BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 33 



ately back of the lecture-table thrust upon the shelves in a 

 way disregarding their value. In public display of museums, 

 we are ahead." 



She was amazed at the libraries, both at the Royal Academy 

 and at the University of Upsala, and she found the arrange- 

 ments of the botanical division of the Academy, as conducted 

 by Professor Willrock, excellent. She says : 



"The flora of Europe and of other countries was kept in 

 portfolios behind locked doors. I never saw such beautiful 

 preservation of leaves and color of flowers. He said the colors 

 were only preserved by careful drying, it being necessary to 

 change the paper frequently during the drying and pressing. 

 He had series of dried plants showing the different stages of 

 growth and development from first to last. This same idea was 

 carried out with the plants in alcohol (about 50% alcoholic 

 solutions). This means of keeping plants is new to me and 

 most excellent. 



"The fungi and algae were prepared by taking very thin 

 sections, drying and gumming them on paper. The spores were 

 allowed to drop from the fungi upon paper, which preserved 

 absolutely the arrangement of the spores as they are on the 

 fungi. 



"The collection of alcoholic specimens of all fruits and 

 fleshy plants was very large and superb in value of specimens. 



"Such collections and the ready access of other collections 

 in near towns cannot fail to make students. Study from ob- 

 jects, collections, and by observation seems to be the method 

 of study generally followed. 



"The ethnographical collection, under the direction of Pro- 

 fessor Smitt, was very instructive. The specimens were outside 

 of cases and exposed for close examination. 



"Smitt is working up the fishes and has made some com- 

 parative measurements of value. 



"The Laboratorrein for the preparation of specimens for the 

 museum is outside of the city on a stretch of the Baltic. Smitt 

 took us in a yacht belonging to the museum; his wife accom- 

 panied us. The cold was intense. The water was covered with 

 little boats. The maceration, as the Laboratorrein is called, 



