I lo The Ottawa Naturalist. [August 



othet'vvise one is liable to daub the paper with glue or not get the 

 specimens firmly fastened. Chase's and Le Page's liquid glue are 

 very satisfactory for mounting, but both of these preparations 

 shou'd be diluted with vinesfar before using. To mount most 

 plants, place the specimen on blotting paper, under side up, then 

 hold tJie specimen with one hand, and with the other glue the stem, 

 leaves and flowers or fruit; 'hen, pick the specimen up, turn it 

 over and place it on the mounting sheet in the position it is to go; 

 now take three or four newspapers, and with them press the 

 specimen down with a gliding movement of the hand. If one is 

 expert and can mount rapidly, three or four specimens may be 

 mounted and then placed under a light weight, it being very im- 

 portant to have the weight as large or larger than the sheet, so that 

 the specimen will be pressed evenly; but, if one is only beginning 

 to mount, it is wise to put each specimen as mounted under the 

 weight. A large book placed on a sheet of heavy paste-board 

 makes a very good weight. Plants which are not easy to handle, 

 such as delicate ferns, may be laid on a clean sheet of blotting 

 paper under side up and the glue applied as before; but, instead of 

 lifting the specimen, take the mounting paper and lay it on top of 

 the specimen and then press it. In order to make specimens with 

 large stems more secure, strips of thin gummed paper about one 

 eight of an inch in width are used to hold the plant. This paper 

 may either be bought prepared or be gummed by covering it with 

 mucilage, which is let dry and the paper then cut into strips as 

 needed. The gummed paper is usually made as wide as the 

 mounting sheet, as some collectors hold down the grasses and 

 carices with long strips of gummed paper, rather than attempting 

 to glue them. Many collectors, however, use only small strips of 

 gummed paper only an inch or an inch and a half in length. 



Each mounted sheet should be neatly labelled with a white 

 paper label about 2x4 inches, and on it should be written the name 

 of the species, the date of the collecting, tae collector's name, the 

 habitat and place where the plant was found growing, and the 

 date. The label is glued to the sheet at the lower right hand 

 corner, but only attached lightly at the outer end so that it can be 

 readily removed if necessary. If labels are not used, the 

 required data should be neatly written on the sheet. When 



