1916] 



Method of Keeping Alcoholic Specimens 



95 



longitudinal strip which divides the two sides of the rack. 

 These are labelled to designate the genus, or in case a large 

 number of containers is used for one species, the species name 

 may be shown on these guides. For very large specimens we 

 find it unnecessary to employ the double tube system. The 

 accompanying illustration shows a rack partially filled with 

 containers. Note the cardboard riders which are used as guides 

 and the label on the end of the rack. 



A number of advantages have been found in this method. 

 It saves space by having the material more concentrated than 

 where collections are preserved in individual vials; these large 



Figure 1 



containers do not dry out so rapidly as small ones; there is not 

 the usual trouble with the corks becoming hard and loose, 

 owing to direct contact with the alcohol, and the specimens 

 will remain moist as long as there is the smallest trace of alcohol 

 in the container; the collection presents a neatness and uni- 

 formity which adds to its appearance and aids in classification 

 and ease of finding material; the large size of the containers 

 permits of having a label stuck to each, thus avoiding tag 

 labels tied on small vials or loss of time necessary to look at 

 the labels within hundreds of alcoholic vials; there is a large 

 saving by not having to go through a great number of small 

 vials in filling them, as each container will hold from one to 

 fourteen of the individual vials. Furthermore, it is possible 

 to allow an untrained helper to fill the containers as the material 

 itself is never touched and there is no danger of losing specimens 

 by overflowing individual vials. 



