TAXIDERMY. 105 



stones and marine plants. Some beautiful species 

 are found in the South Sea, which have very 

 slender rays, and which are furnished on each 

 side, with an infinity of very fragile, crustaceous, 

 tentaculae, and consequently very difficult to pre- 

 serve : to do this, it is necessary to soak them in 

 fresh water for several hours ; we then extend them 

 on a plank of soft wood, and keep the rays in their 

 respective position, by the help of pins, which we 

 stick into the plank, along and at the sides of the 

 rays. 



When the animal has dried in this position, we 

 wrap it very cautiously in two sheets of paper. All 

 slight and fragile star-fish must be packed in small 

 boxes, between layers of cotton and flax. We do 

 the same by large ones, but put each of these into 

 a separate case. The Medusa's heads undergo the 

 same preparations as the common star-fish. We 

 find a great quantity of animals almost entirely 

 flabby, and which, from their nature, are not sus- 

 ceptible of any preparation, and the only method 

 of preserving them, is by putting them into spirits. 

 Such are worms, amphitrites, nereides, leeches, 

 taeniae, gordii, &c. &c. 



Echini. 



These extraordinary animals are all marine, and 

 the greater number are very difficult to preserve 

 F 5 



