Specimens in Pickle. 263 



who may find himself unexpectedly surrounded by a 

 similar embarras de richesse. 



" The material obtained between tide-marks in the 

 bay at Westport (Clew Bay) was so abundant that it 

 was difficult to find proper means to preserve it on 

 the way home. The quantity of spirits we had pro- 

 vided for the occasion was too small, and glass vessels 

 were too risky in transit. Salt was thought of, and 

 although it had never been recommended in such 

 cases, \ve thought that most likely, if it could preserve 

 a barrel of herrings, it would do so with a shrimp or 

 crab. 



" In this belief a tin box was procured that would 

 hold about an imperial gallon, with a mouth suffici- 

 ently large to admit the hand, and with a cover to fit 

 on flush with the surface. Into this the collections 

 were put as they were obtained between layers of salt. 

 The gatherings were from between tide-marks and by 

 the dredge, and consisted of Crustacea, from amphi- 

 pods to decapods, echinoderms, mollusks, zoophytes, 

 fishes, and sea-weeds. We observed that when 

 Crustacea were put into the salt it did not irritate 

 them much. They appeared soon to get sluggish and 

 die, and were not so liable to throw off their limbs as 

 they do when put into spirits. 



" On arriving home, some of them, after six days' 

 pickling, were found to be in good condition, with the 

 colours little or none affected. This was very re- 

 markable in the case of the sea-weed, of the pre- 

 servation of which we had entertained no hope, but 

 had thrown some of it in among the other things 

 as a desperate experiment, but it also was in good 



