384 PHYTOGHAPHY. 



of compartments. Such cabinets can be increased in number as 

 required, are portable, and can be disposed in any order, side by 

 side or one surmounting another, as may be most convenient. 

 The doors should be so constructed as to open and shut readily, 

 but to close tightly, so as to exclude dust and insects. 1 



1 An excellent plan for small and inexpensive herbarium cabinets, of a 

 portable character, is proposed and illustrated by Dr. Parry, in the American 

 Naturalist, viii. 471. Each small case is in fact a plain wooden box, wide 

 enough to hold two tiers of pigeon-hole compartments, and of any desirable 

 height (three compartments high in Dr. Parry's plan, but double the number 

 might be better) : the entire front consists of a pair of doors meeting in the 

 centre, there fastened by a flush spring catch ; the doors bevelled on the inside, 

 with a corresponding bevel on the case, to which they are attached by out- 

 side hinges, so that in opening at a right angle there are no sharp corners to 

 hinder the drawing out of the herbarium papers ; also allowing the cases 

 to stand close side by side, as well as one upon another, without interfering 

 with the free opening of the doors. These, moreover, may swing quite back 

 against the sides without in any way straining the hinges. For lifting, a 

 pair of flush handles, countersunk to the level of the wood, maybe attached 

 to the sides. When the herbarium has to be removed to a distant place, 

 these cases, having no projecting knobs or handles, will go readily into ordi- 

 nary packing-boxes. 



