102 Transactions. — Zoology. 



centrated formaline is to be placed in the cavity, a similar 

 one filling the throat. In a few days the specimen will be 

 mummified, and may be kept. In larger specimens — e.g., 

 pheasants — where the aorta is easily to be found, it is 

 advisable to inject a quantity of concentrated formaline into 

 the arteries before filling the abdomen with soaked cotton. 

 This is to make sure of the preservation of the legs, arms, and 

 head. 



Large fish should be skinned or preserved in spirits after 

 opening the abdomen, formaline being useful only for the 

 smaller fish. The advantage of formaline lies in the pre- 

 servation of the shape of the body and of the superficial 

 slime covering the scales. Part of the colours, however, will 

 fade away after a short time, as in spirits; the yellow, blue, 

 pink, and violet adipochromes being soluble in formaline as 

 well as in spirits. 



The method for smaller fish is used, too, for Batrachia. The 

 skin (epithelium) of both resists the penetration of formaline 

 as strongly as that of a mammal or bird. The simple immer- 

 sion of a fish in formaline will, of course, preserve the outside 

 well, but the interior will, after some time, fall to pieces. To 

 avoid this the specimens have to be injected. The solution 

 used is 10 per cent, in fresh water ; sea- water must be used 

 for sea-fish. In each case the addition of 1 per cent, of kitchen 

 salt will secure the specimen from looking swollen by the action 

 of the formaline on the connective tissue. The said solution 

 should be injected from the anus into the gut, from where it 

 will slowly diffuse into the tissues of the body. In larger fish 

 (Sin. and more), especially if they are of any depth — the dis- 

 tance from the abdominal cavity to the back tin exceeding 1 in. 

 — after injecting the intestines a pointed cannula (hypodermic) 

 is to be used in injecting the 10-per-cent. solution through the 

 skin of the back into the muscles in several places. The same 

 effect will be obtained by injecting the solution from the 

 art. coeliaca. After the injection the specimens of Batrachia 

 and fishes are to be kept in a 1-2-per-cent. solution of formalme, 

 with about |— 1 per cent, of kitchen salt. Small fish (1-2 in.) 

 may be preserved without injection. 



EVERTEBRATES. 



In evertebrates it is to be borne in mind that formaline is 

 apt to destr-oy the small calcareous corpuscula contained in 

 the skin of various animals — e.g., Synapta. Those, of course, 

 are to be killed in the usual way — sea-water, with ether 

 sulf. — and preserved in spirits. Spirits should be used for 

 Crustacea and echinoderms, if they are not dried all together. 



In insects it is often desirable to preserve gallas, webs, 

 cocoons, &c., containing eggs or small larvae, together with 



