DISPLAY OF ALCOHOLIC SPECIMENS. 129 



and the end of the wire let into a hole in a stick of the desired length. 

 If the jar is greasy, it may be cleaned perfectly by means of the 

 liquid soap ( 248). 



After washing, glass jars should be well rinsed with clean water, 

 and dried with a soft but not linty towel, and finally if for the 

 exhibition of specimens polished inside and out with a bit of old 

 silk or chamois leather. 



FIG. 34 BOTTLE BRDSH ; reduced ; 316. 



318. Display of Alcoholic Specimens. Of course the alco- 

 hol should be clear and the jar clean ; but as the jars are commonly 

 cylindrical while many specimens are more or less compressed, the 

 surface of the specimen is sometimes undesirably distant from the 

 side of the jar, and the image is distorted by the intervening liquid. 

 When the compressed jars mentioned in 315 are not available, a 

 smaller bottle or jar of clear glass may be introduced so as to crowd 

 the specimen against one side of the jar. The inner jar must be 

 loaded with lead or filled with alcohol or water to such an extent as 

 to just sink it in the alcohol. If water is used, the smaller jar must 

 be very tightly closed. See Appendix, 1456. 



As a rule, an exhibition jar should contain only one specimen. 



319. Packing Alcoholic Specimens for Transportation. 

 There are certain precautions of general application, but the details 

 vary according to the nature of the specimens and the conditions of 

 transportation. 



In most cases the specimens should be packed before the alcohol 

 is poured in, and the vessel should always ^filled. 



Unless a pail is used, or a box or basket with an unmistakable 

 handle, and "This side up" prominently inscribed, the package 

 should be prepared for any position. 



In respect to transportation, specimens may be grouped as 

 coarse, delicate, and scaly. 



Coarse Specimens. Under this head come most entire examples 

 of the larger number of vertebrates. These, or their firmer parts, 

 may be packed with no precaution other than to fill the vacancies 

 with hay or " excelsior" before introducing the alcohol. 

 9 



