326 Transactions. — Botany. 



The herbarium of Wellington College was formed in 1874-75 : 

 the specimens were mounted on sheets of white paper, but 

 were not poisoned, and, although but little used of late years, 

 the collection is scarcely touched by insects, having been kept 

 in an excellent air-tight cabinet. 



The most troublesome insects in the colony are Anobium 

 paniceum, L., which has become almost cosmopolitan ; two 

 small moths; and one or two Acari. Another small beetle, 

 apparently a species of Ptimis, is only occasiotially met 

 with. Camphor freely distributed through the herbarium 

 tends to deter insects, but is not an infallible preventive. 

 Biological specimens attacked by insects of any kind may 

 be thoroughly cleaned by exposure to the vapour of carbon- 

 dioxide, which destroys even the eggs ; but this remedy is a 

 dangerous one, and can only be applied under proper pre- 

 cautions, while its effects are transitory. The best poison for 

 plant-specimens is common methylated spirit charged to a 

 little below the point of saturation with corrosive sublimate : 

 if fully saturated, an efflorescence will be left on such speci- 

 mens as Aciphylla, Ligusticum, Gentiana, &c, which absorb 

 it freely.* Large Compositse, Eanunculaceae, Umbelliferae, 

 Cruciferse, Leguminosse, Liliaceae, &c, are specially attractive 

 to insects. Myrtaceae, Pittosporese, arborescent Saxifrages, 

 Myoporineae, Glumiferse, and Filicales are rarely attacked. 

 The poison should be applied with a soft brush, such as is 

 used by house-painters : brushes with metal attachments 

 should be avoided : thick specimens may be dipped in the 

 solution. Where numerous specimens have to be treated, 

 guttapercha or vulcanite trays, or photographic dipping-dishes, 

 will be found useful. 



Specimens are occasionally fastened to the herbarium- 

 sheets by sewing, a process not to be recommended. Strips of 

 adhesive paper may be employed with advantage, or they may 

 be attached by washing the undersurface with a solution of 

 gum-arabic and tragacanth or with weak glue : common paste 

 should be avoided. In no case should more than a single 

 species be placed on the sheet, although the specimens may be 

 numerous. The name of the plant should be written at the 

 lower right-hand corner of the sheet, together with the locality 

 in which it was collected, the date of collection, and the 

 collector's name. If specimens from more than one locality 

 are placed on the sheet the name of each locality should be 

 stated under the proper specimen. A neat form of ticket may 

 be adopted if thought desirable. 



The different sheets of the same genus should be placed 



* The mixture used at the Kew Herbarium is composed of corrosive 

 sublimate, loz. ; carbolic acid, loz. ; methylated spirit, lqt. 



