OP NATURAL HISTORY. 155 



the stem be straight or tortuous, and the parts placed so as to 

 be as httle confused as possible. Where leaves or flowers are 

 very crowded, or where a number of stems arise from one 

 point and interfere, some may be removed, so as to preserve 

 and exhibit the remainder more perfectly. In very large 

 and succulent stems it is sometimes necessary to pare off the 

 under half, or split them in two and press the halves sepa- 

 rately, with their attached leaves, &c. Some flowers also 

 as the thistle are hard and unyielding and require to be 

 divided, and the parts pressed separately. To destroy the 

 vegetating principle of some plants, which resists even the 

 action of a powerful press, and to dry them more quickly they 

 may be dipped into boiling water and wiped before being 

 placed in the papers. 



MINERALS, PETRIFACTIONS, &c. 



Specimens of minerals may be collected in every soil, and 

 are preserved with the greatest ease, nothing farther being 

 requisite in general, than to detach masses from any rocks 

 you may meet with, and put them by. Delicate specimens, 

 such as crystals, or those procured from mines, should be pro- 

 tected from injury by wrapping each in a parcel of paper, 

 tow, «fcc. 



Petrifications of all kinds may be preserved in a similar 

 manner: also specimens of the rocks composing canal districts, 

 canal routes, mountains, or particular sections of country. 



All other natural productions not particularized, will be 

 valuable acquisitions to the academy, and in general are easily 

 procured and preserved, and we would here recommend you 

 not to be deterred from bringing any object from the circum- 

 stance of its being 'very common ;' but would rather advise 

 you to preserve every natural curiosity that you may meet 

 with, as particular characters which are interesting to the 

 naturalist very frequently escape the notice of casual obser- 

 vers. Specimens the most common are particularly desirable 

 from the western coast of America, and other countries little 

 explored, and the most familiar productions of our own State, 

 should there already be a sufficient number in possession of 

 the academy, are very valuable as means of exchange for 

 foreign specimens. 



