10 



long. When small fishes, reptiles, or other specimens, are pro- 

 cured in any locality, they may be placed indiscriminately in one 

 or more of these bags (the mouths of which are to be tied up like 

 a sack or pinned over), and then thrown into the alcohol. Pre- 

 viously, however, a label of parchment, or stout writing paper 

 should be placed inside the bag, containing the name of the locality 

 or other mark, and written in ordinary ink or pencil. The label, 

 if dry before being placed in the bag, will retain its writing un- 

 changed for a long time. The locality, or its number, should also 

 be coarsely marked with a red pencil, on the outside of the bag, 

 or a second piece of numbered parchment pinned on. This, if dry 

 when pinned, will swell so as to be in no danger of being lost off. 

 In this way, the specimens, besides being readily identified, are 

 preserved from rubbing against each other, and consequent injury. 

 Still farther to facilitate this object, an India-rubber gas-bag may 

 be employed to great advantage, by introducing it into the vessel, 

 and inflating until all vacant space is filled up by the bag, and the 

 consequent displacement of the spirit. When additional specimens 

 are to be added, a portion of the air may be let out, and the bag 

 afterwards again inflated. In the absence of these arrangements a 

 quantity of tow, cotton, or rags, kept over the specimens, will be 

 found useful in preventing their friction against each other or the 

 sides of the vessel. 



The tin cans with screw caps for preserving meats and vegetables 

 from the atmosphere, and now so universally used, may be employed 

 as a substitute for the copper tanks, as being cheaper and more 

 easily obtained. The most useful sizes are a quart and half gallon. 

 Care must, however, be taken not to crowd too many specimens in 

 the cans, to have them full of alcohol, and to change the spirit at 

 least once. 



The larger snakes should be skinned, as indicated hereafter, and 

 the skins thrown into alcohol. Much space will in this way be 

 saved. Smaller specimens may be preserved entire, together with 

 lizards, salamanders, and small frogs. All of these that can be 

 caught should be secured and preserved. The head, the legs with 

 the feet, the tail, in fact, the entire skin of turtles may be preserved 

 in alcohol ; the soft parts then extracted from the shell, which is 

 to be washed and dried. 



Reptiles are to be sought for in different localities: those covered 

 with scales can generally be readily observed : the naked skinned 



