COLLECTING AND PRESERVING SNAILS, ETC. 13 



(3). 



Water ... 800 parts 



Chloride of zinc ... ., 100 



Dissolve. 



(4). 



White sugar 100 parts 



Methyl-spirit 400 



Common salt ... ... ... ... 200 



Nitrate of potash 50 



Water 750 



(5). 



Hyposulphite of soda q. s. to make a saturated 



solution in 

 Water ) 



Methylated spirit H ual P arts ' 



The slugs, well cleared of their mucus, are to be placed in any 

 one of the above media, in small cylindrical glass tubes and 

 tightly sealed, so as not to admit air. This sealing can be done 

 by means of tightly fitting corks, subsequently covered over with 

 a coating of Brunswick black, or by the use of glass tops cemented 

 down with a mixture of old guttapercha, five parts, and asphalt, 

 four parts, melted together and applied hot. 



In concluding this chapter, I would strongly advise you not to 

 go to the expense of buying cabinets wherein to lodge your shells. 

 Rather purchase large books on the subject with your money.* 

 Cardboard trays are all that is needed for storage purposes. Ic 

 them lay the shells on cotton-wool, with a label bearing the date 

 of capture and the locality, also the specific and if a variety 

 the varietal name, but these are not so important as the locality, 

 for the shells carry their own identification with them. 



* Mr. J. W. Taylor's exhaustive Monograph of the Land and Fresh-Water 

 Mollusca of the British Isles contains everything that is worth knowing. 

 I would strongly advise all collectors to get this book for reference purposes. 



