156 MOSSES AND LIVERWORTS 



three flat surfaces, thus giving as many cutting 

 edges, which are specially helpful for instance, in 

 separating the leaves of a plant from the stem or 

 branch. The sail needles, heing large and strong, 

 are most useful in the less delicate operations, 

 hut they require to he well sharpened on a hone 

 after heing mounted ; the glovers' needles, which 

 are more serviceable in the finer work, are made 

 with a sufficiently keen edge, but of course need 

 to be sharpened from time to time, as they become 

 blunt from use. 



Common lead pencils make extremely con- 

 venient handles in which to mount these needles. 

 After being cut into suitable lengths, they should 

 be well soaked in hot water, which melts the 

 glue, and in a short time the pencil may easily be 

 separated into two pieces, and the lead pushed out 

 of the groove in which it lies. The needle should 

 then be laid in this groove, so as to project for 

 three-quarters of an inch or more beyond the end 

 of the wood ; a fine pin or needle is run through 

 the eye into the wood, so as to hold the needle in 

 place, and is cut off with a pair of wire nippers, 

 leaving a small length to be forced into the other 

 half of the pencil when put in place. In the case 

 of the glovers' needles, which are much finer than 

 the sail needles, some amount of packing with 

 small chips of wood may be advisable. The other 

 half of the pencil is now glued on to its former 

 position, being pressed down over the end of the 



