154 PREPARING SPECIMENS 



■will prevent smell from the flesh remaining attached, and 

 after they are received at the academy they can be further 

 cleaned and mounted. 



The stomach and intestines should be first emptied, and 

 after putting arsenic into them be blown up, and varnished. 

 The windpipe must be stuffed with v/ool or left attached to 

 the tongue and preserved in spirits. 



PLANTS. 



1. The first direction to be given to the botanist is to collect 

 every things even plants regarded as mere weeds. Those not 

 higher than twelve inches should be preserved entire, branches 

 and root; larger plants must be cut or in some cases doubled; 

 and of plants still larger a specimen from parts bearing the 

 flowers with some leaves from the stem or root, will be sufl&- 

 cient. Specimens of the most common height, habit and 

 appearance, are to be selected, rejecting both dwarfs and mon- 

 sters ; while characteristic individuals constituting va?'ieiies 

 should be collected. Generally plants should be gathered 

 when the flowers are most perfectly developed, but some 

 which soon shed their petals must be gathered when not 

 fully expanded, that they may open by the time you are pre- 

 pared to preserve them. Of the umbelliferous plants, the 

 genus carex and some others whose seeds have distinguishing 

 characteristics, specimens should also be gathered when their 

 seeds are fully grown, but not so ripe as to fall. Also curious 

 fruits may be dried by laying them in the sun, and afterwards 

 kept in drawers with the cones of firs, &c. 



2. The process of drying plants is simply this : place them 

 between layers of ten or fifteen thicknesses of unsized paper, 

 as old newspapers, place the pile between two boards and 

 subject them to pressure, eight or ten bricks or a few large 

 paving stones will be suflicient ; or a lever press which keeps 

 the pressure constant ; are either of them preferable to a screw 

 press. The papers must be changed for others perfectly dry, 

 once or still better twice a day, until free from moisture ; 

 requiring from one to three days, and for some succulent 

 plants as many weeks; while others may be removed from 

 the parcel as they become dried. The plant must be spread 

 out in its natural position, whether erect or drooping, whether 



