114 



cate specimens should be protected by wrapping tbem up loosely 

 in soft paper. On hot days a very moderate sprinkling of the 

 contents with water may be helpful to keep the plants fresh. 



The portfolio. — ^Portfolios are best made of two stout pieces of 

 cardboard covered with some waterproof material, and slightly 

 larger than the drying paper used, with a pair of buckled straps 

 passing through slits and over the side which is intended to serve 

 as back, so that the whole can be opened like a book, and the 

 portfolio should be filled with a quantity of *^ retainers/^ It 

 may be carried on a strap hung over the shoulder or in the hand. 

 The specimens may be either laid in as they are collected, or a 

 better plan is to place them at first in the vasculum, and transfer 

 them to the portfolio from time to time during the course of the 

 day. Such a combination of vasculum and portfolio gives the 

 best results, and is probably the most convenient method of 

 gathering. If the collector be accompanied by porters he may 

 take a pair or more of light wooden presses with him filled with 

 '' retainers,'^ and place the contents of the portfolio in a press in 

 exchange for a fresh set of '^ retainers." At the end of the day's 

 collecting it will only be necessary to interpolate the '^pads " or 

 driers in the pres-s between the ''retainers " and to tighten the 

 straps. 



Certain small and convenient improvements, such as a pocket 

 on one of the outsides of the portfolio to hold labels, a note- 

 book, etc., or a waterproof wrapper clipped under the straps, 

 can easily be added according to the collector's requirements. 



Tubes may be carried in strong cardboard cases or tins in the 

 coat pockets, and the preserving fluid may be added at the end of 

 the day. Iii this case, too, it will usually be advisable to wrap 

 the objects in soft p^per, adding the number before inserting 

 them in the tubes. 



V. Annotatioi^. 



It is a matter of the utmost importance that the conditions 

 under which a specimen has been collected should be correctly 

 and fully registered. The details required are the localit;^, 

 date, altitude, local distribution, frequency, and associ- 

 ation of the plant as well as those characters which are not 

 always demonstrable in the dried specimen, such as colour and 

 scent of flowers, etc. To these data may be added observations 

 of various kinds, such as uses, vernacular names, and so on. The 

 notes ought^ to be made at the time that the specimen is col- 

 lected, particularly if much collecting is to be done during the 

 day, in order to prevent the possibility of mistaken recollections. 

 This task will be greatly facilitated if it be done methodically, 

 and the best plan seems to be to enter all the notes in a pocket 

 notebook with numbered pages and provided with easily detach- 

 able slips each bearing the same number in clear print. As the 

 collector will frequently lay in duplicates, or have to divide a 

 large specimen, or to detach certain parts, all of which ought to 

 have the same number, it is desirable that each page should have* 

 several such slips attached to it. A specimen page of such a 



