46 NATURALISTS' ASSISTANT. 



the printing should be confined to a simple border. This 

 border possibly looks best when printed in red ink, and that 

 color is employed for the purpose by most museums. Heavy 

 paper or cardboard is best for the labels. When the label 

 is to be pasted, paper is preferable, but in all other cases the 

 cardboard possesses the greater advantages. 



As mentioned above, the purpose of the label is to convey 

 information and this should be expressed in as concise and 

 plain a manner as possible. In some museums (e. g., that of 

 the Boston Society of Natural History), all labels are the 

 product of the printer's art and several copies of each are 

 struck off at once, thus affording a supply from which to re- 

 plenish as those on the specimens become defaced or injured. 

 The expense for this is far less than would be supposed. 



In the majority of cases, however, this plan, cheap as it 

 has been found to be, is beyond the means of museums and 

 hence the labels should be written. This writing should 

 be done with black ink and in a legible hand, the ordinary 

 " marking hand " being well adapted for this purpose. For 

 ink, there is nothing better than India ink ground up in 

 acetic acid. Windsor and Newton's liquid India ink is thus 

 prepared and is handiest for the purpose. When it becomes 

 thick by evaporation, it can be diluted by the use of acetic 

 acid. Do not use water to dilute it as then the ink is spoiled. 



The principal points which are usually to be enumerated 

 on a label are the generic and specific names, locality, date, 

 collector and donor. The adjoined label copied from one in 

 the Boston Society's museum shows the usual form. The 

 generic name should always begin with a capital, but opinions 



