576 AUSTRALIAN LAND PLANARIANS, 



being similarly treated. Finally the specimens are transferred 

 with formaline or spirit to the tubes or bottles in which they are 

 to be preserved. Small specimens are more conveniently handled 

 during hardening in a pool of spirit poured on a sheet of flat 

 glass. Specimens for histological purposes may after killing and 

 cleaning as above, be laid out in corrosive sublimate solution in 

 alcohol, allowed to soak for an hour or so, and then transferred 

 to spirit. They may thus be obtained nicely straightened and 

 in good order for cutting into sections. 



In the paper before-mentioned I described experiments on the 

 use of chloroform, kerosene, &c, as preservatives, and it may be 

 of interest to here record the results of these trials. Chloroform 

 proved quite unsuitable, owing to its great volatility and want 

 of hardening power. Kerosene, after prolonged contact, gradually 

 displaced the water in the tissues, giving the specimens a translu- 

 cent horny appearance, and completely spoiling them. The 

 carbolised oil recommended by Haly* as a general preservative, 

 is a very messy medium, and of no use at all for planarians. I 

 understand that Haly has now abandoned its use in favour of 

 formaline. I have tried acetone, but the results of its use are in 

 no way better than with spirit. 



I cannot recommend any better medium than spirit, used as 

 described above, or formaline if more convenient. 



After the planarians have been preserved, it is absolutely 

 necessary that they should be kept in total darkness, or it will only 

 be a matter of time when they will be completely bleached and 

 ruined. Before I became aware of this I lost a number of fine 

 specimens by leaving them exposed to the light near a window 

 for a few months, and I have seen a good many preserved speci- 

 mens in museums and elsewhere totally spoiled from this cause. 



The tubes containing the specimens should be placed in a 

 wide-mouthed tightly closed jar with some spirit surrounding 

 them. This prevents the drying up of the tubes through leakage 



A. Haly. Keport Ceylon Museum, U 



