76 



HARDWICKE'S S CI ENCE- GOSSIP. 



between tlie runners. For example : if the run- 

 ners are f of an inch off each other, then let the 

 drawers be Vr, 21, 3, 3], 4^, &c., inches deep. All 

 these drawers will be perfectlj' interchangeable, and 

 a drawer deep enough to hold an ostrich's egg can 

 in a few moments be placed amongst those con- 

 taining warblers'; every requirement of expansion 

 and rearrangement will be vastlj' facilitated, involv- 

 ing none of those radical changes so worrying to a 



rig. 51. Section of Sliding stage. 



collector.* Mr. Salvin's plan of arranging the 

 eggs is equally simple, and admits of any amount of 

 change with very little trouble. Each drawer is 

 divided longitudinally by thin slips of wood into 

 three or more parts, about 4 to 6 inches across, as 

 may be convenient ; a number of sliding stages are 

 then constructed of card-board, by cutting the 



Fig. 55. Cabinet Drawer on Mr. Salvin's plan 



card-board half through, at exactly the width of 

 the partition, and bending the sides down to raise 

 the stage to the required heiglit. A section of one 

 of these stages will be seen in fig. 51, and the 

 arrangement in the drawer at fig. 55. A number of 

 oval holes are then to be cut by hand, or with a 

 wadding-punch of suitable size (altered in shape by 



* Of course, cabinets thus constructed will be found 

 equally convenient for collections of bird-skins, fossils, &c. 



hammering), and a thin layer of cotton-wool gum- 

 med on the upper surface of the stage : the holes, 

 of course, should be suitable in size to the egg they 

 are intended to receive. Between these stages 

 sliding partitions must be placed : these should be 

 made of just sufficient height that the horizontal 

 part may fit closely on the wool, as shown at 

 fig. 5i. These partitions should be made of thin 

 wood for the upright part, along which a hori- 

 zontal strip of card-board is to be 

 fastened with glue, on which is to be 

 placed a label bearing the name of 

 tlie species of egg displayed on the 

 stage, as seen in fig. 55. All this will 

 be better understood by referiing to 

 the figures. 



Eig. 54' represents a longitudinal 

 section of one of the stages in its 

 place, with the ends of the two next ; 

 showing the card-board stage, the cottoii-wro\ the 

 sliding 'partition, and the horizontal slip of card- 

 board to carry the label. 



Fig. 55 represents one of the drawers on Mr. 



Salvin's plan ; it is divided into three parts (1, 2, 3) 



by fixed partitions. No. 1 is represented empty; 



No. 2 with the specimens arranged ; No. 3, with 



two stages and two of the 



movable partitions. 



This may appear very com- 

 plicated at first sight, but a 

 few trials will be sufficient to 

 master the details, and the 

 result will be very beautiful if 

 neatly carried out. The eggs 

 are well shown, not liable to 

 fall out of their places, and it is 

 very little trouble to alter the 

 arrangement, every part being 

 movable. Each drawer should 

 be covered by a sheet of glass 

 to exclude dust. 



Mr. Salvin's cabinet is an 

 excellent one for holding the 

 nests of birds, which sliould be 

 removed with as little damage 

 as possible, and placed in the 

 drawers, under cover of glass- 

 Great care must be taken to 

 keep them free from moth, to 

 whicli they are very liable ; for this purpose they 

 should be dressed witii the solution of corrosive 

 sublimate. 



The young collector should remember that what 

 is worth doing at all is worth doing well, and that 

 the care bestowed upon his cabinet is not labour in 

 vain ; habits of exactness, and precision of arrange- 

 ment, are absolutely necessary if he would make the 

 best use of the materials which come in his way ; 



