IV 



INGENIOUS LABELLING 6i 



the objects in the spirits was a great need, but one 

 extremely difficult to meet. If any one will con- 

 sider how, before suspending from a substance like 

 glass, in a fluid like spirits of wine, an elaborate 

 section of a part of the respiratory or circulating 

 system of a large mammal, he would proceed to 

 affix labels to all the different parts, that these 

 labels might remain perfectly legible, fixed, and 

 without corrosion or decay, he will possibly begin 

 to feel the difficulties of the problem. The matter 

 was keenly discussed between Flower and his 

 assistants. The former suggested fastening small 

 and light numbered labels of enamelled metal to 

 the different parts. These numbers could then be 

 made to refer to a book of names corresponding, to 

 be attached to the outside of the glass case. Mr. 

 W. Pearson, to whose province these preparations 

 more particularly fell, suggested that the spirit would 

 probably not affect printed paper, provided that the 

 paper and ink were of the very best, as it preserved 

 such very delicate animal substances. Flower 

 recommended him to try some for a year in spirits 

 and to note the result. In doing so he was careful 

 to select the very best paper and printing, and to 

 that end cut up some portions of the Zoological 

 Record, the chief scientific production of the Royal 

 Zoological Society, which is printed with ink on 

 paper intended to last. The result was quite 

 satisfactory. Since then the parts of the prepara- 

 tions were all labelled and described in ordinary 



