LEAVES 



147 



(c) Remove the saucepan from the fire, place the leaves 

 in a basin of clear water, and allow them to remain for a few 

 minutes. This removes the alkali. 



(d) Place one leaf on a dinner plate and let water drip 

 on it. The leaf will spread out upon the white surface of 

 the plate, and the 



water will remove the 

 pulp, leaving the net- 

 work clean. 



(e) A little bleach- 

 ing powder can be 

 used if it is desired to 

 bleach the specimens, 

 and solutions of log- 

 wood or aniline dyes 

 can be employed if 

 one wishes to stain 

 them. But the natu- 

 ral color of the veins 

 is best. 



(/) After the pulp 

 has been removed, the skeleton can be transferred to blot- 

 ting paper and laid in a book until thoroughly dry. 



(g) Mounted under glass, they will keep indefinitely for 

 class use; and if placed between two glasses, they make 

 handsome transparencies. They may also be used in lantern 

 slides, where they are very effective. 



Suggestion. Mount a bit of skeleton leaf on a micro- 

 scope slide in a drop of water. Cover it with a cover glass 

 and examine it with a low power. If the skeleton leaf has 

 been carefully prepared, the terminations of veinlets will 

 be seen. Draw. Permanent mounts may be made by 



FIG. 59. Skeletonized leaf of Judas tree. 



