> 





Preserving SUBJECTS in SPIRITS. 316 



which is to be next to the bottle, and tie It tightly about the 

 neck, place the bottle with the mouth downward in a fmall 

 wooden cup> and fill it with melted tallow, or tallow mix- 

 ed with wax, until all the bladder or leather cover is bu- 

 ried in it, and the tallow adheres to the fides of the neck; 

 this will efFeftually prevent the fine parts of the fpirits 

 from flying off. Great care muft be taken to have the 

 edge of the bottle very dry, and if rubbed with a feather,, 

 dipped in oil, it will be better, and in filling the cup, to 



have the tallow no hotter than is barely neceffary to make 

 it fluid. 



The fccond method is, after the fpecimen and fpirit 

 put into the bottle, dry the infide of the peck and edge^ 

 thoroughly, and anoint them wnth a feather dipped in oil, 

 Hop the bottle with a cork well fitted and fi:eeped In oil, 

 till it has Imbibed as much as it can contain, cover the cork 

 and edge of the bottle with a layer of putty prepared as 

 direded above, and tie a piece of foft leather or bladder 

 over the whole. 



Olive, or any other fat oil, is to be .preferred to fuch as 

 dry eafily; I would alfo recommend the ufe of fpirits of a 

 moderate flrcngth, as thofe that are very fl:rong burn up 

 and difcolour the fpecimens, particularly fuch as have fine 



% 



^^ 



^ 



s are 



^1 



colours. 



Thefe two methods have the advantage of Mr. 



de Reaumur\.i in tlie finallnefs of the expence and eafinefs 



to procure the materials. For fpecimens that it will nor 

 be necefiliry at times to take out of the bottles I would re- 

 commend the firft method, as more obftacles are oppofed. 

 to the evaporation than in the fecond, befides the cup, the 

 coft of which is very trifling, puts the bottle In lefs danger 

 of being ovci'fet and broken, than mofl: bottles are wher\ 

 ftanding on their bottoms. 



/ 



A Letter 



^\c. 



