Drew. — On Formol for Preserving Specbnens. 289 



common calico, then packed it away in our tin. In this way 

 we were able to pack away from fifty to a hundred skins 

 of fish, &c., in one tin. We had rays, small sharks, &c., in 

 numbers. An electric ray even is a very small quantity when 

 prepared in this way. We filled up our tin until we could not 

 press any more in, then the hole was covered with part of a 

 mustard-tin flattened out, and soldered down so that there 

 could be no fear of leakage. When two tins were finished in 

 this way they were packed in a kerosene case, then labelled 

 and shipped, and so on. With small fish, lizards, toads, 

 frogs, &c., wanted for mounting, or small birds for skeletons, 

 we only removed the viscera, and placed these small speci- 

 mens amongst the other skins, of course wrapping each 

 specimen in the calico to save rubbing. The insects, laud- 

 shells, &c., we soaked in formol solution a few days, then 

 packed in a mustard-tin with wool, sending them at once 

 home by the cheap " sample post." I can hardly describe my 

 anxiety upon reaching home to see how my specimens would 

 turn out, nor my delight on finding them quite fresh, and 

 many with the colours good. We found the blues and pinks 

 the first to go, particularly so with the Crustacea and Cephalo- 

 poda. Since my return, in my spare time I have mounted 

 many of the specimens, and have many more to do, and I 

 find that these specimens, put into formol, 5-per-cent. solu- 

 tion, last October, are just as easily worked now, in June, as 

 they were in December last, although the solution has been 

 unchanged during that period. I mean to say that they are 

 still in the original solution in which they were first placed. 



Mr. Etheridge, the curator of the Museum at Sydney, 

 showed me some small fish and Medusa that had been in 

 bottles for three months in formol, 10-per-cent. solution, that 

 looked far more fresh and the colours in better condition 

 than one could possibly get with alcohol. I placed, in Decem- 

 ber last, our Physalia, with a small fish hanging in its ten- 

 tacles, in a 5-per-cent. solution. The bottle has been standing 

 on our Museum window ledge, in full light, for six months. 

 The specimen has faded, yet much of the pretty blue is left, 

 nor is it anything like so opaque as if treated with alcohol. 

 Owing to this experiment I intend, as soon as our fresh 

 supply of formol arrives, to treat all our what are called spirit 

 specimens in this way, if for no other reason than that of 

 saving expense. 



To sum up, I think there is no comparison between formol 

 and alcohol — first, the formol is very much cheaper, the quan- 

 tity needed for a kerosene-tin of 5-per-cent. solution costing 

 about 2s, for alcohol at least £1, and to this should be 

 added the cost and great inconvenience of cartage and freight 

 — not a small one when moving about ; second, it does not 

 19 



