LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS 3 



The rabbits may be obtained, already prepared, from dealers, 

 either as ''wet preserved" or ''dry embalmed" material. The 

 "wet preserved" rabbits are skinned before being preserved 

 and should be kept in a preserving solution to prevent desiccat- 

 ing between laboratory periods. The only satisfactory way to 

 handle such material is to furnish each student with a covered 

 container of solution in which to keep his rabbit and a water- 

 tight tray in which to dissect it. The embalmed rabbits reach 

 the laboratory "dry" and unskinned; and if properly cared for, 

 they are much nicer to work with than the "wet" material. 

 The rabbits for the class may be kept in a nearly air-tight metal 

 box or rolled up in a tarpaulin, about six rabbits to each roll. 

 In either case the stored rabbits may require heavy sprinkling 

 with water which has been boiled to kill mold spores; or the 

 muslin cloths, with which each rabbit should be wrapped, may 

 be dipped in boiled water before the rabbit is wrapped up in it, 

 from time to time. A very satisfactory storage box, which will 

 hold twenty to twenty-four rabbits, can be made of galvanized 

 iron by any sheet metal worker. It should he ^6 X iS X iS 

 inches and have a tight-fitting lid. A layer of wet excelsior 

 in which the rabbits were packed for shipment should be spread 

 over the bottom of the box and covered with a piece of burlap 

 or other cloth to prevent the excelsior from getting into the 

 rabbit fur. After each rabbit has been tagged with the student's 

 name, wrapped in muslin and placed in the box, a large piece 

 of sackcloth and more of the wet excelsior may be placed on 

 top of them. Since the wetness of this excelsior is due to 

 embalming fluid, it is not conductive to growth of molds. The 

 rabbits thus packed may be sprinkled with boiled water once 

 each week, if necessary. If the directions on the care of 

 individual material (p. 43) are carefully followed and the hd 

 kept on the box, there will be little or no danger of the material 

 molding or dessicating during the entire term. However, the 

 instructor must watch the material closely for early signs of 

 dessication or mold. 



