20(10 



Journal of Applied Microscopy 



used to distinguish important gifts. On the whole, in the cardboard labels on 

 the inside of the cases the plain border label is to be preferred to the label with 

 a line around it. It is more chaste. But, if the expense and labor can be 

 afforded, the cardboard label sunk into, or attached to, a black or mahogany 

 strip of wood, so large as to make a frame around it, is very elegant. The 

 larger general labels in cardboard should all be framed in narrow bead frames 

 of wood. The outside wood framed labels of black or mahogany, if on wall 

 cases, are attached by picture moulding hooks, and if on desk cases are sup- 

 ported by upright short brass rods. A simple device for raising a label in a 

 tray is to push two pins into the front side of the paper tray, and rest the paper 

 label on them. Short or longer thin wooden standards, fixed in square or round 

 bases, with a split apex into which the label is inserted, afford useful and of 

 course very mobile labels inside of cases. 



Fig. 90. — Fossil skull on brass rods, A. M. N. H. 



SUPPORTS, STANDS, BLOCKS, PINS. 



To be clearly seen many small crystals and sometimes small shells demand 

 a support, which lifts them into individual prominence, while large groups of 

 crystals and coral masses, as well as all taxidermical specimens, need stands and 

 pedestals as an artistic embellishment. Small black pedestals of wood can be 

 bought from dealers which will serve for mounting crystals, upon which the 

 crystals can be attached by black wax. Glass rods are also in use, and fre- 

 quently shells or other flat objects are attached to them by wax. A rather pleas- 

 ing system, which admits of some variation, is to take a plate of glass, paint it 

 carefully on one side, as a background, and attach to it shells or sections, by 

 wax. These plates can be used in synoptical cases and are a cheap and useful 

 device where wall or fiat vertical spaces are to be used up. In the mounting of 

 skulls and the large fossil remains of the mammalia from the West, Mr. Herman 



