306 



PKESERVATION" OF COLLECTIONS 



[b. a. 



come quite dry they are brushed, rubbed, 

 and shaken to restore them to their for- 

 mer condition. Specimens tliat have 

 been poisoned are kept under observation 

 for some time in order to ascertain the 

 thoroughness of the treatment, which 

 sometimes must be repeated. Gnawing 

 insects are quickly detected l)y the drop- 

 pings which fall from the specimens at- 

 tacked. In the spring, cases are tested 

 by the introduction of a little formalde- 

 hyde, which drives the insects from their 

 hiding places. Specimens in which or- 

 ganic material is used for mounting or 

 hafting receive careful attention to insure 

 the thorough penetration of the poison 

 to every part of the joints or interstices. 

 Fur skins retaininganimal oils are cleaned 

 and made pliable by a taxidermist, who 

 macerates them in a solution of equal 

 jiarts of saltpeter, alum, borax, and Glau- 

 ber's salt in water (2 oz. of each to the gal- 

 lon) for 2 weeks, stirring once in a while. 

 When removed, the skins are washed and 

 worked till dry. Furriers steep and scour 

 pelts in a bath of alum, bran, and salt to 

 remove grease from the skin, and then in 

 a bath of soap and soda to remove oil 

 from the fur. By this process the skin is 

 tanned. 



The most difficult pests to eradicate are 

 the wood-boring insects, which prey upon 

 baskets, sapwood, and Avood containing 

 fecula. For plain wooden articles baking 

 is necessary, followed by treatment with 

 corrosive sublimate, as described above. 

 In some museums specimens are sub- 

 jected to dry heat iu a sterilizing oven. 

 The dangers of gasoline are thus avoided. 

 But all specimens can not be treated by 

 heat, and when specimens are placed in 

 the oven in masses the heat does not suf- 

 ficiently penetrate the interior to kill 

 germs. Baskets, if soiled from use, may 

 be scoured with a stiff brush and soap 

 and water previous to fnmigation and 

 poisoning. They may also, when dry, 

 be rubbed with a preparation made by 

 dissolving an ounce of paraffin in a pint 

 of turpentine and adding a little drying 

 oil. This gives a slight gloss to the sur- 

 face, brings out the design, and repels 

 insects. It will also preserve, to some 

 extent, nnglazed pottery from dust and 

 the effects of dampness, Avhich sometimes, 

 especially in mortuary pottery, cause ex- 

 foliation and the ultimate destruction of 

 the vessels. In more serious cases vessels 

 may be submerged in gasoline containing 

 6 oz. of paraffin to the gallon. Sam- 

 ples of foodstuffs and food preparations 

 are placed in glass jars, a little gasoline 

 is poured into each, and the jars are 

 tightly closed. Moth balls may subse- 

 quently be placed in the jars. Moth balls 

 of crude naphthol may be laid among 

 specimens, some of which may have spots 



to which the poison has not adhered. 

 Except in nearly air-tight spaces, how- 

 ever, moth balls do not protect unpoi- 

 soned articles from attacks of insects, while 

 camphor, tobacco, pepper, and essential 

 oils are practically valueless. It is found 

 of advantage to brush the interior of draw- 

 ers where specimens are stored with cor- 

 rosive sublimate solution to prevent the 

 harboring of insects in the corners and 

 crevices, where they commonly undergo 

 metamorphosis. Flags or other textiles 

 of historic or ethnologic value which are 

 fragile may l)e preserved by dampening 

 them with a weak solution of alum and 

 gum arable in water. The alum pre- 

 serves the colors and the gum arable 

 gives strength. Such specimens should 

 be draped on wire netting or some other 

 suitable support. Specimens of animal 

 or vegetal origin must generally be 

 poisoned to prevent the attacks of 

 insects, placed in dust-proof cases, kept 

 dry, and in some instances guarded 

 against direct sunlight or strong re- 

 flected light, and against extremes of 

 heat and cold. 



Spears, swords, and other objects of iron 

 are oiled with kerosene to soften rust, 

 which then easily yields to gentle scraping 

 with a knife blade. This is followed by a 

 rubbing with emery cloth until the metal 

 is clean, since the discolored layer beneath 

 is the seat of continued oxidation. When 

 clean, the metal is coated with the tur- 

 pentine -paraffin solution and lightly 

 wiped. Objects eaten by rust are warmed 

 and dipped in the solution. If the objects 

 are thin and fragile, they must be han- 

 dled with care until the solution dries. 

 The same treatment is given to exfoliat- 

 ing or verdigrised bronzes. Ancient 

 pottery having incrustations on the exte- 

 rior and chemical infiltrations is dipped 

 in a l-to-5 mixture of commercial muri- 

 atic acid in water, washed for 2 hours in 

 plenty of pure water, and dried. 



Among numerous materials used for re- 

 pairing, cements and glues are important. 

 For wooden articles a mixture of equal 

 parts of white and brown glue, applied 

 hot, suffices, or some of the trade liquid 

 glues may be used. Plaster casts are 

 mended with shellac dissolved in alcohol. 

 Objects of stone, bone, shell, glass, por- 

 celain, earthenware, etc., are preferably 

 mended with casein cement. 



Consult Hough, Preservation of Mu- 

 seum Specimens from Insects and the 

 Effects of Dampness, Rep. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus. 1887, 1889; Hrdlicka, Directions for 

 Collecting Information and Specimens for 

 Physical Anthropology, Bull. U. S. Nat. 

 Mus., No. 39, 1904; Jones in Am. An- 

 throp., vii, no. 4, 1905; Wilder, ibid., vi, 

 no. 1, 1904; Willoughby, ibid., x, no. 2, 

 1908. (w. H.) 



