MOUNTING SPECIMENS FOR EXHIBITION. 53 



mount on wooden tablets. These wooden tablets, which are 

 very generally adopted in museums for specimens of all kinds, 

 should be made of whitewood. The grain of pine shows too 

 plainly while basswood warps badly. It is best to have them 

 made with a depression in which to mount the specimen and 

 an elevated portion on which to affix the label. The form is 

 shown in section in fig. 20. These can be made in long 



FIG. 20. 



strips at any planing mill and then sawed up in lengths to 

 suit. The sizes should be so adjusted that two of the smallest 

 will equal the next in size and so on. They then readily fit 

 together and fill up a case without any bad gaps. The 

 smallest should be one inch wide by two long, the next in 

 size two inches square, then t\vo by four, etc. 



These tablets are usually painted dead black. A cheap 

 way of accomplishing this is with lampblack mixed with 

 spirits of turpentine and a very little oil. This, however, is 

 apt to rub off slightly and soil the hands and cases. A more 

 expensive paint, which produces the best results, is the ivory 

 black used by carriage makers. This should be mixed with 

 a little shellac varnish and applied with a brush. Sometimes 



