THE MUSEUM. 



341 



with fins unbroken, scales entire, and 

 the body without bruises or marks. 

 They should also be as fresh as possi- 

 ble. Those of the largest size are pre- 

 ferred, excepting in the case of gigan- 

 tic species, such as the Horse Macker- 

 el, Swordfish, etc., in which case a 

 limit may be indicated by the expense 

 of transportation and the convenience 

 of shipping. The fishes with best de- 

 fined markings and brightest colors 

 should always be chosen; and both 

 sexes should, as far as possible be rep- 

 resented. 



Each should be enveloped carefully 

 and tightly in cotten cloth, and sewed 

 up. Paper may be used if nothing 

 better is procurable, though much less 

 suitable. Care should be taken be- 

 fore packing to have the fins laid back 

 close to the body, so as to avoid the 

 danger of beaking them. If necessary 

 to individualize the specimens each 

 should be accompanied by a suitable 

 label. This may consist of stiff paper, 

 written upon with lead pencil, (an or- 

 dinary shipping tag, answers -well for 

 this purpose,) and wrapped up with 

 the fish or tied outside. 



The best mode of packing fish for 

 shipment to a distance is by means of 

 ice and sawdust. For this purpose a 

 box should be obtained large enough 

 for the purpose and a layer, five or six 

 inches in depth, of ice and sawdust 

 well mixed together, placed in the 

 bottom of the box. The ice should be 

 broken to about the size of the fist, and 

 there should be enough sawdust to 

 cover it thickly; on this place a layer 

 of fish, enveloped as stated; and if 

 there be a second layer of fish, separ- 

 ate it from the lower, by a stratum of 

 ice and sawdust. The top and sides 

 of the box should also be filled in. It 



may be well to have an inch of saw- 

 dust without ice on the bottom and 

 the top. 



If the fish are quite small and slend- 

 er a number of them may be inclosed 

 in one wrapper, care being taken not 

 to allow them to come in contact with 

 each other. 



It is very important that the name 

 and address of the sender be marked 

 ineffaceably on the outside of the box 

 as well as the notice: ''Fresh fish 

 preserved in ice, handle carefully and 

 keep in the coldest plqce possible.'''' If 

 Wickersheimer's solution, referred to 

 , below, is used, write, "'FisJi preservsd 

 in poison solution.'' 



Timely advice of the sending should 

 be given by mail or telegraph, telling 

 the exact date and mode of shipment, 

 so as to be received before the parcel 

 arrives. 



As far as possible packages from 

 any distance should be sent in the ear- 

 ly part of the week, so as not to be in 

 danger of being kept over Sunday in 

 the express office in Washington or 

 elsewhere. They should be properly 

 addressed and indorsed outside with 

 name and address of sender, and na- 

 ture of contents. 



If the fish are to be sent for a long- 

 er distance than that requiring one or 

 two days in transit, they may be treat- 

 ed to great advantage by means of 

 what is known as \Vickersheimer's[;so- 

 lution, the formula of which is given 

 below. In this event a sufficient 

 amount of the solution may be first 

 poured down the throat into the stom- 

 ach, then by means of a syringe, in- 

 jected into the anus and then into the 

 abdominal cavity through a cut made 

 for the purpose. Injection through 

 the heart or aorta is of course best 



