HOW TO PREPAKE FORAMINIFERA. 143 



be tipped upon a plate, as before described, for drying. Do not 

 use a spoon for emptying the sieve. Repeat this operation with 

 all the material, after which the process given in the first paper 

 must be followed throughout. 



Should the material be dry, or in hard lumps, as the Lias 

 Clay, etc., first soak it in water in a jug, until it has fallen down 

 like mud ; after which proceed as has just been described for 

 fresh mud. Use the water freely. 



It must be observed that the Foraminifera in the Lias and 

 many other clays, being true fossils, will not float, but must be 

 searched for in the washed material after drying. Such clays as 

 are found on raised beaches, or estuaries, being sub-fossil, 

 generally contain the Foraminifera in nearly the same condition 

 as if recent, and such will float, if not too large. 



Too much care ca7inot be taken with the first tuashing, so as to 

 secure the removal of all the fine mud, which, if not thoroughly 

 removed, will cause almost endless trouble afterwards, sticking 

 the shells together and to the sand-grains, and so preventing them 

 from floating, also coating them with minute specks of dirt, which 

 spoil their beauty and hide the (often characteristic) markings on 

 the shells. 



Be careful not to put too much mud in the sieve at once, or it 

 will be clogged, and be very diflicult to work, especially if a 

 handkerchief is used instead of the gauze. Not unfrequently, — 

 and I have not yet satisfactorily seen tvhy, — some difficulty is 

 experienced at first, the muddy water seeming as if it would 7iot 

 pass through the handkerchief; and then in a minute or two it 

 will run off pretty rapidly. To assist this, it is desirable to keep 

 the mud well stirred up by the stream of water, which is far 

 better than using the fingers or a spoon for the purpose, as it runs 

 less risk of crushing the minute shells. 



Where the Foraminifera are mixed with tallow, lard, etc., as is 

 frequently the case in ship's soundings, they should first have 

 boiling water poured over them, in a beaker-glass, so that the 

 tallow may melt and float. Allow all to get cold, and when the 

 tallow is set, remove it ; examining it to see whether any 

 Foraminifera are adherent, in which case they may be removed 

 with as little tallow as possible, and re-melted in a second beaker. 

 Then, when cold, drain off the water and boil the soundings in 

 liquor potassce, B.P., so as to convert all traces of grease remaining 

 into soap, after which wash well with clean water, and finish with 

 boiling water. When dry, the soundings may either be examined 

 as they are, or floated, if in any quantity. I have found this plan 

 very successful, and it gives but little trouble. Various plans for 

 dealing with soundings may be seen in Davies's v/ork on 

 Mounting. 



