and Preserving Animals. 291 



animal, this part should be laid open in the living spirida, in order 

 to ascertain how far such mutilation would aiFect its power of rising 

 or sinking in the water. 



In the event of a living pearly nautilus (Nautilus Pompilius) be- 

 ing captured, the same observations and experiments should be made 

 on that species, in which they would be attended with more precision 

 and facility, as the species is much larger than the spirula, and its 

 shell external. 



The towing-net should be kept overboard at all practicable periods, 

 and drawn up and examined at stated intervals, as some of the rarest 

 marine animals have been taken by thus sweeping the surface of the 

 sea. 



A sketch or drawing of molluscous and radiate animals, of which 

 the form and colour are liable to be materially altered by death, or 

 when put in spirit, will aid materially in rendering the description of 

 the species useful and intelligible. 



Some of each species should be preserved in spirit, or the solution 

 No. II. If they have died with their soft parts protruded, they 

 should be suspended so as to prevent distortion from piessure. If 

 the shell be of a spiral form, the whorls should be perforated with 

 a fine awl so as to allow the spirit or solution to enter ; otherwise, 

 as the main body of the animal fills up the whole mouth of the shell, 

 the deeper seated and softer parts would become putrid before the 

 preserving liquor could get to them. 



Where the animal has been detached from its shell, the soft parts 

 and the shell should be marked with corresponding numbers. When 

 the animal is furnished with an operculum (the little door which 

 closes the mouth of many turbinated shells), it should be carefully 

 preserved ; and if detached from the animal, should be so numbered 

 as to prevent the possibility of its being attribu^^ed to the wrong 

 species. Shells should never be cleaned, but should be preserved 

 as they come from the sea, taking care only to fill the mouths of 

 those which are turbinated, with tow or cotton, to prevent fracture. 

 It may be sometimes requisite to put a live shell into hot water and 

 boil it a minute or two, in order to dislodge the animal, which may 

 then be removed with a crooked pin. 



The land-shells are found in various situations ; as in humid spots 

 covered by herbage, rank grass, &c. ; beneath the bark or within 

 the hollows of old trees, crevices of rocks, walls, bones, &c. ; about 

 the drainage of houses, or in the dry season by digging near the roots 

 of trees. Early in the morning, especially in rainy weather, is tho 

 best time for taking them. The fresh water kinds may be sought 

 for in quiet inlets, on the sides of lakes, rivers, and brooks ; the 

 greater number of univalves occur at or near the surface, under the 

 loaves of aquatic plants, and among decayed vegetables; while tho 

 bivalves and certain univalves keep at the bottom, and are often 



