1906] Nature Study No. 38. 175 



thorough understanding' of a species, it is necessary to know the 

 plant in all its parts and in all its different stages ot development. 

 Specimens should he collected illustrating all these points, and 

 should be chosen, first of all, with an idea of presenting the ave- 

 rage development and typical form of the species. Dwarfed or 

 gigantic specimens should be shown only as indicative of the range 

 of variation. There seems to be a tendency with beginners to col- 

 lect specimens with unusually large leaves or flowers, which spe- 

 cially strike them, or dwarfed or imperfect specimens, "chips," 

 which are easy to preserve and mount, but which give little in- 

 formation when referred to in a collection. Separate leaves or 

 plants without flowers or fruit should not be included, unless these 

 parts are otherwise shown. Each species should be represented, 

 if its average size will permit of this, by a specimen showing the 

 root, the stem, the leaves both from the root and on the stem, the 

 flowers and the fruit. In large plants, as in the case of coarse- 

 growing herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees, portions must be se- 

 lected illustrating the various parts. In order that the collection 

 may be of the greatest use, it is necessary to label carefully and 

 neatly every specimen, giving the name, the habitat or nature of 

 the place where found, the exact localrty, so that if necessary fur- 

 ther specimens may be collected, and the date of gathering, so 

 that the time of flowering and seeding may be known. Valuable 

 additions to a collection of plants are specimens of the seeds and 

 ot seedlings showing the seed leaves. In the matter of mounting 

 and labelling, neatness and uniformity are very essential. Speci- 

 mens should be dried quickly, so as to preserve the colour as much 

 as possible, and in a natural manner, so that the tlowers may 

 take the same positions as when the plant was growing, and so 

 that the undersides of some of the leaves may be seen. In pre- 

 serving a plant, it should be neatly arranged, when first pressed, 

 between the folds of a single sheet of thin paper, once folded. 

 This should then be placed between driers of absorbent paper, 

 which for a few days must be changed every day, and dry sheets 

 substituted, without disturbing the plant in its folder. On the 

 second day the specimens should be examined to see that all the 

 characters of the plant are shown, and, if they are not, parts may 

 be moved a little to improve the arrangement; but after that the 

 specimen should not be disturbed until it is quite dry, when it may 

 be taken out and mounted permanently on paper thick enough to 

 allow of examination without breaking the specimen. Each plant 

 should have a separate sheet to itself, and all the mounting paper 

 in a collection should be of the same size and labelled in the same 



