27 



are fresh, and if colored sketches can be made of rare ones, so 

 much the hetter. 



With reference to the preservation of fish in spirits the 

 following points should he carefully attended to. Before im- 

 mersion, a slight hole should he neatly cut in the abdomen 

 without injuring the intestines, and a little spirit, if possible, 

 injected therein and through the mouth and vent, light plugs 

 of cotton being afterwards inserted in all three. 



Tie to each fish a label of the date and place of capture. 

 This may be written clearly and distinctly with a good pencil 

 on stout writing paper, or on card, or best of all on parch- 

 ment ; or it may be written in ink, which, if allowed to dry 

 before going into spirit, will not afterwards run. Where 

 several specimens or species captured at the same time and 

 place are put into one vessel, it will suffice to put the date 

 and locality securely to this ; but wherever any information 

 relative to a specimen can be given, this should invariably 

 either be affixed to it in full, or a reference to a note be 

 attached. 



Very small specimens are best preserved apart from large 

 ones, say in pickle bottles. Thin-skinned and delicate fish 

 should also be preserved apart from large and rough ones. All 

 fish of any size should be separately wrapped in thin bunting, 

 calico, or old linen, to prevent the loss of scales, and either 

 wrapped securely, but lightly, with string, or be slightly sewn 

 up before immersion in spirit. In order to insure preservation, 

 it "is extremely desirable, after four or five days, to draw off the 

 spirit in which the specimens were first placed, and to sub- 

 stitute fresh spirit. The loss by absorption and evaporation 

 makes this necessary. The fish, securely and separately 

 wrapped up after having been in the first spirit, may be packed 

 in a small barrel. The barrel must be filled, either with 

 specimens, or with tow, hair, &c., to prevent tossing about ; 

 then headed up, filled with the strongest spirit obtainable, 



