232 THE COLLECTION OF BOTANICAL SPECIMENS 



and branchlets should also be strapped down with strips of gummed 

 linen. Before attaching a specimen to the sheet, it should be carefully 

 examined to see that it exhibits both surfaces of the leaves, as well as 

 both the inner and outer surfaces of the flowers. Finally, an appropriate 

 label is to be gummed to a convenient part of the sheet, preferably to 

 the lower right-hand corner. 



Wood specimens and other parts which cannot be attached to the 

 sheets may be preserved in suitable boxes or cabinets, according to 

 the taste and means of the collector. In all such cases, careful reference 

 should be made upon the label of each part of a specimen to the existence 

 of the other parts elsewhere. 



Collecting Specimens for Immediate Examination in the Fresh State. — 

 For this purpose, various forms of tin case, commonly known as vascu- 

 lums, are provided. In these cases, specimens placed without free 

 access of air and light and without the addition of anything more than 

 their natural moisture, may be preserved perfectly for many days. In 

 the absence of proper vasculum, any tin pail or tin })ox with a tightly 

 fitting cover may be used. The author has found it very convenient 

 to carry with him a square yard of thin rubber cloth, which may be 

 folded tightly and carried in the pocket without any inconvenience, 

 and used when occasion requires. 



