when preparing the shells for the cabinet, a tightly fitting pledge of cotton 

 wedged into the aperture will receive a drop of Duco on which the oper- 

 culum is placed and pushed into position in a lifelike manner. 



In case it is desired to preserve the specimens entire, alcohol has a 

 decided advantage over most preservatives, especially when the animal is to 

 be used for future dissection and study of molluscan anatomy. It is very 

 easy to lose the identity of soft parts while preparing shells, so it is well 

 to label each specimen at once. Ordinary bond paper on which the name 

 is written with lead pencil is very satisfactory and may be affixed to the 

 specimen with a short length of thread or string. These are usually thrown 

 away, but many museums will be grateful for such material sent them. In 

 this manner, the amateur collector may, in a small way, partially repay the 

 large amount of free, unselfish, and efficient help given by these institutions. 



Many collectors prefer specimens just as taken from the water, but 

 many are more fastidious and try to enhance their beauty by cleaning off 

 all extraneous matter. It is often surprising how much "beauty is only 

 skin deep." Removing the periostracum often brings to light much hidden 

 beauty. A common vegetable brush is useful in cleaning specimens, but if 

 the offending growth is very persistent, a wire brush may be used. Many 

 specimens will require still harsher measures. Where there is a quantity of 

 coralline or calcareous growth, it is necessary to remove this bit by bit and 

 very carefully so as not to injure the shell. A shoemaker's awl is a very 

 efficient tool, but any sharp pointed instrument will do, including dentists' 

 tools. Often it is necessary to use muriatic acid to remove these limy 

 deposits and "thereby hangs a tale." What follows will be regarded by 

 many as pure heresy and the advice is offered with a "take it or leave it" 

 clause attached. There is no doubt that a certain amount of the delicate 

 part of shell structure is injured by the use of acid, but if the collector is 

 EXCEEDINGLY careful, very little damage is evident except by the use 

 of a magnifying glass. Many fastidious collectors prefer the slight damage 

 to the rough, uncouth natural specimen. Any advice regarding the use of 

 acid should be taken only if the collector is willing to sacrifice certain por- 

 tions of the shell structure. My method has been to use the acid, full 

 commercial strength. The acid bath is close to a faucet of running water. 

 The shell is held in forceps and quickly dipped into the acid and imme- 

 diately into the running water. If necessary, another dipping may be tried 

 and results noted. Often more chipping with the awl will remove a quan- 

 tity of the lime that has been loosened by the acid. 



Especially hard to clean are shells more or less disfigured by an un- 

 sightly mass of barnacles. Often, the mass may be detached in its entirety 

 by applying pressure at just the right point with the cleaning tool, but all 

 too frequently this is not the case and an unsightly white blotch is the 

 result. This may usually be removed by carefully scratching the remains 

 of the barnacle with the tip of a sharp pointed knife and reducing the 

 remains of the barnacle to a powder; care being taken not to injure the shell. 



Shells that are covered by a mass of vegetation of spongy growth may 

 be readily cleaned by immersion in any of the chlorine solutions found at 



(13) 



