HANDBOOK OF FOSSILS. 77 



need never be wasted, as it will keep almost any length of time, 

 and can therefore be put by for future use. In default of the 

 egg-boiler or wire-net spoon, an equally useful plan is to make a 

 strainer from a piece of perforated zinc by turning up the edges 

 all around, and attaching copper wire to it by which to lower the 

 fossils into the gelatine, and raise them again. 



When the fossils are quite dry they can be sorted, and those 

 which have come to pieces may be mended with diamond cement 

 (i.e. isinglass dissolved in acetic acid), and then properly labelled 

 and placed in trays, or mounted as previously described. 



To the plant remains and Lignite there is little that can be 

 done beyond trimming them to suit the trays. Should there be 

 much iron pyrites in the Lignite, it is sure, sooner or later, to 

 decompose, when all that can be done is to throw it away. In the 

 case, however, of valuable fruits and seeds, such as those from the 

 London Clay of Sheppey, it is worth while to preserve them, if 

 possible, in almost the only way known, viz. by keeping them in 

 glycerine in wide-mouthed stoppered bottles, or by saturating 

 them with paraffin. 



Having prepared the specimens for the cabinet, the next thing 

 is to arrange them in proper order. There are several ways of 

 doing this, but for those who have not had much experience the 

 following plan will be found the best : Group the specimens 

 according to the formations to which they belong, and arrange 

 these groups in proper sequence (vide Table, p. 1 6); then take each 

 group, and arrange the specimens it comprises in columns. 

 Beginning at the top of the left-hand corner, place first the 

 specimens of the rock itself, and under it any examples of 

 minerals, concretions, etc., found in that rock ; next the fossil 

 plants, if any ; and finally, such animal remains as you have 

 arranged according to their zoological sequence, beginning with 

 the lower forms (vide Table, p. 32). Unless cramped for room, 

 each formation should begin a new box, its name being written on 

 a slip of paper and placed at the head of the columns of trays. A 

 label setting forth its contents should be fixed outside each of 

 the boxes, which can then be put away on your cupboard shelves. 



