and that it may therefore be necessary to make separate collections in different parts of one and the same water-basin. 

 This is still more important respecting distinct water-systems. But a complete survey ought to cover the whole ground 

 as soon as possible. It would not be too much to have one collection for every hundred miles upon our large streams, and 

 one for every fifty and even for every twenty miles upon smaller rivers. 



The preservation of fishes requires but little care and attention. Any vessel, jar, can, keg, or barrel, fit to hold alcohol, 

 is also fit for collecting fishes, which may be heaped up in it like herrings in salt. The alcohol used must be of about the 

 strength of that of .88 specific gravity * for most fishes ; for suckers and brook-trouts, however, it ought to be stronger, 

 about .80, their flesh being either soft or very fat, and more readily decomposed. In summer or in warm climates it is ad- 

 visable to use always strong alcohol to obviate the effects of evaporation. Suppose it is intended to make a complete col- 

 lection from one of the larger tributaries of some of our great rivers. All that is wanted will be a few jars, such as are 

 used to keep preserves, a barrel of about fifteen or twenty gallons, and a supply of whiskey and alcohol. These may be kept 

 in a cool place, a cellar, or a sheltered recess, ready to receive the fishes. The smallest fishes are best kept by themselves 

 in jars, and the larger ones in a barrel. The barrel ought to be put upon one head, the other being removed and used as a 

 cover. It will be well to see that the fishes are placed in it in as natural a positiou as possible, that is to say, stretched out 

 with the fins closed against the body, or at least not unnaturally bent. It is equally desirable to exclude specimens the fins 

 of which are bruised, and the scales rubbed off, unless they be rare species. When the fishes are too long to be stretched 

 across the barrel, they may be gently bent upon their flatter side, and if too stiff to allow this, put in, head foremost, in 

 an upright or slanting position, and then slightly bent against the sides of the barrel. It is useless at first to pour more 

 alcohol over the fishes than is necessary to cover them. While cruising at sea, it will be well to throw some rags over 

 the specimens to prevent their jarring, until the vessel in which they are contained is quite full, and headed up. Of the 

 smaller kinds of fishes, at least a dozen of each would be required for a full and satisfactory examination. Where they may 

 easily be caught, more would be very acceptable. Of those of medium size, about half that number ; and of the larger 

 ones, as may be most convenient, one, two, or three. It will secure a better state of preservation, and afford fuller means 

 of study, if a cut, is made into the belly of the larger fishes to allow the alcohol to penetrate the intestines. At all events, 

 these ought never to be removed. The knowledge of the local names is very desirable. To rectify the errors of nomen- 

 clature now spread over the whole country, the simplest way of recording the name of a fish is to write it with a black 

 hard pencil upon a piece of stiff paper, or with indelible ink upon cloth, and to place such a label under the gill-cover of 

 the specimen to which it belongs. Specimens too small to be labelled in that way may be rolled up in a piece of cotton 

 cloth upon which the name is written. Delicate fishes, with very deciduous scales, would keep better if they were wrapped 

 up singly in this way in cloth. Any other notice respecting the habits, uses, &c. of such specimens may be preserved in 

 the same manner, or referred to a No. inscribed upon the label of the fish. It would be very important to record as far 

 as possible the date at which the specimens preserved were caught. This may often enable an anatomist to determine the 

 spawning season of the species. Also the depth at which they are known to live. Should any collector be sufliciently 

 familiar with painting to draw colored figures of any of these fishes, or so situated as to have some of them drawn by an 

 artist, it would be an invaluable contribution to Natural History. 



When collections have to travel over great distances, or to be for many months on a journey, it is desirable that every 

 specimen should be wrapped up singly in a piece of cloth ; but this is not necessary, generally speaking, for collections 

 which are likely to be taken care of after a short journey. 



Those unaccustomed to making collections may occasionally suppose from their smell that they are spoiling, the mix- 

 ture of alcohol with dead animal matter being rather disagreeable ; but unless there is actual putrefaction, no apprehension 

 need be had respecting the safety of a collection, and the removal of decayed specimens is all that is required for the pres- 

 ervation of the remainder, provided the alcohol has the necessary strength of at least twenty-eight degrees of Beaumd, or .88 

 specific gravity. To avoid losses, it is prudent never to use kegs of more than twenty to twenty -five gallons, save in 

 exceptional cases, where very large and highly valuable specimens are to be preserved. Asa general rule, a twenty-five- 

 gallon keg will contain any desirable specimen collected even in our largest rivers, there being always an opportunity now 

 and then to obtain a moderately large specimen of our largest fishes, which when full grown are at any rale too bulky to 

 be preserved in alcohol. Upon small watercourses, or small ponds, an ordinary jar may be sufficient to contain complete 

 separate collections of all their natural productions. Of very large fishes, especially of sharks and skates, the skin may 

 be preserved, leaving the whole head attached to it, and rolled up, preserved like other specimens, in alcohol. A longitu- 

 dinal cut upon one side, in preference the right side, will afford sufficient facility for removing the intestines and all the flesh 

 and bones of the body. Skeletons would be also very desirable. To obtain them it is simply necessary to boil the ani- 

 mal, either whole or in parts, and to gather and clean all the bones and preserve them together in a sack. A naturalist 

 will readily put up the loose parts in their natural connection. 



This method of collecting may apply to almost all animals, it being now very desirable to obtain specimens even of 

 quadrupeds and birds in alcohol, for the sake of making anatomical preparations. Such specimens require, however, to bo 



* Common whiskey of. 90 to .92 specific gravity may be used by adding strong alcoliol, in llie proportion of one gallon of alcohol to one gallon of whis- 

 key. Highly rectified whiskey, as it is prepared in some parts of the country, may occasionally do by itself, especially if it has nearly the specific gravity of 

 .88. Ills, however, always safer to err by using loo strong than too weak spirits. Specnnens may be contracted by too strong alcohol, and lose to sopie 

 extent their form ; they will certainly spoil entirely in loo weak a mixture. 



