370 Introduction to Botany. 



paper is cut into pieces 4^5 by 5f inches in size. The Alga to be 

 mounted is placed in a pan of water, and the piece of herbarium paper, 

 while resting at its center on the tips of the fingers and thumb, is sub- 

 merged beneath the Alga and carefully brought up against it, care being 

 taken as the paper is lifted from the water that the Alga spreads out 

 equally on all sides. If success is not attained at first the process 

 should be repeated until the branches of the Alga are symmetrically dis- 

 tributed. The paper is then laid on a drier, and a piece of old muslin 

 over the Alga, and then over all a drier, board, and weight. The driers 

 are to be changed as usual, but the cloth is not to be removed until the 

 specimen is dry. When dry, the Alga sticks to the herbarium paper 

 without further assistance, but not to the cloth, which has been em- 

 ployed for that reason. 



Very delicate specimens, such as the sporangia of some Myxomy- 

 cetes, need to be protected against crushing. A piece of the sub- 

 stratum to which they are growing, such as a dried leaf, twig, or rotting 

 log, should be glued to a piece of cardboard, and then strips of cork or 

 strawboard should be fastened to the card, on two sides of the speci- 

 men, to support a cardboard cover. Thus protected, the specimen is to 

 be inclosed in a folded envelope fastened to the herbarium paper as 

 already described. 



It is the practice of some botanists to fasten the envelopes contain- 

 ing mosses, etc., and the small sheets of paper on which the Algae are 

 mounted, to herbarium paper n| by 8 inches in size, which is just 

 one-half the standard size. The specimens should be kept in dust- 

 free wooden cases or tin boxes. A wooden case, with tightly fitting 

 door, and provided with thin shelves about three inches apart, is very 

 convenient. 



