96 The Ottawa Naturalist. [July 



sometimes impossible to replace the specimen without injuring 

 them. An exception may be made with very succulent plants or 

 fleshy plants, when both upper and lower papers should be changed 

 to get rid of the moisture as soon as possible, and sometimes it is 

 necessary to dip the plant in boiling water in order to kill it. 

 Some plants retain their colour tairly well, even if improperly 

 dried, but the majority lose their original colour unless they are 

 dried quickly and properly. Plants should be dried as rapidly as 

 possible after the first day, and in order to do this the driers should 

 be changed at least once a day and, if possible, twice at first. After 

 the first day or two, when the excess of moisture has been re- 

 moved, the hotter the driers are, the better the results will be, 

 and, in order to have the driers quite hot, they should be heated 

 on or at the stove and put on the specimens at once. If it is not 

 convenient to heat the papers in this way, they may be dried out- 

 side and not especially heated. As some plants dry much quicker 

 than others, the best results will be obtained if a thin piece of 

 wood is kept between the plants which are in different stages of 

 drying, as, if this is not done, a plant which would dry very 

 quickly is kept moist by others of a more succulent nature. Some 

 plants will dry in two or three days, and some take nearly two 

 weeks. One can easily tell by the touch when they are dry. 



Many a collection of plants has been ruined by insects after it 

 has been made, and the enthusiasm of the collector may die with 

 the loss of his specimens. The poisoning of plants after they have 

 been dried should never be neglected, and the sooner it is done, 

 the better. One of the best formulas for this purpose is : Corrosive 

 Sublimate i 'v^ drachms; carbolic acid, }j4 drachms ; alcohol, 12 

 ounces. A small brush is used to apply .the poison which should 

 be painted over all the plant that is exposed, the flowers especially 

 getting a full share, as the insects will frequently destroy the 

 flowers when they will not injure another part. Alcohol is used 

 inste.id of water, as it evaporates without leaving a stain on the 

 paper. 



