118 AUSTRALIAN LAXD PLAXARIANS 



As the planarians remain rather limp and stick}', and conse- 

 quently difficult to handle, and to prevent from adhering to one 

 another, it is perhaps best to lower them vertically into the empty 

 dry tube or bottle, and to press them gently against the side. 

 They will then adhere, and when all are in the preserving medium 

 may be poured in. Alcohol and kerosene do not mix, and though 

 with small specimens the kerosene appears able to displace the 

 spirit, this is not the case with large bulky planarians. When 

 such are being dealt with — and indeed in all cases — it is well to 

 submit them to a preliminary soaking in chloroform after taking 

 out of the spirit used for hardening. Chloroform ismiscible with 

 both spirit and kerosene, and so effects the thorough displacement 

 of the foi'mer by the latter. An objection to kerosene is its 

 general messiness and tendency to soak out through the cork. 

 This latter propensity can be overcome by making use of good 

 corks and varnishing them all over with strong shellac in spirit, 

 allowing to dry thoroughly before using. 



I have further made a few trials with kerosene for preserving 

 such objects as the common green Cicada, Phasmids, etc., which 

 in spirit become of an ugly red colour, and I find it, when 

 properly used, to answer very well, causing them to retain their 

 natural green colour. The specimens which I exhibit have been 

 preserved for about five months. 



Insects, spiders, &c., which it is desired to preserve in kerosene 

 should have the body slit open and soaked in strong spirit in 

 order to displace the water from the tissues, which would other- 

 wise decay ; they are then transferred to chloroform, in which 

 they may be left indefinitely, being finally transferred to kerosene. 



In one of his recent Annual Reports, Mr. A. Haly, Curator of the 

 Colombo Museum, gives an account of some trials of carbolised oil for 

 preserving in their natural shape and colour various vertebrates, 

 such as fish, frogs, snakes, lizards, &c., and also crustaceans and 

 spiders. 



I have made a few trials with this medium, and find that it 

 preserves the colours of land planarians excellently, the extremely 



