MOUNTING OF SPECIMENS 23 



PREPARATION O? CANADA BALSAM MOUNTS 



Materials required: 



Clean slides and cover-slips. 



Needles. 



Forceps. 



Tube of Canada balsam. 



Alcohol lamp or Bunsen flame. 



Operation: 



1 . Place numbered or labeled slides in regular order. 



2. Obtain specimen. This material must be thoroughly dry 



or suspended in xylol, chloroform or turpentine oil. 



3. Place small drop of balsam upon specimen. 



4. Clean needle. 



5. Warm the balsam slightly and mix the specimen thoroughly 



with it. 



6. Place cover-slip upon the mixture of balsam and specimen. 



7. Clean the needle used for mixing. 



Permit the mounted specimens to remain flat for a few days, after 

 which time the excess balsam may be removed with xylol or turpentine. 



It is essential that the simple operation of mount- 

 ing specimens be performed with care and cleanli- 

 ness. Defective mounts make future observations 

 difficult, if not impossible. Small dust particles and 

 finger prints are of consequence when highly magnified 

 and may seriously interfere with good work. 



