This document presents the Cougar approach to in-network query processing in sensor networks. It introduces the concept of a database abstraction layer that allows users to interact with sensor networks using declarative queries. This abstraction layer optimizes queries for efficient in-network processing to reduce energy consumption. The presentation outlines key components of the architecture like the query proxy layer and query optimizer. It also discusses several open research problems in building such a system, including aggregation, query languages, optimization, catalog management, and multi-query optimization.