CHAPTER VI 
HOW TO MOUNT SPECIMENS 
The method of procedure in mounting specimens for study 
varies according to the nature of the specimen, its preliminary 
treatment, and the character of the mount to be made. As to 
duration, mounts are either temporary or permanent. 
TEMPORARY MOUNTS 
In preparing a temporary mount, place the specimen in the 
centre of a clean slide and add two or more drops of the tem- 
porary mounting medium, which may be water, or a mixture 
of equal parts of alcohol, glycerine, and water, or some micro- 
chemical reagent, as weak Lugol’s solution, solution of chloral 
hydrate, etc. Cover this with a cover glass and press down 
gently. Remove the excess of the mounting medium with a 
piece of blotting paper. Now place the slide on the stage and 
proceed to examine it. -Such mounts can of course be used only 
for short periods of study; and when the period of observation 
is finished, the specimen should be removed and the slide washed, 
or the slide washing may be deferred until a number of such 
slides have accumulated. At any rate, when the mounting 
medium dries, the specimen is no longer suitable for observation. 
PERMANENT MOUNTS 
Permanent mounts are prepared in much the same way as 
temporary, but of course the mounting medium is different. 
The kind of permanent mounting medium used depends upon 
the previous treatment of the specimen. If the specimen has 
been preserved in alcohol or glycerine and water, it is usually 
mounted in glycerine jelly. If the specimen in question is a 
powder, it is placed in the centre of the slide and a drop or two 
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