INTRODUCTION. 9 
The animals of very minute species need not be removed 
—the shells may be simply dried. 
A penknife carefully inserted will separate the animal 
from the shells of the bivalves, which should be instantly 
tied up or screwed up in a piece of tissue paper till dry. 
Should this not be done, the ligament will harden with the 
valves open, and the shell cannot then be closed without 
snapping the ligament. 
A set of slugs preserved in spirits forms an interesting 
feature in a collection ; and some guidance is necessary here. 
The animals must not be plunged alive into spirits and 
straightway sealed up. If this is done, they will exude a 
thick coat of mucus, which surrounds them like a cocoon, 
and, moreover, they will shrink up to a very small un- 
interesting mummy. 
They should be drowned in cold water, and when dead 
should be cleaned of the inevitable mucous coat with a 
paint-brush. They should then be put into methylated 
spirit and water (in proportion of 1 spirit to 3 water). 
After three or four days they should be again wiped and 
transferred to a mixture of equal spirit and water, and 
finally, after another interval of the same length, to a 
mixture of 3 spirit to 1 water. 
By this means their tendency to shrink is minimized, 
and they are more apt to retain their markings, which pure 
spirit is apt to obliterate. 
The various slugs in neat glass tubes arranged in trays 
