ii54 The Ottawa Naturalist. 



prone to get into a hurried way of making notes, under the idea that 

 they are for his own use only, and that he will readily recollect any 

 facts omitted at the time. This is a great mistake. Notes are not 

 often required immediately, because every circumstance connected 

 with the subject is fresh in the memory. But it sometimes happens 

 thai weeks, months or years after, in pursuing some branch of study, 

 the exact facts then observed are required ; and I know nothing; more 

 disappointing than, on turning to one's note-book, to find.thal at the 

 time, trusting to memory, some of the details had been omitted. 



In collecting, when a number of plants of a desired species are 

 discovered, the first thing is to make a judicious selection. To be 

 really valuable the specimens in a collection should be as perfect and 

 characteristic as possible, so that anyone referring to it can 

 learn full particulars about each species. A perfect specimen com- 

 prises all that is necessary for complete botanical investigation ; leaves 

 (both mature and immature, cauline and radical) flowers and fruit. 

 Specimens can often be secured showing both flowers and fruit on 

 the same plant, or fruit may be found on more advanced plants at the 

 same time. If not in fruit, it must be collected in this condition later 

 in the season. The same rule applies to the obtaining of specimens 

 with different leaves, or leaves in different stages, and it may require 

 several seasons to make a complete specimen. The plant should be so 

 arranged as to be no larger when dried than can be readily mounted on 

 the herbarium paper. 



')f small herbs, the whole plant, root and all, should be taken, but 

 in any case enough of the root shoukl be collected to show whether the 

 plant is annual, biennial or perennial. Large plants may be doubled 

 into a V or N shape, and thick stems, roots or bulbs can be thinned 

 down. In the case of very delicate plants, as many ferns, thin 

 sheets of paper should be pla.el on both sides of the specimen, 

 in which sheets it remains until perfectly dry. By this means the 

 delicate leaves are prevented from doubling up in changing the driers. 



