On preserving Marine productions. 99 



employ any means but those which ought to suggest them- 

 selves to every person who collects specimens in their living 

 state : but if this should meet the eye of any collector going 

 abroad, it may be instrumental in preventing his sending home 

 specimens preserved in the very careless manner which is u- 

 sually adopted ; and of which, the rare and interesting speci- 

 mens at present seen in the British Museum, and other pub- 

 lic collections, shew the most lamentable proofs. I feel quite 

 convinced, and I say it with much sorrow, that most of the 

 specimens of Echinodermata — particularly the larger Asterice, 

 contained in those collections, are in a state of decomposition; 

 they are quite pliant, and will not bear to be handled for the 

 purpose of examination ; many of them are covered with mil- 

 dew, and their spines are continually falling off: — this is owing 

 to the quantity of animal matter contained in them, which is 

 saturated with salt ; — a state ill adapted to withstand the ef- 

 fects of a damp atmosphere. 



I conceive that the great object to be kept in view in pre- 

 serving these specimens, is to get rid of all the animal matter, 

 for, when dried, it doesuiot convey the slightest idea of its 

 form while living, and it prevents the beautiful structure of 

 the shell of the animal being seen, — and to free the specimen 

 from every particle of salt. This is a work requiring a great 

 sacrifice of time, and it is a tedious and dirty job ; but it is 

 indispensable in order to procure a fine specimen, and one 

 that will keep : — (the specimen which accompanies this pa- 

 per should be carefully examined.) Specimens preserved in 

 the manner which I shall describe presently, do not lose their 

 firmness, and they look as fresh as when taken alive. I am 

 of opinion, that if many of the more valuable specimens which 

 are in the national collection, were soaked in warm water, 

 ( changed every six hours ) for two days, and then dried, if 

 even nothing more were done to them, they would last longer, 

 and look better than they do now. 



Of course if some of the animal matter were carefully re- 

 moved, (this can be done with the more solid ones, for I have 

 tried upon an old West-Indian specimen;) greater value would 

 be added in proportion as the specimen became completely 

 freed from it. The specimen might be varnished or not, when 

 dried ; I think the inner surface should have a thin coat. I 

 use a cheap and useful varnish, composed of one ounce of 

 Canada balsam, dissolved in two ounces of rectified oil of tur- 

 pentine ; and my cement for small specimens, is Canada bal- 

 sam only : both of which I find to answer extremely well. 



When I go to sea for the purpose of dredging, I take out a 

 jar filled with distilled water, and a bottle of spirit of wine. 



