1865.] MISCELLANEOUS. 473 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Preservation of Starfishes with natural colors ; by A. 

 E. Verrill. — Starfishes may be dried, so as to retain their natu- 

 ral colors almost unimpaired, by immersing them in alcohol of 

 moderate strength for about a minute, or just long enough to de- 

 stroy the life, and produce contraction of the tissues, and afterward 

 drying them rapidly by artificial heat. The drying is best effected 

 by placing them upon an open cloth stretched tightly upon a frame 

 and supported a few feet above a stove. Care should be taken not 

 to raise the heat too high, as the green shades change to red at a 

 temperature near that of boiling water. By this process I have 

 succeeded in preserving the delicate shades of red, purple and orange 

 of the species found on the coast of New England, including Sol- 

 aster papposus, &. endeca, Gribella, Asteracanthion pallida, A. 

 littoralis, and various other species, specimens of which are in the 

 Museum of Yale College. The same process is equally applicable 

 to Echini and Crustacea. — Silliman's Journal. 



Harvard University Herbarium. — This establishment is 

 noticed in the Annual Report of the President of the University 

 to the Board of Overseers, made in January last, as follows : — 



" Dr. Asa Gray has presented to the University his invaluable 

 Herbarium and his Botanical Library ; which have been safely 

 transferred to the fire-proof building furnished, at a cost of over 

 twelve thousand dollars, by the generosity of Nathaniel Thayer, 

 Esq., of Boston. A fund has also been raised by subscription, 



for the support and increase of the collection The gift of Dr. 



Gray cannot be estimated in money, but it embraces the results of 

 many years' labor faithfully given by that distinguished botanist, 

 aided by the generosity of his collaborators and correspondents in 

 various parts of the world." 



The collections were formally presented by the following let- 

 ter : — 



Botanic Garden, Cambridge, November 30, 1864. 

 " To Rev. Dr. Hill, President of Harvard University, 



" My Dear Sir : — I have the pleasure to inform you that the 

 Herbarium and Botanical Library, which a year ago I offered to 

 present to the University, are now safely deposited in the building 



