46 NATURALISTS’ ASSISTANT. 
the printing should be confined to a simple border. ‘This 
border possibly looks best when printed in red ink, and that 
color is employed for the purpose by most museums. Heavy 
paper or cardboard is best for the labels. When the label 
is to be pasted, paper is preferable, but in all other cases the 
cardboard possesses the greater advantages. 
As mentioned above, the purpose of the label is to convey 
information and this should be expressed in as concise and 
plain a manner as possible. In some museums (e. g., that of 
the Boston Society of Natural History), all labels are the 
product of the printer’s art and several copies of each are 
struck off at once, thus affording a supply from which to re- 
plenish as those on the specimens become defaced or injured. 
The expense for this is far less than would be supposed. 
In the majority of cases, however, this plan, cheap as it 
has been found to be, is beyond the means of museums and 
hence the labels should be written. This writing should 
be done with 4/ack ink and in a legible hand, the ordinary 
“marking hand” being well adapted for this purpose. For 
ink, there is nothing better than India ink ground up in 
acetic acid. Windsor and Newton’s liquid India ink is thus 
prepared and is handiest for the purpose. When it becomes 
thick by evaporation, it can be diluted by the use of acetic 
acid. Wo notuse water to dilute it as then the ink is spoiled. 
The principal points which are usually to be enumerated 
on a label are the generic and specific names, locality, date, 
collector and donor. The adjoined label copied from one in 
the Boston Society’s museum shows the usual form. The 
generic name should always begin with a capital, but opinions 
