336 Preservation of Sheppey Fruits. 



amateurs of insects, who were delighted at finding that the 

 subject was capable of being made so full of instruction and 

 interest. — J. O. JV. 



Suggestion of Improvement in Hooker's Icones Plantarum. — ■ 

 As a subscriber to Sir W. J. Hooker's Icones Plantarum, 

 now in course of publication, I am induced to suggest an im- 

 provement. Is it not a pity that the plates are uncolourcd ? 

 The value and utility of the work would be incalculably ad- 

 vanced if this was the case; and, to render it still what it 

 was intended (a cheap work, within the reach of all), I 

 would propose that the plates should be partially coloured, 

 like those in the Companion to the Botanical Magazine. This, 

 I presume, would not increase the expense very materially ; 

 and surely no one would object to pay an additional price for 

 such a great acquisition to the value and utility of the work. 

 — C. May 18. 1837. 



Preservation of Sheppey Fruits. — Several questions have 

 been brought forward, in former Numbers of the Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., by some of your correspondents, as to the best method 

 of preserving from decomposition the fossil fruits and wood 

 of the London clay found at Sheppey ; and various methods 

 have been proposed with a view of attaining that object (Vol. 

 VI. p. 280., and Vol. IX. p. 550.). At. p. 490., Vol. IX., it 

 is suggested, that, after washing with turpentine and lamp-oil, 

 a thin coating of isinglass in solution may be advantageously 

 employed. On the 20th of last September, a friend brought 

 me some of these fossils from Sheppey in pyrites, of which one 

 specimen in particular was more affected by decomposition 

 than the others. I immediately, after cleaning, gave them a 

 dressing of turpentine and lamp-oil, recommended by Mr. 

 Hill (Vol. IX. p. 380.), and laid them in the open air to dry ; 

 but, in only two days after this, I found decomposition begin- 

 ning afresh, the sulphate of iron forming upon them. I 

 removed them into the house, wiped the lamp-oil clean off, 

 and then gave them a coating of dissolved isinglass and spirits 

 of wine ; and, at the end of seven months after this simple 

 process, I find that they are perfectly free from the slightest 

 appearance of decomposition ; and have every reason to con- 

 clude that, for the purposes of the cabinet at least, this pro- 

 cess for their preservation will be found sufficient. On 

 applying the lamp-oil, I found it of little or no use in this 

 instance : it will not dry, it fills up the fibrous appearance on 

 the outside of the fossils, and almost destroys their beauty. 

 The quality of the isinglass obviates this completely ; and it 

 dries almost instantaneously. — John Brown. Stanxvay, near 

 Colchester, April 19. 1837. 



