urest
fields of her action, will not murmur that this source of danger to
younger microscopists has been pointed out, or recalled to them.

And now I bid you, as your president, farewell. It has been all
pleasure to me to serve you. It has enlarged my friendships and my
interests, and although my work has linked me with the society for
many years, I have derived much profit from this more organic union
with it; and it is a source of encouragement to me, and will, I am
sure, be to you, that, after having done with simple pleasure what I
could, I am to be succeeded in this place of honor by so distinguished
a student of the phenomena of minute life as Dr. Hudson. I can but
wish him as happy a tenure of office as mine has been.

* * * * *

INQUIRIES REGARDING THE INCUBATOR.

P.H. JACOBS.

Space in the _Rural_ is valuable, and so important a subject as
artificial incubation cannot perhaps be made entirely plain to a
novice in a few articles; but as interested parties have written for
additional information, it may interest others to answer them here.
Among the questions asked are: "Does the incubator described in the
_Rural_ dispense entirely with the use of a lamp, using at intervals a
bucket of water to maintain proper temperature? I fear this will not
be satisfactory unless the incubator is kept in a warm room or
cellar."

All incubators must be kept in a warm location, whether operated by a
lamp or otherwise. The warmer the room or cellar, the less warmth
required to be supplied. Bear in mind that the incubator recommended
has four inches of sawdust surrounding it, and more sawdust would
still be an advantage. The sawdust is not used to protect against the
outside temperature, but to absorb and hold a large amount of heat,
and that is the secret of its success. The directions given were to
first fill the tank with boiling water and allow it to remain for 24
hours. In the meantime the sawdust absorbs the heat, and more boiling
water is then added until the egg-drawer is about 110 or 115 degrees.
By this time there is a quantity of stored heat in the sawdust. The
eggs will cool the drawer to 103. The loss of heat (due to its being
held by the sawdust) will be very slow. All that is needed then is to
supply that which will be lost in 12 hours, and a bucket of boiling
water should keep the heat about correct, if added twice a day, but it
may require more, as some consideration