ISO 



THE AMERICAN MONTHLY 



[August, 



the description given by one of these 

 gentlemen of his endeavor to imitate 

 what he had seen, is applicable, in a 

 greater or less degree, to all those 

 who now commence practising the 

 " sticky art" : — 



Oa the evening appointed we set to 

 work, being, with careful forethought on 

 the part of the mistress of the house, pro- 

 vided with an old iron tea-tray. The 

 Canada Balsam was produced, and an 

 ample supply poured upon one of the 

 usual sized glass slips. We then ad- 

 justed upon the convex side of this fluid 

 the wing of a butterfly gently pressing it 

 into the fluid to expel the air from be- 

 neath. A further supply of Balsam was 

 then poured upon the upper surface of 

 the object until it was completely im- 

 mersed in the fluid; a second slip was 

 then laicl.over the first, and the two slips 

 were gently, but firmly, pressed together, 

 and secured by thread bands ; and so we 

 proceeded with six or^JJJit specimens, 

 but by this time we w^^Bairly brought 

 to a standstill, our finge^rDeing Canada 

 Balsam^d up to the knuckles, and our 

 hands when we attempted to separate the 

 fingers, being like the feet of a web-footed 

 animal; so we were compelled to strike 

 work, and adjourned to regions below, 

 where by a not sparing use of turpentine, 

 soap, and hot water, we cleaned our ob- 

 jects and restored our hands to a com- 

 paratively clean condition. We were, 

 however, amply rewarded for all by find- 

 ing upon examination that our objects 

 were quite equal to those that had been 

 shown to us. 



These gentlemen then quickly 

 spread among their fellows the knowl- 

 edge of the new mode, and it at once 

 became the favorite method of mount- 

 ing. In later years the number of 

 workers has increased. New media 

 and new modes are constantly being 

 recomnended, and the united skill of 

 an army of workers has made mount- 

 ing a pleasure, and the examination 

 of mounted specimens a constant de- 

 light; whilst neatness and beauty of 

 finish are now aimed at as well as the 

 successful display of the object. 



The easiest objects that a learner 

 can begin with are, I think, those thA 

 are merely mounted dry in a shallow 

 and not opaque cell, such as wings of 



butterflies, and the scales removed 

 from the wings, delicate pollen grains, 

 fern spores, scales, cuticles, etc. 



In commencing work it willbe found 

 advisable to prepare a number of 

 slides by putting them on a turn-table, 

 and with a brush charged with brown 

 cement, or some similar viscid pre- 

 paration (the solvent of which should 

 be spirit), run circles upon a number 

 of slides, and put on one side to dry ; 

 this, with brown cement, will to a 

 certain extent quickly take place, 

 when, if the cell is not deep enough, 

 another, and yet other layers may be 

 added. Now, having a number of 

 these cell slides ready, we wish to 

 mount a slide of scales of butterfly, 

 which can easily be done. Cut a bit 

 of ordinary printing paper, about one 

 inch by half inch, fold it in the middle, 

 and then, placing in the fold a small 

 piece of the wing, press steadily and 

 with a slight sliding motion, when 

 the scales "from both sides" will be, 

 as it were, pulled from the wing and 

 remain upon the paper. If now the 

 paper be divided, and a clean cover- 

 glass of the chosen size be ta'.:en, it 

 will be found that by breathing upon 

 the cover, and then at once putting 

 down upon it first one and then the 

 other of the papers, scale side to the 

 glass, the scales will adhere to the 

 glass cover, and then by gently warm- 

 ing over a spirit lamp one of the slips 

 prepared as described, the ring of 

 cement will be softened, and the cover- 

 glass with scales may be pressed 

 closely to it, and when cold all will be 

 found firmly fixed. 



If it is desired to mount a small 

 piece of the wing, see that the cell is 

 sufficiently deep, and then, placing the 

 wing in the centre of the cell, by 

 warming the cover-glass and at once 

 putting it down on the cement ring it 

 will attach itself firmly, and may be 

 thus put on one side. 



Some of the fern scales and stellate 

 hairs from plants may be arranged in 

 the centre of one of these cells, and 

 are often fixed firmly enough by the 

 pressure of the warmed cover upon 



