INTRODUCTION. 29 



such like plants, may be so treated, by first shaking 

 the water out of them and then thoroughly mingling 

 them with dry sea sand, and drying them rough i]i the 

 usual way. She says the sand will adhere to the 

 most delicate fibres and ramuli of the plant in such 

 a way as to keep them separate and prevent their 

 getting glued together. Then when they are after- 

 wards soaked out, the sand will be disengaged and 

 the plant left as good as ever it was. Perhaps I 

 ought to suggest that " soaking out " should always 

 be done with salt water, unless you know you 

 have only those plants that fresh water will not hurt. 

 When I have had specimens of the " Rockwecd " or 

 '•'Kelp" sent me "rough dried," I have found it 

 best to prepare them for mounting, not by immers- 

 ing them in water, and so getting a great quantity 

 of moisture into them, which would have to be ex- 

 pelled afterwards with no little trouble, but by wrap- 

 ping them about with wet towels ; from these they 

 would imbibe enough dampness to be manageable, 

 but not enough to make them troublesome. 



Before taking leave of this part of my subject, I 

 must permit myself to add a word in regard to a 

 point which botanists commonly think too little about, 

 viz : the display of taste in the mounting of their 

 plants. To the mere botanist a plant is a specimen 



