining the filterings of ,cochituate water1 many objects which have not been described in these papers1 and among them many fragments of green filaments of the small plants belonging to the confervae and the oscillatoriae2 sometimes you will find small round opaque forms of brown or green color1 which are probably spores of plants of a larger growth2 sometimes you will see the pollen of pine-trees which has fallen into the water and looks like three small balls fastened together2 sometimes1 though rarely1 you may find one of those curious little creatures called water bears1 or tardigrada2 and you may be fortunate enough to catch a water spider4 ,illustration3 ,,closterium ,,moniliferum4 ,but you will often see the spiculae of the sponge1 called ,spongilla fluviatilis4 ,they look like pins of glass1 blunt at one end and pointed at the other1 and are sometimes very abundant4 ,you may have heard that this sponge has been considered the source of the occasionally bad taste and smell of ,cochituate water4 ,when it is alive1 it is not disagreeable1 but when it decays it imparts to the water a very unpleasant taste and odor4 ,it certainly is one cause of the bad quality of the water1 but whether it is entitled to the sole credit is still open to question4 ,you can see what it looks like in fig4 #f4 ,when alive1 it is of a light-green color1 but when decayed it becomes brown4 ,it is full of the spiculae above described1 which serve to stiffen it1 but it easily crumbles and scatters them through the water4 ,though the microscope shows us many beautiful and interesting objects1 yet in the present state of our knowledge we cannot ascertain by its use whether the water we examine is harmless or injurious4 ,,vii4--,,the ,,brickmaker4 ,the microscope reveals so many strange odd-looking water creatures and plants that we can easily imagine ourselves transported to some new world4 ,look at this field of view as seen through the microscope4 ,in the centre stands a brickmaker4 ,he is a queer little animal1 and so small that he looks like a mere speck to the naked eye1 but through the microscope we see how wonderfully curious and strange a creature he is4 ,he is no idle1 lazy fellow4 ,he is instead a most busy mechanic4 ,just now he is building a house out of tiny bricks1 and he manufactures the bricks himself1 making them one at a time1 and when one is finished he lays it down carefully by the side of the last1 and fastens it firmly in its place with a kind of cement4 ,the bricks are laid in regular tiers one above the other4 ,we find these brickmakers in still water where various water-plants grow1 especially the water-milfoil and bladderwort4 ,they seem to be social beings4 ,they live in large communities1 attaching their houses to the stems and leaves of the plants so thickly sometimes that they almost touch one another4 ,they look1 to the naked eye1 like lines about one eighth of an inch in length4 ,sometimes they are very thick on the plants in ,new ,jersey ponds4 ,if you take some of the plants and water1 and put them in a bottle1 you can carry a large number of the brickmakers home1 where you can watch them at your leisure4 ,take a glass slide which has a little cup-shaped hollow to hold a few drops of water1 and put a tiny piece of the plant with the house attached into this hollow and fill it with some of the water from the bottle4 ,now cover it with a very thin piece of glass and lay it over the stage of the microscope1 and it is ready to be looked at and studied4 ,you will look with both eyes1 for your microscope is a binocular--one that has two tubes to look through4 ,the size of the objects will depend upon the magnifying power you have chosen4 ,the first thing you see is a dark1 brick-colored1 cylinder-shaped house which looks to be about the size of a cigar4 ,the little builder who lives in this house has been disturbed by the means we have taken to make his acquaintance2 he has stopped work and gone within4 ,but he is so industrious a fellow that he will not remain within very long4 ,as soon as it is quite still he will probably come to the door of his house1 and you will see him thrust out two horns4 ,he will move these horns to the right and left1 cautiously feeling all around him4 ,he seems very cautious indeed4 ,but at last he is satisfied that no enemy is near4 ,now he ventures out4 ,he unfolds his wheels4 ,these wheels are surrounded with a band of cilia1 or flexible hairs1 which he can put in rapid motion1 making the wheels have the appearance of revolving very fast4 ,this rapid motion of the cilia forms a swift current in the water2 and this current brings tiny particles of various things to the little mechanic4 ,some of these particles he uses for food2 of others1 he makes brick4 ,they are carried into an opening between the wheels where you can see them revolving very fast until they are gathered into a little round1 dark-colored pellet4 ,the particles are probably held together by a sticky secretion made by the builder4 ,it takes him about three minutes to make a brick4 ,as soon as it is finished1 he bends his head over1 takes it from its mould between the wheels1 and lays it down carefully by the side of the last4 ,then he raises his head and begins to make another4 ,the tube thus constructed is quite firm and strong4 ,sometimes when ,i have found a long tube1 ,i have cut off a portion from the top4 ,this can be done1 with care1 for the brickmaker drops to the bottom when disturbed4 ,it is very amusing to watch him repair damages and rebuild4 ,sometimes ,i have forced one out of his tube1 but it always soon died4 ,but though industrious1 he is so cautious1 or timid1 that he is easily frightened1 and therefore he is often interrupted in his work4 ,for instance1 like some people that we know1 he is very afraid of snakes4 ,if a harmless little tiny snake comes wriggling along through the water anywhere near him1 he folds his wheels and drops down into his house as quick as a flash4 ,one day a little boy was delighted with the fast-revolving wheels4 ,suddenly1 by and by1 he turned toward me with great disgust plainly showing in his face3 ,he's gone in1 'fraid of a little snake6 he exclaimed4 ,illustration3 ,,figure #a1 ,,brickmaker2 #b1 ,,current ,,in ,,water2 #c1 #d1 #e1 #f1 ,,diatoms2 #g1 #h1 ,,desmids2 #i1 ,,algae2 #aj1 #aa1 ,,trichoda ,,lynceus2 #ab1 ,,snake-,,like ,,larva2 #ac1 ,,part ,,of ,,plant ,,to ,,which ,,brickmaker ,,is ,,attached2 #ad1 ,,batrachospermum ,,moniliform4 ,he is always a great favorite with those who have watched him through the microscope4 ,i do not know how long they live1 but ,i have kept the same individuals three months or more4 ,i think no one knows the entire life-history of any of these little creatures1 so here is a grand chance for any young microscopist to investigate and become famous4 ,on the left of the brickmaker in our field of view is a delicate1 beautiful plant4 ,only a small part of it is seen in the engraving4 ,it has a long1 floating stem1 thickly set with rosettes of a pearly green color4 ,to the naked eye it looks like green slime1 and is called frog's spawn2 but the microscope shows us that it is a lovely plant1 and some wise man has given us a long fine name to call it by if we choose--,batrachospermum moniliform4 ,let us see if this long name has any meaning3 ,batrachia1 a frog1 spermum1 spawn2 ah1 after all1 only another name for frog spawn6 ,the other name1 moniliform1 means a bead-like necklace2 and this was given it because the threads that make the rosettes look like strings of small pearly-green beads4 ,all of the strange-looking plants and animals that we see in the microscope are known as well by sight and by name by those who make them a study1 as are the larger animals and plants that we see around us every day4 ,a bright little girl once asked me why such long hard names are given to everything in nature4 ,we told her if there was but one language spoken in the world there would be no need of using ,latin names4 ,but as there are many languages1 it was found necessary to agree upon some system1 so that all peoples of different nations might have the same name for an animal or plant1 and a long time ago all the civilized world agreed to use ,latin names4 ,thus our little brickmaker is known all over the world as ,melicerta ringens4 ,a field of view depends for its interest and variety upon what kind of water we put under the microscope4 ,in the one here represented1 ,i first took a tiny spray of plant with a brickmaker's house attached1 and laid it on the hollow glass slide and then used the dipping-tube and brought up some of the sediment from the bottom of the bottle2 this proved to contain several singular-looking plants and animals shown here4 ,figures #c1 #d1 #e and #f1 are diatoms1 and figures #g and #h are desmids4 ,naturalists formerly placed both diatoms and desmids in the animal kingdom1 but now all agree that the desmids are plants1 while some few still maintain that the diatoms are animals4 ,but the weight of evidence is on the plant side of the question4 ,the desmids are wonderfully beautiful plants2 the markings and colors are exquisite4 ,a number of species are found in the sediment of every swamp and pond4 ,the diatoms often grow in long ribbon-like masses 7fig4 #c71 and then partially separate1 remaining joined together at the angles so as to form a zigzag chain as seen at figure #d4 ,they have the power of moving through the water1 changing their places like animals4 ,a great variety of forms are found1 both diatoms and desmids1 many still undescribed1 inviting the young microscopist to study and name them4 ,figures #aj and #aa are different forms of a little animal1 ,trichoda lynceus4 ,it undergoes a great many changes4 ,in some of its stages1 it looks so different from the figures here represented that you would never dream of its being the same creature4 ,,viii4--,,the ,,vorticellas4 ,illustration3 ,,carchesium ,,polypinum4 ,the tree-vorticellas must ever stand first among all the varied and beautiful objects which the microscope reveals4 ,a species common in ,new ,england and the ,middle ,states is known scientifically by the name of ,carchesium ,polypinum4 ,it is impossible to convey a true idea of its beauty from a dead black and white drawing4 ,to be appreciated it must be seen in all its living glory--charming little animals resembling bell-shaped lilies on the ends of lovely transparent stems4 ,how curious nature is in the microscopic world6 ,only think of a tree of living animals6 ,the stems of the tree are jointed1 and the little creatures can sway the branches about and even throw them into a spiral coil so as to bring themselves near the main stem4 ,this gives them the appearance of being very polite toward each other2 they bow and courtesy as if preparing for a grand quadrille1 and they are decked out in gay colors1 red1 green1 and yellow4 ,the margins of the little cups are fringed with hairs1 or cilia1 which they can put in such rapid motion that it makes a current in the water and brings little particles to their mouths which they consume as food4 ,they do not accept everything that comes in the current4 ,they seem to know what they like as well as the higher animals1 and act as if they were vexed with some of the particles1 rejecting and sending them off with a rapid whirling motion4 ,the largest of these fairy-like trees are visible to the naked eye1 but it will be necessary for a novice in such matters to use a good strong lens to be able to find them readily4 ,they are attached to plants growing in water4 ,i have always been most successful in finding them among the water-milfoil 7,myriophillum7 several species of which grow in ,new ,england and the ,middle ,states4 ,some of the species are found in deep water1 others in shallow ponds4 ,the ,bladderworts 7,utricularia7 are also good plants to search among4 ,they grow in similar places4 ,on either of these plants we shall be sure to find a good many interesting creatures4 ,if we fail to find the tree1 we may secure other species of vorticella1 all of which are very beautiful4 ,do you know the ,utricularia8 ,i will devote the next chapter to these curious plants1 and to the microscopic animals which they capture4 ,it will take a little practice to learn where and how to collect material for the microscope4 ,we should not depend too much upon books in any branch of natural history4 ,to be successful1 you must observe for yourselves1 experiment and examine independently1 consulting books that you may name and classify1 that you may recognize and name what you find4 ,if you fail to find specimens in one spot1 try another4 ,you should not fill your collecting bottles more than two thirds full of water1 nor crowd too many plants in them4 ,these little creatures must have air in order to live1 as well as the higher animals4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 ,the finest tree-vorticellas ,i ever found were in ,florida1 in the ,st4 ,john's ,river4 ,these trees were attached to long1 floating stems of ,myriophillum verticillatum1 and were unlike any species that ,i ever found at the ,north4 ,they were very large--in a microscopic sense--plainly visible to the naked eye1 and it took only a moderate power to bring out their beauty4 ,vorticella nebulifera is quite common in swamps and ponds4 ,we find it attached to a great number of water plants4 ,this species is not built up in the form of a tree1 but it is nevertheless beautiful and graceful4 ,the delicate1 slender stems start from a node1 or rounded mass1 sometimes fifty or more of these fairy like creatures in one colony1 all attached to a common centre1 swaying about1 coiling their delicate transparent stems1 and again uncoiling quick as a flash1 apparently dallying and playing1 but never interfering nor becoming entangled one with another4 ,the ,stentor is another member of the ,vorticellinae family4 ,it is one of the largest of the infusoria1 plainly visible to the naked eye1 and one of the most interesting and curious of all the strange animals in the microscopic world4 ,it assumes various forms4 ,when swimming1 it looks round and plump 7,fig4 #b71 and rushes through the water pell-mell1 knocking the smaller animals right and left1 always seeming to be in a great hurry1 unless two friendly ones happen to meet1 when they frequently stop and put their heads together a moment as if exchanging greetings1 then away they sail again1 dashing through the water1 capturing and devouring the smaller creatures as they go4 ,and now a couple meet that are very communicative--two gossips1 no doubt6 ,at all events1 they put their heads together and conclude to have a good sociable time4 ,and they are sensible enough to know that they cannot stand around loose in the water or public highway4 ,so they select a cosey spot and fasten their feet to a plant or some firm object1 and stretch out their footstalks sometimes to a great length1 making veritable trumpets of themselves4 7,fig4 #c47 ,and who knows what grave matters may be settled during these conclaves8 or perhaps they are only rehearsing gossip1 as they have had every possible chance to see what was going on among their neighbors4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,stentors4--,,veritable ,,trumpets4 ,sometimes one settles down alone near a group of others1 and seems to proclaim in stentorian voice that it is reception day and he is ready to receive4 ,or perhaps he is simply a herald as his name indicates1 whose business it is to conduct ceremonies and regulate affairs6 ,at any rate1 though our ears are too dull to catch the voices of these curious beings of a lower world--so near1 and yet in another sense1 so far away1 it would be difficult to believe that these animated creatures have no means of communication and nothing to communicate4 ,,part ,,ii ,,through ,a ,,microscope ,,by ,,mary ,,treat ,,ix4--,,the ,,utricularia4 ,it seems strange that innocent-looking plants should capture and kill animals2 but this is really what the ,bladderworts 7,utricularia7 are all the time doing4 ,they grow in ponds and swamps1 some species in deep1 still water1 others in shallow ponds4 ,fig4 #a shows a portion of the stem of ,utricularia clandestina1 natural size4 ,the little bladders are so nearly transparent1 that on bringing them under the microscope1 or even under a good lens1 you can see the numerous creatures that they have captured1 some partly consumed1 others still alive4 ,the bladders on these curious plants remind one of some of the ,entomostracans which ,mr4 ,wells described in his fourth paper4 ,look at ,chydorus sphericus for instance1 and then at the magnified bladder 7,fig4 #b7 in this article4 ,the branched horns at the mouth or entrance have very much the appearance of the antennae of some of the minute animals1 and the stem when it is attached to the main branch may be likened to a tail4 ,but the way in which they capture and devour the pretty little creatures that come within their grasp makes them appear1 even more than they look1 like wicked animals4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,,portion ,,of ,a ,,stem ,,of ,,utricularia ,,clandestina2 ,,natural ,,size4 ,i have found almost every swimming animalculae with which ,i am acquainted1 caught in these vegetable traps2 and when caught they never escape4 ,their entrance is easy enough2 there is a sensitive valve at the mouth of the bladder1 which1 if they touch it1 flies open and draws them in as quick as a flash4 ,these downward-opening bladders not only entrap animalculae1 but1 more wonderful still1 the strong larvae of insects4 ,the larvae most frequently caught are those of the mosquito and chironomus4 ,often the mosquito is caught tail first--the entire body inclosed and the head left sticking out4 ,it always looks as if the victim might walk or wriggle out1 but it never does2 and you may be sure that it never backed in there of its own accord4 ,you all know how the mosquito larva wriggles in the water1 and is known by the common name of wriggler1 or sometimes inaccurately1 wiggler4 ,now just as sure as the tail of this wriggler strikes the mouth of the bladder1 just so sure is he caught--drawn in by some unknown power quicker than you can speak4 ,there is yet much to learn about these curious plants4 ,how it is that the valve or trap can so firmly hold these strong larvae is still a mystery4 ,i have seen a mosquito larva caught by the head when the first joint of the body was too large to be admitted through the entrance of the bladder1 and have patiently watched its frantic efforts to escape1 but it was never released4 ,the more it thrashed about1 the tighter grew the fatal trap until death put an end to its struggles4 ,the chironomus larva is quite unlike that of the mosquito4 ,the chironomus has brush-like feet which it can withdraw from sight--a sort of telescopic arrangement--or extend when it wishes to crawl along the plants1 while the mosquito wriggles and swims4 ,the chironomus is caught more often even than the mosquito larva4 ,at certain seasons of the year it is almost impossible to find a bladder without one or more of these victims entrapped4 ,they feed on the water plants1 and seem to have a special liking for the long-branched antennae which grow at the mouth of the bladders1 and1 all unconscious of the trap1 on1 on they go1 their sickle-shaped jaws cutting the antennae which they eat as they advance1 until their heads reach the mouth of the bladder1 when they heedlessly touch the valve and the trap is sprung and they are drawn within1 never more to escape1 but to be slowly devoured4 ,there is another interesting species of ,utricularia1 the ,purfurea1 quite different in many particulars from the first4 ,it grows in deep1 still water4 ,the stems are long1 sometimes two feet or more in length1 and the branches radiate in every direction1 so that one plant often covers quite a large surface of water4 ,the flowering stems stand above the water1 and each stem bears three or four very pretty violet purple flowers1 and it blossoms nearly all summer4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 ,,bladder ,,of ,u4 ,,clandestina ,,magnified ,,twenty ,,diameters4 ,the flowers are about half an inch broad and quite conspicuous4 ,most of the other species have yellow flowers4 ,there are no little thread-like leaves on this species1 and the bladders are on the ends of the little branchlets1 and they have no sharp-pointed antennae as in the other species2 but in their place is an elegant cluster of transparent glassy-like ornamental appendages4 ,the ornaments are just above the entrance1 and who knows but this is a contrivance set there to lure unwary creatures into the trap4 ,one of the most common little creatures that was caught in this trap1 was the ,tardigrada1 or water bear4 ,he looks like a tiny cub1 but unlike his great namesake1 he has eight legs1 and he frequently slips out of his old skin and comes out in a new suit4 ,i often find them crawling in a forest of these plants1 peering out of a thick jungle--now ascending a branch and out on a limb1 holding fast with their long claws1 and apparently looking around to see what they can find4 ,now one seems to be attracted to this elegant glassy cluster of ,utricularia4 ,at all events he is soon pushing his head among the delicate stems1 then stops a moment1 standing perfectly still as if listening4 ,perhaps he hears the groans of his dying comrades1 but all unheeding the warning1 he steps forward1 touches the fatal spring1 when in he goes to perish with his comrades4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4 ,,chironomus ,,larva3 ,,back ,,view ,,with ,,feet ,,drawn ,,in ,,and ,,jaws ,,closed2 ,,side ,,view ,,with ,,feet ,,extended ,,and ,,jaws ,,closed4 ,young microscopists may like to know that the ,utricularia can be preserved in the house a long time by putting the stems or sprays in an open1 shallow dish of water where they will grow readily4 ,i have kept the plants months together in a large glass dish where they looked charmingly beautiful and were the admiration of all who saw them4 ,it is very interesting to watch their growth4 ,the ends of the growing sprays unroll like ferns1 and with a magnifying glass you can see the development of the little bladders1 and you may make discoveries--who knows8 ,i know that for a long time it was a mystery to me how the bladders captured and imprisoned the little animals4 ,every day ,i saw they were entrapped and never escaped1 and ,i studied and pondered over the matter a long time1 and was so interested and determined to learn the secret that ,i spent night after night looking through the microscope1 watching the strange1 unwary creatures fall into the trap4 ,at last ,i concluded to adopt the following plan3 ,i took sprays of the plants that ,i had grown in clear water that contained no animalcules1 so that all the bladders were empty and quite transparent4 ,in another dish ,i had put a great many masses of mosquito eggs4 ,mosquito eggs are found floating on almost any standing water1 in dark1 compact masses4 ,in warm weather they hatch in a few hours4 ,so you can understand how quickly ,i could swarm a small vessel of water with the mosquito larvae by introducing the eggs where ,i wished them to hatch4 ,when they were hatched ,i put some of the water in which was a large number of the tiny creatures into the live box with a spray of the plant containing empty bladders4 ,i placed the box under the microscope and closely watched the manner of capture4 ,i became certain that in almost every instance the larvae were caught tail first4 ,the tail is brush-like1 and when it swept over the door or valve that leads into the bladder1 ,i saw that the door would immediately fly open and always draw the larva in4 ,i soon became satisfied that the valve was very sensitive when touched at the right point1 but to this day ,i cannot tell what the power is that so quickly draws the creatures within4 ,i earnestly hope that some young microscopists will yet be able to ferret out the cause of this singular power4 ,those who have read ,mr4 ,darwin's very interesting book on ,insectivorous ,plants1 will have noticed that he says the valve of ,utricularia is not in the least sensitive1 and that the little creatures force their way into the bladders--their heads acting like a wedge4 ,but this is not the case1 as ,mr4 ,darwin himself was convinced some years before his death4 ,in his usual kind1 gracious manner he admitted that he was wrong1 and gracefully says the valve must be sensitive1 although he could never excite any movement4 ,in a letter to me bearing date ,june #ast1 #ahge1 he says3 ,i have read your article 7in ,harpers ,magazine7 with the greatest interest4 ,it certainly appears from your excellent observations that the valve is sensitive4444 ,i cannot understand why ,i could never with all my pains excite any movement4 ,it is pretty clear ,i am quite wrong about the head acting like a wedge4 ,the indraught of the living larva is astonishing4 ,x4--,,free ,,swimming ,,animalcules4 ,the ,brickmaker1 ,floscules1 and ,vorticellas are quiet peaceable citizens of the microscopic world1 and seem to be impressed with the graver duties of life2 they set up housekeeping and settle down for life moored to one spot4 ,but there are many others that live a free-and-easy sort of life--a wandering gypsy kind of an existence1 always on the move2 and there is not much satisfaction in trying to follow these rovers if we wish to make a careful study of their structure4 ,illustration3 ,,skeleton ,,water ,,wheel4 ,so to be enabled to examine them you will be compelled to imprison them in the live-box and bring just as much pressure to bear upon them as they will stand without crushing1 which with careful practice you may soon learn to do4 ,but if you are simply making the acquaintance of these little creatures for amusement1 it is more interesting and satisfactory to watch them while they are unrestrained1 and see the curious feats they perform4 ,one of the most amusing of these little animals is the ,skeleton ,wheel-bearer 7,dinocharis pocillum74 ,his portrait is seen at ,figure #a4 ,he has a long foot consisting of three joints1 and these joints are as perfect as those of our own knees and elbows1 and can be moved as easily forward and sideways1 but not backward4 ,the joints and foot are not covered with any fleshy substance1 from which fact--the joints being so conspicuous--it probably received the name ,skeleton4 ,two long slender toes extend from the last joint1 and from the tips of these the ,skeleton can show us more wonderful feats than any circus performer4 ,the toes can be widely separated1 or brought close together1 like a pair of tongs4 ,sometimes he stands on the tip of one toe and throws his body forward1 or from side to side with a rapid motion2 then straightening himself up1 he stands on the tips of both toes as if posing1 remaining perfectly still for a few moments and giving us an opportunity to take a good look at his curious body which is encased in a pretty vase-shaped1 three-sided transparent shell4 ,the head extends from the top of the vase1 and is surmounted with the usual cilia1 or wheel1 which we see among all the rotifera4 ,when he is tired of posing1 away he swims in a graceful1 easy manner1 with his long foot straightened out and the toes brought close together4 ,you sometimes will find these pretty creatures1 especially in summer-time1 very numerous in the sediment at the bottom of your collecting bottles4 ,often ,i have found dead specimens1 and very beautiful objects they sometimes are4 ,great numbers of tiny scavengers have completely cleaned out all of the soft parts of the body in a most neat and perfect manner1 leaving the beautiful shell and vertical column1 that runs through it1 and the foot and toes1 entire and perfect in all of their parts4 ,think of the minuteness of these scavengers--untold numbers of them preying upon the body of an object invisible to the naked eye2 and yet this body is a mammoth by the side of one of the scavengers6 ,the mind can scarcely grasp the minuteness of these tiny creatures--creatures that seem to enjoy existence1 eating1 and apparently playing and entertaining each other like the higher animals4 ,illustration3 ,,whiptail4 ,the whiptail 7,mastigocerca carinata7 7,fig4 #b7 is another delicate pretty little creature1 and1 like the skeleton1 is encased in a glassy shell4 ,it has a long1 tapering1 spine-like foot1 or1 more properly speaking1 a toe which is attached to a very short foot by means of a flexible joint which allows free motion4 ,you often will find him in company with the ,skeleton1 and they seem to vie with each other in performing strange feats4 ,the ,whiptail1 if possible1 looks even more comical than the ,skeleton when it stands on the tip of its long toe1 a toe which is longer than the entire length of the body1 now bending over and nibbling at the plants1 now whisking around as if looking and inquiring into some passing object1 then sailing through the water with a graceful1 easy motion beyond sight4 ,brachionus pala is also a lovely creature encased in a delicate transparent shell4 ,it is considerably larger than the ,skeleton or ,whiptail1 and is just visible to the unassisted eye4 ,if you drop it in a phial of clear water and hold it up to the light1 you can distinctly see it gliding through the water like a revolving white speck4 ,a moderate power of the microscope reveals its beauty4 ,the shell is swelled at the sides1 and narrow at the mouth1 and round over the back1 while the under side is flat4 ,illustration3 ,,large ,,rotifer4 ,like the ,skeleton and ,whiptail1 the head of the little ,brachion is seen protruding from the upper part of the shell2 but instead of one wheel this charming little creature has two1 and nothing can be more lovely than a sight of these fast revolving wheels1 like two beautiful crowns4 ,the reason the wheel looks so strikingly beautiful in ,brachionus is owing to the long cilia which is longer in this genus than in other genera of this great family4 ,the foot of ,brachionus is more curious than that of the ,skeleton4 ,it is telescopic1 and the little animal has the most perfect control over it4 ,he can draw it within the body so that it looks like a ball1 and again quickly thrust it out and whisk it around in all directions like a tail4 ,it has two short toes at the end which can be separated or brought together at pleasure4 ,and he can firmly anchor himself by the toes and stretch forward1 showing you the great length of the foot4 ,now he rolls from side to side without letting go his hold and performs other strange feats1 and all the while the wheels are rapidly revolving1 he has stopped his headlong career through the water and has settled down to get his supper4 ,fig4 #c represents one of the largest rotifers with which ,i am acquainted4 ,i have never been able to find a description or engraving of it in any work on microscopy4 ,but it is probably well known to microscopists1 for it has a wide range4 ,i have found it in ,new ,hampshire1 ,new ,jersey and ,florida4 ,you cannot get a true idea of its graceful beauty from the drawing1 as it is represented as it was seen in the live box with sufficient pressure upon it to keep it from moving1 while serving as a model4 ,and no engraving1 however perfect1 can give you any idea of its brilliant transparency and delicate coloring4 ,the play of the muscles and internal organs are plainly visible1 and you can always tell what he has chosen for dinner4 ,diatoms and desmids form a portion of his diet4 ,his mouth is below the wheel4 ,when he is hungry he anchors himself by his forked tail and sets his wheel in rapid motion1 which makes a powerful current sufficient to bring quite large objects to his head1 frequently too large to admit into the mouth4 ,he will often repeatedly try to take a desmid entirely too large for his mouth1 and his manoeuvres are quite comical as he whirls it round and round1 nipping it on all sides4 ,you will see by looking at the figure that everything has to be swallowed or taken within the body before it reaches the mouth4 ,while the desmid is within the body the rotifer has control over it sufficient to take it into the mouth if it is of the right size1 but if it is too large he soon becomes disgusted and ejects it with a sudden movement which sends it whirling rapidly away4 ,and now he takes a smaller one and his jaws work vigorously a moment or two1 when he swallows it almost entire1 and we can plainly see the pretty markings and brilliant green color after it has passed into the stomach4 ,this large rotifer is plainly visible to the naked eye1 and you will find it in both shallow and deep ponds1 wherever water plants grow1 during the months of ,july and ,august4 ,,xi4--,,on ,,the ,,beach4 ,many of our young people spend the month of ,august at the seaside1 and if those who wish to learn something of the curious microscopic animals will stroll along the beach when the tide has receded1 until they come to rocky places and little pools filled with salt water and various marine plants1 they will find a form of animal life quite different from that in fresh water ponds4 ,these little pools along the rocky coast are the homes of countless numbers of zoophytes--animals which have a stronger resemblance to plants and flowers than any we have found in fresh water4 ,look for specimens for microscopic work on the surface of the rocks1 on dead sea shells1 and on the sea-weeds4 ,on the sea-weeds you will often find a white filmy network which to the unassisted eye looks like simple white threads running and spreading in every direction1 and at every angle of the network a tiny stem shoots up1 branching out like a tree and making a miniature forest4 ,now if you apply a low power of the microscope1 you will find the little forest is made up of a strange animal called ,laomeda geniculata4 7,fig4 #a47 ,each branch of this compound animal terminates and expands into a lovely vase and is the home of a polype4 ,the polype is not a separate individual any more than the end of a growing branch is separate from the tree on which it grows4 ,illustration3 ,,laomeda4 ,when the creature is hungry he sends out from the margin of the vase from fifteen to twenty tentacles1 ranged around the rim like the petals of a flower4 ,figure #a shows one of these expanded polypes as seen through the microscope4 ,the tentacles or feelers are fishing rods to bring game to the fleshy mouth which is protruded from the centre of the vase4 ,a great many such mouths surrounded with their tentacles are necessary to feed this singular compound creature4 ,all that ,i can tell you of these microscopic animals will be nothing compared to a study of them with your own eyes1 so ,i will only give you hints of what you may expect1 thereby hoping to create sufficient interest to induce you to stroll to out-of-the-way places1 where you may find many of ,nature's marvellous works4 ,we want more field workers in every department of ,natural ,history1 and especially in microscopy where unexplored fields are awaiting you4 ,when the tide has receded1 various objects of interest will meet your eye at every step4 ,look at that old dead sea shell covered with a rough1 shaggy nap4 ,ah1 as we approach1 the shell is moving off6 ,what can it mean8 ,why1 it means that a hermit crab has set up housekeeping in the old shell1 and he1 no doubt1 thinks us suspicious characters and wants none of our company4 ,but we are after microscopic objects now1 and this hermit1 interesting as he is1 is not to claim our attention to-day4 ,the rough coat on the outside of the shell is of more interest4 ,with the aid of a pocket lens you will find it another zoophyte4 ,you can see the polypes1 as thick as they can well stand1 rising erect and straight from the shaggy coat like a miniature field of wheat4 ,with a higher power you will see that each mouth is surrounded with tentacles like those of ,laomeda1 but yet it is quite a different looking creature4 ,if we touch one of these polypes ever so lightly1 the great army immediately close their tentacles1 for the same life pervades the entire colony1 and those on the extreme outer edge feel the contact as quickly as the one we touched4 ,illustration3 ,,lares4 ,one of the most comical and amusing creatures of all the zoophyte tribe1 is figured and described by ,mr4 ,gosse under the name of ,lar ,sabellarum4 ,he was the first observer of this curious creature2 he found it inhabiting the outer edge of the tube of a worm--the ,sabella4 ,so when you are looking for microscopic objects do not overlook any tube that you may see standing above the surface of sand and mud1 as it may be surrounded by this singular zoophyte4 ,the tubes usually extend an inch or two above the surface1 and about as far below4 ,i have found the tubes surrounded with the creatures1 but not in as good condition for investigation as those ,mr4 ,gosse mentions4 ,mine were too thick and crowded to distinguish clearly4 ,but as ,mr4 ,gosse describes them1 they have a most close resemblance to the human figure as they stand erect around the mouth of the tube of ,sabella4 ,a loose network surrounds the top of the tube and the strange forms spring from the angles of the meshes4 ,the creatures are furnished with heads1 and immediately below the head are two arms4 7,fig4 #b47 ,the head moves to and fro on the neck1 while the arms are tossed wildly about as if gesticulating in the most earnest manner4 ,or1 as in the wild and disorderly dances of savages the body sways back and forth while the arms are thrown upward and downward in a frantic way4 ,one summer ,i found a colony standing so thickly together that they did not show off to very good advantage4 ,apparently they were like a packed army of ,liliputians1 striking out with their arms and struggling with one another4 ,but when ,i came to observe them more carefully1 ,i found they were not interfering with one another at all1 but each was intent on his own business of obtaining a livelihood4 ,illustration3 ,,hand ,,of ,,barnacle4 ,the ,sabella which inhabits the tube1 is of itself a most attractive object4 ,most elegant fringed filaments proceed from the head1 and wave back and forth like a fan1 and near the ends of these delicate slender filaments are little black balls1 supposed to be eyes4 ,if they are eyes1 the ,sabella has no lack of vision1 and this may account for his seeming watchfulness4 ,he is always on the alert and drops down into his house at any approach4 ,only with the utmost caution will you have an opportunity to leisurely look at his rare beauty4 ,when for the first time ,i saw this elegant1 beautiful creature rising out of the tube1 and waving its fringed fan-like filaments1 ,i did not wonder at ,mr4 ,gosse's enthusiasm4 ,neither was ,i surprised that he should be reminded of the old ,roman mythology and call the zoophytes which surround the tube1 ,lares1 for the rare beauty of ,sabella would suggest the protection of guardian spirits4 ,he says3 ,these curious creatures have afforded much entertainment1 not only to myself1 but to those scientific friends to whom ,i have had opportunities of exhibiting them4 ,when ,i see them surrounding the mansion of the ,sabella1 gazing1 as it were1 after him as he retreats into his castle1 flinging their wild arms over its entrance1 and keeping watch with untiring vigilance until he reappears1 it seems to require no very vivid fancy to imagine them so many guardian demons2 and the ,lares of the old ,roman mythology occurring to memory1 ,i described the form under the scientific appellation of ,lar ,sabellarum4 ,you may1 however1 if it pleases you better1 call them 'witches dancing round the charmed pot4' ,when the tide is out you will frequently notice barnacles adhering to the rocks1 or to the timbers used in the construction of wharves4 ,pray stop and examine them critically and see what admirable fishers they are4 ,their fishing-nets are composed of several long1 flexible1 jointed fingers1 thickly beset with sensitive hairs4 ,when the fisher wants a meal he thrusts his long hand 7,fig4 #c7 out the door of his stone house2 the sensitive fingers quickly tell when they come in contact with anything good to eat1 and they curl over and grasp it and convey it to the mouth4 ,these barnacles are wonderful creatures and well worthy your continuous study4 ,they pass through several stages4 ,when young they are a gay rolicking set1 swimming freely in the water2 but as maturity approaches they settle down in stone houses1 never more to rove about1 and set up fishing for a living4 ,,xii4--,,rhizopods4 ,rhizopods are the lowest creatures in the animal kingdom4 ,some of them are apparently nothing more than animated protoplasm4 ,protoplasm pertains to the first formation of living bodies1 whether vegetable or animal1 and it appears to be only a viscid1 glutinous1 unformed mass of jelly-like substance1 yet these rhizopods seem endowed with something more than simple life4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,,amoeba ,,princeps1 ,,in ,,different ,,forms4 ,let us take the lowest of these lowly creatures1 the amoeba1 or proteus1 which we may find during the summer in almost every fresh water pond4 ,i cannot describe it1 for1 like its namesake1 it is constantly changing its form1 slipping away from us1 as it were1 right before our eyes1 and assuming a new shape4 ,as ,proteus of old could assume any form1 either plant or animal as he pleased1 so our amoeba can assume various forms at pleasure4 ,you will remember that ,homer introduces ,proteus in the fourth book of the ,odyssey4 ,he makes him the servant of ,neptune1 and says his office was to take care of the seals or sea-calves4 ,and who knows but his namesake may have some such office among the curious beings of the microscopic world which is peopled with as many strange creatures as those we read of in ancient mythology8 ,we frequently see our proteus adhering to a leaf of some water plant when it looks like a little ball of jelly2 and while we are looking at it1 it pushes out an arm here1 and now another there1 and still another1 as if feeling for something4 7,fig4 #a1 ,amoeba princeps47 ,not finding anything to its taste1 it moves or crawls along with its temporary arms extended--all the while changing them1 throwing one out on this side1 then on that1 then contracting and pushing out in another place4 ,it seems to be actively in search of something4 ,at last it has reached a moving diatom with one of its long arms1 which it immediately wraps around it1 and now the other arms are contracted and the creature actually folds itself around its dinner6 ,he turns himself outside in1 and makes a temporary stomach1 and proceeds to digest the soft parts of the diatom4 ,after he has extracted all the nourishing part1 he squeezes or pushes out the clear1 transparent shell1 and starts in search for something more4 ,it is not known to a certainty how the amoebae are produced1 but this much is known3 ,if a portion of the body is detached from the rest1 it does not die1 but becomes an independent amoeba4 ,if a portion of one of the arms becomes separated from the main body1 it does not seem to incommode the creature in the least1 and the small part soon begins to extend tiny arms and behave in every way like its parent4 ,and this may be the only way in which the children of ,proteus are made--veritable children of his own flesh4 ,how strange it seems that a jelly-like mass of substance without form or organization should be endowed with life and sufficient sense to go in search of food and have the power of selection4 ,life manifested in the lowest animal or plant is just as wonderful and hard to understand as that which pervades the higher animals4 ,some of the species of the fresh water amoeba live in shells of various forms and patterns4 ,one which we often see has a little house made of tiny particles of sand and minute bits of shell soldered together with a kind of cement which hardens in water2 these are vase or pitcher-shaped and always look rough on the outside4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 ,,testaceous ,,forms ,,of ,,amoeban ,,rhizopods4 ,we may always know the different species by the forms and patterns of the shells in which they live4 ,some have very regular shells and prettily marked4 ,these are usually rounded or arched on one side and flat on the other4 ,when you are looking for various microscopic objects in pond water you will often see these tiny shells among the sediment on your slides1 and if you will patiently wait a few moments you will soon see delicate1 transparent arms slowly pushing out on every side like cautious feelers4 7,figure #b1 ,amoeba in ,shell4--,carpenter1 p4 #dde47 ,but the most beautiful forms1 and by far the greatest variety of these microscopic shells are found in the ocean and in marine deposits4 ,if we look at the seaweeds which grow on the rocks we may see many white specks adhering to every part of the plants4 ,with a lens we find the minute specks are spiral shells of many species belonging to the class ,foraminifera1 and very closely allied to the amoeba4 ,the shells are of most elegant form and pattern4 ,the large sea-shells which we so much admire are not half so lovely in form or color as these seen through a microscope4 ,some of the living animals and the castles in which they dwell are crimson in color1 others a delicate pink4 ,let us take one of these living shells while it clings to the sea-weed and carefully cut off the smallest portion of the plant to which it adheres1 so as to disturb the occupant as little as possible2 and now place it in the live box with some of the salt water and we shall soon have a most beautiful sight4 ,see1 the creature is throwing out delicate1 transparent threads or filaments in every direction1 like fine-spun glass4 ,how charming it looks with the beautiful shell in the centre1 surrounded by this moving1 filmy halo1 and how slowly and cautiously the filaments are extended6 ,he is not a heedless1 reckless creature1 rushing into needless danger1 but a quiet1 timid citizen4 ,although he was such a long time throwing out his misty arms1 when he scents danger he withdraws them as quick as a flash4 ,the least jar of the live-box1 or a little wriggling larva--much too large for him to manage1 however--are sufficient to make him take in all of his lines2 but when quiet is restored1 they are again stretched out4 ,and for what purpose are these slender filaments extended8 ,ah1 an innocent animalcule has become entangled among the shimmering1 filmy threads1 and now the threads coalesce1 run together like the arms of amoeba1 and disappear1 and the animalcule is drawn within the walls of the beautiful castle1 and we are left to conjecture the fate of the little victim4 ,figure #c1 ,rotalia ,ornata--which shows its delicate filaments extended4 ,these tiny creatures have been so numerous way back in the early ages of the world1 that entire strata of rocks1 several feet in thickness1 in various parts of the world1 are made up of their skeletons4 ,the city of ,richmond1 ,virginia1 is built over rocks1 composed largely of the minute fossils of ,diatomaceae intermingled with the ,foraminifera and others4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4 ,,rotalia ,,ornata4 ,a single prepared slide of these fossils will afford entertainment for an entire evening1 so great is the diversity of form and so many hundreds on one slide4 ,the ,bahama ,islands furnish the finest specimens of these fossils4 ,the slides can be procured of any large dealer in optical instruments1 or1 what is still better1 the young microscopist can soon learn to prepare them for himself1 as ample directions are given in the books on the microscope4 ,in bidding my young readers adieu ,i shall not lose entire thought of them1 but often when ,i am engaged in looking through the microscope1 ,i shall think and ask myself1 ,are they1 too1 absorbed in this pleasant work1 and how many will become true workers and original investigators in this great field8 ,we shall all know in due time1 for no earnest worker in any branch of science can long remain unknown4 ,he will be found out sooner or later4 ,a devoted student in microscopy will become so happy over the marvellous creatures and their curious ways that he cannot keep his pleasure to himself4 ,,part ,,iii ,a ,,home-,,made ,,microscope1 ,,and ,,how ,,to ,,use ,,it ,,by ,,frederick ,,leroy ,,sargent ,,xiii4--,,how ,,to ,,see ,a ,,dandelion4 ,a simple microscope1 some mounted needles1 a sharp knife and a pair of small forceps1 are the only things needed to begin with4 ,there are many kinds of simple microscopes sold1 some of which are of moderate price and answer every purpose2 but if one has a little mechanical skill the cheapest way is to buy a magnifier and make the rest of the microscope one's self4 ,what is known as the bellows pattern1 with three lenses1 is one of the best of the cheaper forms of magnifiers1 and is an admirable little instrument4 ,fig4 #a shows a home-made microscope ready for use4 ,it will be seen that the main part consists of a wooden box having a hole in the top and open in front4 ,to the back is attached a cork by means of a piece of thin metal as shown in fig4 #b4 ,through this cord slides a rod on which slides another cork4 ,a piece of brass wire has one end wound round the upper cork while the other end projects as an arm at right angles to the rod1 and this projecting end sharpened and upturned1 passes through holes drilled in the handle of the magnifier1 and thus supports it4 ,the lenses are focused1 i4 e4 brought to the right distance from the object viewed1 by sliding the cork up and down on the rod4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #a4 ,the object rests on a piece of glass laid over the hole in the top of the box4 ,a piece of wood covered with white paper and placed below the object at an angle of about forty-five degrees answers for a reflector to illuminate those objects through which the light can pass4 ,the pure white surface is better for the purpose than a mirror4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #b4 ,the most delicate part of the construction is making the holes in the corks for the rod to slide through4 ,this may be done perfectly1 however1 by making the holes with a rat-tail file1 trying the rod now and then until it moves just right4 ,the best thing for the rod is a piece of brass wire one quarter of an inch thick2 a lead pencil however is a good substitute4 ,before bending the end of the brass wire arm it is well to heat it red-hot at the point of bending1 to take out the temper3 as otherwise it may break4 ,the holes in the handle of the magnifier should be drilled as near the front as possible and so arranged that when the magnifier is in position the smallest lens will be near the object4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #c4 ,the mounted needles are shown in fig4 #c4 ,one pair of each kind will be enough to start with4 ,to make one1 take a fine needle1 break off about a third1 so it will not be too long and springy2 then with a pair of pincers force it into the handle point first1 withdraw it and finally force it in again with the point out4 ,it may be easily bent with the pincers by first heating it to redness in a flame4 ,when bent1 heat it red once more and plunge quickly into water to re-temper it4 ,rubbing on an oil stone may be necessary to remove roughness4 ,should the handles show any tendency to split1 it would be well to wrap the end tightly with waxed thread4 ,the forceps 7fig4 #d7 may be purchased either of brass or steel at no great expense4 ,although not necessary it is more convenient to have them curved than straight4 ,illustration3 ,,fig4 #d4 ,if the reader will carefully follow the directions given below and endeavor to see for himself all the parts spoken of1 he will probably have very little difficulty afterward in the use of the instruments just described2 and the enjoyment he will have when he has learned how to examine little things1 will amply repay for careful and persistent efforts at the start4 ,get a ,dandelion in full bloom and also one that has gone to seed4 ,have the microscope and the other instruments ready for use4 ,the best place to work is on a table in front of a window where there is plenty of light1 but not the direct rays of the sun4 ,now cut the blossom in halves from the stem up4 ,it will be seen that the stem is hollow and ends above in a cushion-like expansion4 ,from the upper surface of this grow a number of little flowers1 while from the sides there sprang two rows of little green organs that enclose the flower cluster like a cup4 ,remove one of the flowers with the forceps and place it in a drop of water on the glass stage of the microscope4 ,examine with one and one half inch power4,a ,be careful to get just the focus4 ,you are now ready to see the general form of the flower4 ,at the base is a little body with roughened sides and slightly narrowed above 7the ovary74 ,springing from the top of the ovary are a number of fine bristles 7the pappus74 ,inside the bristles is a yellow portion1 tubular below and flat above 7the corolla74 ,projecting from the tube of the corolla is a little yellow rod 7the top of the stamens joined together72 and coming from among the stamens are two slender recurved organs 7the stigmas74 ,now take a mounted needle in each hand and holding one needle on the flat part of the corolla split open the tubular part with the other4 ,by keeping the lower part spread open with the needles1 you will see that a number of delicate yellow threads grow from the sides of the corolla and are connected with the yellow stamen rod4 ,these threads are another part of the stamens4 ,in the middle of the flower is a single thread-like organ 7the style7 which comes from the top of the ovary and passing through the stamens projects beyond them1 divided into two stigmas4 ,most of my readers have probably studied enough botany to know the names of the different parts of a flower1 but very likely many of them do not recognize the parts of the ,dandelion flower as looking anything like the parts of the flower with which they are familiar4 ,before proceeding further1 therefore let us take a ,morning-,glory flower--which you all know and can easily obtain1 or at least some flower like it--and let us see that the parts of the two correspond4 ,commencing in the centre we find in both a pistil1 consisting of an ovary at the base and a stigma at the top and a style between4 ,in the ,dandelion the stigma is split in halves1 while in the morning-glory it is not split but has three little knobs4 ,around the pistil come the stamens in each case4 ,each stamen is composed of two parts3 a slender stem 7the filament7 and a little sac at the end 7the anther7 which is filled with pollen dust4 ,in both cases the filaments grow out of the sides of the corolla4 ,but while in the ,morning-,glory the anthers are entirely free from one another1 in the ,dandelion they are joined together by their sides and form a tube around the style4 ,the corolla in both cases is all of one piece1 but in the ,dandelion it is as if the upper part of the corolla were split open one side and then made flat4 ,instead of a green calyx as in the ,morning-,glory1 the ,dandelion has a number of delicate white bristles4 ,and1 finally1 in the ,morning-,glory both the calyx and corolla grow out from below the ovary1 while in the ,dandelion its calyx of bristles and its corolla issue from above the ovary4 ,so after all1 you will see that corresponding organs are in both1 and the difference between the two flowers is not so great as one might think at first4 ,let the different parts of the ,dandelion be examined now more minutely4 ,first take some of the bristles and examine them with one quarter inch power4 ,they are not perfectly smooth1 but are more or less saw-like on the edge4 ,with the same power look at other parts of the flower2 notice the hairiness of the stigmas1 the pollen grains coming out of the anthers 7some grains may be found on the stigmas7 also the roughness of the ovary and the delicate ribs or veins in the corolla4 ,examine one of the seed-like fruits with one and one half inch power4 ,it is a ripened ovary4 ,compare the fruit with the ovary of a flower4 ,the nutlet has become hard1 rougher and more strongly ribbed4 ,the narrowed upper part of the ovary has become much elongated and the pappus is spread out like an inverted umbrella4 ,examine some bristles with one quarter inch power4 ,they show the saw-like edges much more developed than in the younger bristles of the flower4 ,we see throughout a beautiful adaptation of every part for fitting the little parachute to be carried long distances by the wind and finally to catch on some suitable place in which to sprout4 ,,xiv4--,,how ,,to ,,see ,a ,,bumble ,,bee4 ,you will first need to catch your ,bumble ,bee4 ,a little chloroform poured on one will kill it instantly4 ,make a general examination at the outset of the insect4 ,the outside of the body is horny and covered thickly with hairs4 ,on the upper side the hairs are much more numerous than on the under side4 ,the whole body is divided into three regions3 the head1 bearing the feelers and mouth-parts2 a middle part 7thorax7 bearing the four wings and six legs2 and a hind part 7abdomen7 armed with the sting4 ,remove the head and examine with one and one half inch power4 ,at the sides are two prominent oval bodies 7compound eyes7 which seem to be crossed by five lines2 near the top of the head1 between the compound eyes1 are three little shiny bead-like organs 7simple eyes72 starting from about the middle of the face are the two feelers 7antennae7 and at the lower part of the head are the mouth-parts4 ,the sides1 top and front of the head are all covered with hair4 ,examine one of the compound eyes with one fourth inch power4 ,the surface is made up of innumerable little facets1 something like a cut diamond4 ,cut off a piece of one of the compound eyes1 remove some of the black pigment on the back and examine the piece in a drop of water4 ,each facet is a tiny hexagon4 ,some care is necessary to see them well4 ,remove an antenna and examine it with three fourths inch power4 ,it is thickly covered with minute hairs which give it a velvety appearance4 ,count the joints4 ,at the base is the longest joint2 at the lower end of which is a little knob that fits into a socket in the head4 ,the next joint is quite small while those beyond are much alike4 ,scrape the hairs from the face and examine the horny shell with three fourths inch power4 ,the surface is full of little pits4 ,in the upper part of the face there is a groove1 in the middle of which is one of the simple eyes4 ,just below the antennae sockets is a groove which extends crosswise a short distance on either side and then bends downwards to the mouth4 ,the portion of the face bounded by this groove is called the clypeus4 ,at its lower part is hinged a little oblong piece 7labium7 which may be moved up and down with a needle4 ,melt a piece of sealing wax on the centre of a slip of glass 7taking care not to break the glass by too sudden heating7 and before the wax hardens press the head into it face downwards4 ,examine with one inch power4 ,the hole near the top of the head shows the position of the neck4 ,the portion of the head around this hole is destitute of hairs and is hollowed in1 to make room for the rounded front part of the thorax4 ,below this one there is another cavity which contains a portion of the mouth parts when they are retracted4 ,at each side of the mouth in front of the base of the sucking organs1 are the two jaws 7mandibles7 each with a little tuft of hair on the outer side4 ,the jaws move freely to and from each other1 sideways instead of up and down as do the jaws of the higher animals4 ,the sucking apparatus consists of five pieces viz3 two outermost pieces each tapering to a fine point1 two1 each of which ends in three little joints and one in the centre which projects beyond the others4 ,it may be necessary to spread these out with the needle1 to see them well4 ,separate the thorax from the rest of the body4 ,scrape off the hairs on the back4 ,two principal grooves extend across the back1 one near the front and one near the hind margin4 ,the thorax is composed of three divisions and these grooves show where they are joined together4 ,the hind division bears the hind wings and the hind pair of legs2 the middle division1 much the largest division of the three1 bears the fore wings and the middle pair of legs2 and the foremost division is quite small and bears only the front pair of legs4 ,remove the wings of one side and examine in a drop of water with one and one half inch power4 ,the wings consist of a shining transparent membrane strengthened by numerous horny veins running through it4 ,examine with one half inch power4 ,the membrane is seen to be covered with minute hairs and little dots4 ,on the front edge of the hind wing a short distance from the outer end is a row of hooks4 ,at a corresponding place on the hind edge of the fore wing there is a thickening or ridge4 ,when flying1 the hooks catch onto the ridge and thus the wings are held together and act as one large wing4 ,examine this grappling apparatus with one fourth inch power and with the needles hook the wings together and pull them apart4 ,if you look through the magnifier while you do this you will get a good idea of the form of the ridge and of how the hooks catch onto it4 ,remove one of the forelegs1 being sure that none remains attached to the body4 ,examine with one and one half inch power4 ,the extremity is armed with two claws2 then come four short joints followed by one about as long as the others together4 ,all these make up the foot4 ,the next joint above is the shank1 then comes the thigh and then quite a small joint1 the lower hip1 and lastly attached to the body is the upper hip4 ,remove the last five joints of the foot 7the claw part1 and the other four joints7 examine with one third inch power4 ,the claws have each a branch projecting from the inner edge4 ,between the claws is a little velvety pad4 ,each of the small joints is covered with short closely appressed hairs and from the lower end of each joint project several spines4 ,now examine the remaining long joint of the foot attached to the shank4 ,at the upper end of the inner side is a deep semicircular notch1 the upper portion of which is light colored4 ,beside the notch is a peculiarly shaped movable spine which projects from the lower end of the shank4 ,this queer arrangement is what the bee uses to clean his feelers4 ,the reader has probably seen the operation performed by a bee or a wasp4 ,the leg is thrown over the feeler1 the latter is grasped at that particular bend of the leg where the cleansing apparatus is situated and then drawn through from base to tip2 and this is repeated several times with each feeler4 ,examine with one and one half inch power a leg from each of the other pairs and compare the corresponding parts4 ,they differ chiefly in size and in the absence of the cleansing apparatus4 ,you cannot fail to admire the many beautiful forms of the different portions4 ,on the outer side of the hind shank is a smooth flattish surface destitute of hairs1 excepting a fringe of long ones at the margin4 ,at this place may sometimes be found a sticky mass of pollen intended for bee-bread4 ,examine the abdomen with one and one half inch power4 ,it is composed of several wings4 ,if some of the hairs are scraped off this will be shown more clearly4 ,from the hind extremity projects the sting4 ,we have far from exhausted all the beautiful and interesting points in the make-up of a ,bumble ,bee1 not even those that may be seen with the limited powers of a simple microscope2 but probably enough has been said to show the reader that such things are well worthy of study and it is hoped that enough directions have been given to render future use of the instruments comparatively free from difficulty4 ,,xv4--,,some ,,little ,,things ,,to ,,see4 ,there is no end to the beautiful and wonderful things one can see with the simple microscope4 ,only a few of the more attractive and easily obtained of these are now to be mentioned4 ,to begin with1 there are ever so many pretty flowers to look at4 ,the asterworts1 that is1 such flowers as the daisy1 aster1 golden rod1 dandelion and thistle1 are particularly full of beauty4 ,the blossoms are all made up of a number of little flowers as in the dandelion2 but the shapes and colors and so forth1 of the different kinds are exceedingly various4 ,some1 such as the asters and daisies1 have two kinds of flowers in the same blossom--flowers with strap-shaped corollas 7like the dandelion's7 are arranged along the margin of the blossom1 while in the centre are little flowers with star-shaped corollas presenting a much different appearance4 ,flowers of many of the ,parsley ,family1 for example wild carrot1 wild parsnip and caraway1 are quite odd4 ,very pretty flowers are found among the grasses1 sedges and common weeds4 ,the different trees as they bloom in spring--the maples1 elms1 willows1 poplars1 sassafras and hosts of others--all have flowers that are perfectly lovely4 ,most of these flowers need to be picked to pieces under the magnifier to show up their full beauty4 ,the parts of flowers1 both small and large ones1 deserve attention4 ,frequently one meets with remarkable forms4 ,seeds are highly interesting4 ,they are often handsomely marked with series of pits or projections1 grooves or ridges4 ,one meets with many curious appendages by means of which the seeds are carried off and sown at a distance from the plant4 ,some1 like the dandelion1 have a parachute attachment2 others have wings to catch the wind1 and others still are covered with hooked spines whereby they become attached to the fur of animals1 there to remain until brushed off onto the ground4 ,leaves and stems sometimes have on them beautiful hairs and oil-glands4 ,the wooly covering of common mullein1 for example1 is made up of innumerable slender-branched hairs4 ,these show best when a piece of the leaf broken off is looked at edgewise4 ,if you examine the fruit-dots on the backs of the different kinds of ferns you will be surprised to find how pretty they are and of how many different shapes4 ,sometimes the fruit is not borne on the back of the leaf but forms little clusters by themselves1 which are sometimes at the end of the fern1 sometimes in the middle1 sometimes on a separate stalk4 ,mosses1 lichens and sea-weeds are well worth looking at4 ,early in the summer an exquisite little fungus called ,cluster cups may be found on the underside of barberry leaves4 ,hawthorn and other plants have handsome fungi on them later in the season4 ,by observing closely while out in the fields or woods1 one sees hovering about in swarms1 myriads of tiny insects4 ,under the lens some of them are very odd1 others very beautiful4 ,the easiest way to catch these little midgets1 is to wet the palm of the hand and then sweep it among them1 or in the same way use a piece of sticky paper4 ,the study of the different parts of insects is one of the most fascinating of the many uses of the ,simple microscope4 ,although all insects are made up on the same general plan and corresponding organs occur in most of them1 there is an endless variety in the forms under which we see the different organs and the uses to which they are put4 ,take for example the antennae4 ,in the grasshopper it is long and threadlike2 in the butterflies always ending in a knob2 in moths always tapering to a point1 although sometimes threadlike and sometimes much branched1 forming a beautiful plume2 in the beetles1 sometimes fan-like1 sometimes like a comb2 and in other insects assuming still other forms4 ,insects' eyes are often colored beautifully4 ,a horse-fly's eyes are striped4 ,butterflies' eyes have usually a soft liquid coloring1 and moths' eyes in the dark shine like little fiery beads4 ,the mouths of insects1 such as beetles1 grasshoppers and dragon flies1 have strong jaws for biting2 flies1 bugs1 moths and butterflies1 have the mouth-parts transformed into sucking organs1 while bees1 wasps and the like have both sucking organs for honey1 and biting organs for leaf-cutting1 wood-tearing etc4 as we saw was the case in the ,bumble ,bee4 ,butterflies' wings and moths' wings are covered with little scales of a variety of shapes4 ,these should be examined attached to the wing to show their arrangement which is like that of shingles on a roof2 but to show their form they should be looked at when brushed from the wing onto a piece of glass4 ,many other peculiarities may be noticed in the wings of other kinds of insects4 ,legs1 the same as the other organs1 have various forms1 markings and appendages1 and so it is with the abdomen and its stings or its egg-laying apparatus4 ,the hairs of ,wooly ,bears and caterpillars of that kind are peculiarly branched4 ,the four hind pairs of feet in caterpillars are armed each with a row of little hooks which are used in walking to get a firm hold4 ,the larger caterpillars show the hooks best4 ,sometimes you will find pretty insect eggs on the underside of leaves or on stems1 and also little silken cocoons in similar places4 ,if you are near a pond-hole1 or an old hogshead that collects rain water1 you can find a good many little animals1 some of them very frisky--young mosquitoes or polywogs1 water-fleas1 cyclops1 little worms1 young dragon-flies and lots of others4 ,when you go to collect them take a small wide-mouth bottle and1 having found a place where there is what you want1 lower your bottle1 mouth down1 in the midst of them and when it is well under water turn the mouth upwards4 ,a good many of the animals will run in with the water4 ,if the first time you do not get what you want1 the second time you may4 ,when you want to examine them at home you can fish them out with a glass tube and put them in a watch crystal or on the glass stage of the microscope4 ,in using the tube take it between the thumb and middle and third fingers1 and close the top with your first finger2 then put the lower end of the tube in the water close to the thing you want to catch2 now lift your first finger quickly and the water will run in the lower end of the tube carrying with it your little squirmer1 unless he has been too quick for you4 ,close the top of your tube again and the water will not run out when you remove the tube1 until you lift your finger4 ,sometimes it takes a good deal of patience and skill to catch the more agile of the little water animals4 ,glass tubes are sold in drug stores for five or ten cents4 ,if you begin by examining the objects already spoken of1 you will while looking for these be continually discovering for yourselves new objects possessing new beauties and will soon see that not half the interesting things you can find have been ever hinted at4 ,the way to find out about all these things is to go out into the fields and woods1 and form the habit of observing closely what is around you4 ,carry your magnifier along and look at this flower1 that fern1 this insect1 that moss1 with different powers of the magnifier2 and when you come across any objects worthy of a more careful examination carry them home and examine them systematically with ,simple microscope1 needles1 knife1 and so forth4 ,insects may be kept well in alcohol until winter1 and then careful studies may be made of them4 ,when using the magnifier in the field1 hold it in such a way that the smallest lens will be nearest the object when the lenses are combined and be careful not to shade the object with the hand or the hat brim4 ,just enough light should fall on the object to make its examination comfortable for the eyes4 ,if you rest the hand holding the magnifier on the hand that holds the object1 both lens and object can be held much steadier4 ,when commencing to examine an object it is best to have the three lenses spread apart1 for in this way you can use first the lowest power then those higher and finally1 if you wish to1 the three lenses combined4 ,the dissecting forceps are very handy to have in the field1 both for picking up anything too small for the fingers and for holding an object to be examined4 ,a collection of some of these little things preserved and ready for examination adds greatly to the pleasures of studying them4 ,of course all the different kinds of objects cannot be preserved so as to show their full beauty1 but many can be and the following directions will tell how to make a very good collection3 ,seeds1 fern-fruit1 insects and other opaque objects like these may be mounted on pasteboard slides4 ,one of these slides consists simply of a stout piece of pasteboard1 having a hole cut in the centre and a piece of thick paper or cardboard glued on the under side4 ,the object is attached to the cardboard at the bottom of the hole4 ,it is best to make a number of these slides at a time4 ,having procured some quite thick pasteboard1 from old paper boxes1 rule lines on the surface dividing it up into spaces three inches long by one inch wide4 ,in the centre of each space cut out a hole about half an inch in diameter4 ,a sharp knife will make a neat square hole or a good round one may be made with a gun-wad punch4 ,this done1 the spaces may be cut apart with a sharp knife and ruler1 along the lines already drawn4 ,pieces of cardboard for the backs should be cut a trifle larger than the pasteboard portion of the slide2 after they are glued onto the latter they may be trimmed down neatly with a pair of scissors4 ,glue or mucilage containing glycerine 7in the proportion of one or two teaspoonfuls to an ordinary bottle of mucilage7 is the best thing to use for sticking on the backs4 ,while the slides are drying they should be either under a weight or in a clamp screwed up tightly1 so as to prevent their twisting out of shape4 ,the mucilage may be prevented from being squeezed in round the edges of the hole1 by taking care when putting it on not to have it come too near the hole4 ,one or two coats of ,india ,ink may be painted on the middle of some of the pieces of cardboard1 either before or after they are put onto the slides2 and thus a black background may be obtained for the lighter-colored opaque objects4 ,many of the objects will however show best on a white background4 ,when you have the slides all made1 nothing more is needed to mount an object1 than simply to attach it to the bottom of the hole with a little mucilage and glycerine1 or something of that sort1 and finally to write the name of the object on the front part of the slide1 and on the back any desirable notes4 ,a good way to mount such objects as fine seeds is to put them in the hole loosely and then cover them with a piece of mica such as will be spoken of presently4 ,objects which are to be examined by the light shining through them1 for example a bee's wing or a butterfly's scales1 must be mounted on glass slides4 ,a glass slide three inches by one is taken1 on the centre is placed the object2 over this is laid a thin piece of clear mica three fourths of an inch square1 and this is attached to the glass by pasting narrow strips of tissue paper around the edges of the cover1 partly on the cover and partly on the slide4 ,finally the slide is covered with some pretty colored paper and labeled4 ,two pieces of paper are needed to cover each slide4 ,one for the under part is cut about one and one half by three and one half inches1 with a hole in the centre 7round or square74 ,this piece is first pasted on1 the corners being cut and the edges brought over onto the front4 ,the upper piece1 which has a hole in the centre similar to that in the lower piece1 and is cut a trifle larger than the three by one inch slide1 is next pasted on so that the hole will correspond with the one below4 ,the upper piece of paper is now trimmed down to the slide and the label attached4 ,window glass will answer for the slides and you can get any glazier to cut up a piece for you into the right-sized slips4 ,mica can be bought at a stove store1 in sheets which may be cut up into three fourths of an inch squares with a pair of scissors4 ,the mica should be as clear as you can get it4 ,you will find it handy to have some tissue paper all mucilaged like postage stamps and cut up in strips the right size ready to use4 ,the same may be said of the colored paper covers and the labels4 ,the dust may be excluded from the uncovered opaque objects by keeping the mounted slides in small groups1 held together by elastic bands4 ,this will also serve to classify them so that all the insects will be together1 all the seeds1 and so on2 and the transparent slides may also be treated in the same way4 ,when an elastic band wears out1 it is no great trouble to replace it4 ,in working with the ,simple microscope there is a fine chance to display ingenuity1 not only in making the instruments and mounting the objects but in discovering new things to look at and in seeing how much can be found out about those things which are the most common4 ,,footnotes3 ,a ,in these directions #a-a_/b in4 power means a lens having a focus of #a-a_/b inches2 #a_/b in4 power means a lens or combination of lenses having a focus of #a_/b inch2 and so on4 ,all the different powers mentioned in the directions may be obtained in the small-sized #c-lens1 bellows form magnifier1 either by using the lenses singly or combined in different ways4 ,the magnifying power of any single lens or simple combination is easily found by dividing #aj1 by the focus in inches4 ,thus the magnifying power of a #a_/b in4 lens is found in this way3 #aj_/a_/b #ajx#b_/a #bj4 ,the lens magnifies therefore #bj diameters i4 e4 makes an object appear twenty times as long and twenty times as broad as it is4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,text in italics is surrounded with underscores3 italics4 ,inconsistencies in hyphenation have been retained from the original4 ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected as follows3 ,page #h3 hundreth changed to hundredth ,page #aa3 iustrument changed to instrument ,page #ae3 diferent changed to different ,page #ag3 he changed to the ,page #bj3 wil changed to will ,page #dd3 or changed to of ,page #gb3 staightened changed to straightened ,page #hf3 ,,diffrent changed to ,,different ,page #abe3 fouths changed to fourths