150 A SPRING AND SUMMER IN LAPLAND. 



take little room. If lie wishes to preserve speci- 

 mens of fish, he has but two plans : he must 

 either skin them and stretch them on cardboard 

 or wood, or he must dry them in dry salt, in a box, 

 which will preserve them perfectly fresh for a little 

 time. The moisture, however, runs out of a 

 wooden box. Before putting them into the salt, 

 let him wrap each specimen separately in paper or 

 fine linen ; for without this precaution the fin-rays 

 will become so brittle that they will break off. 

 Pound the salt fine, as, if it is in lumps, it will 

 leave dents in the fishes ; and lay the fishes, in 

 layers, with a good bed of salt between each. 

 The entrails should be taken out, or they will rot 

 and spoil the specimen ; but preserve the stomach 

 with the food in. He can get no spirits after he 

 leaves the towns ; and if he has to carry his bag- 

 gage any distance, a keg of spirits will be a very 

 expensive article. Still, if his real object be 

 ichthyology, there is no way of bringing home 

 really good specimens except in spirits ; although, 

 since I came from Lapland, I have seen specimens 

 of fish preserved wholly in zinc canisters, with 

 common salt, keep very well for months ; and this 

 plan I shall certainly adopt another year. Cover 

 over the aperture with wet bladder, which will effec- 

 tually keep the air from the specimens. Salt can 

 be got up in Lapland, and all the collector needs 



