12 



THE MUSEUM. 



ferred to the boiling water it will pre- 

 vent cracking and preserve the polish 

 which is frequently lost when delicate 

 shells are immediately placed in boil- 

 ing water. The animal may then be 

 extracted from the shell with a crook- 

 ed pin or wire, or better still, a small 

 pair of tweezers. Those species hav- 

 ing an operculum should have it care- 

 fully removed and attached to a piece 

 of cotton, which may be placed in the 

 aperture of the shell. Some opercula 

 warp out of shape while drying, and 

 it will be found a good rule to place 

 them between two boards during this 

 process. Some of the shells may be 

 covered with incrustations of lime and 

 peroxide of iron, and to remove these 

 an old file or small bone scraper will 

 be found useful. The file should be 

 ground to a point. Shells that are 

 stained with iron or other matter may 

 be perfectly cleaned by placing for a 

 few moments in a solution of oxalic 

 acid. 



Unios and other bivalves should 

 have the animal removed with a flat- 

 bladed knife. To do this the two ad- 

 ductor muscles must be cut, after 

 which the halves will open and the an- 

 imal may be. entirely cut away. If 

 the shells are left in the sun for a few 

 hours they will gape and the animal 

 may then be easily removed. The 

 two halves should be tied together in 

 their natural position. Care should 

 be used in cleaning the shell so that 

 the hinge ligaments will not be injur- 

 ed. In the case of shells having an 

 epidermis, they may be oiled with vas- 

 eline to prevent cracking when dry. 

 Care should be used not to apply it in 

 too large quantities or the shells will 

 feel greasy. After applying the vase- 

 line it should be thoroughly rubbed in 

 with a flannel rag aad all surplus 

 grease removed. Small gastropods 

 need not be removed frcm the shell, 

 but may be put in alcohol for 15 or 20 

 minutes, after which they may be 

 dried and put in the cabinet. The 

 collector will undoubtedly find numer- 

 ous ways of improWng his cleaning 



and preserving methods, as experience 

 dictates. 



The methods of labeling need not 

 be dwelt upon here. All manner of 

 schemes are used by conchologists in 

 mounting and preparing specimens for 

 the cabinet. Some use cardboard 

 labels with a space for the specimens 

 and another for the name, etc., others 

 simply use cardboard travs, allowing 

 the shells to remain loose instead of 

 attaching them as in the case of the 

 cardboard tablets. In the collections 

 of The Chicago Academy of Sciences 

 all specimens are attached to these 

 tablets and they present a handsome 

 appearance; but this is hardly feas- 

 ible for the cabinet of a private col- 

 lector, for lack of room. A good cab- 

 inet of drawers three inches in depth 

 will suffice for most of the land and 

 fresh-water shells, although several 

 deeper drawers may be found useful 

 for large Unios. In writing the labels 

 the generic and specific names and the 

 authority for the name should occupy 

 the first line, and the locality and 

 name of the person from whom the 

 specimens were received may occupy 

 the balance of the label; the bottom 

 of the latter might be used to advan- 

 tage for short notes relating to the 

 habits or peculiarities of the individ- 

 uals in the tray. 



It is always a good idea to keep a 

 catalogue of the collection. Each tray 

 of specimens should be numbered and 

 entered in the catalogue, together 

 with all possible information. A card 

 catalogue is also of great value. 

 Curator Chicago Academy of Sciences. 



Popular Science. 



Published by Lillard & Co. of ic8 

 Fulton St,, New York and edited by 

 Edward F. Bigelow, A. M., is with- 

 out question the most complete and 

 up-to-date Natural Science Journals 

 published in America today. A de- 

 scription of the November number is 

 but a fair sample of what is issued 

 every month in the year. It contains 

 24 large quarto pages of reading mat- 



