MOUNTING SPECIMENS FOR EXHIBITION. 53 
mount on wooden tablets. These wooden tablets, which are 
very generally adopted in museums for specimens of all kinds, 
should be made of whitewood. The grain of pine shows too 
plainly while basswood warps badly. It is best to have them 
made with a depression in which to mount the specimen and 
an elevated portion on which to affix the label. The form is 
shown in section in fig. 20. These can be made in long 
FIG. 20. 
strips at any planing mill and then sawed up in lengths to 
suit. ‘The sizes should be so adjusted that two of the smallest 
will equal the next in size and so on. ‘They then readily fit 
together and fill up a case without any bad gaps. The 
smallest should be one inch wide by two long, the next in 
size two inches square, tnen two by four, etc. 
These tabiets are usually painted dead black. A cheap 
way of accomplishing this is with lampblack mixed with 
spirits of turpentine and a very little oil. This, however, is 
apt to rub off slightly and soil the hands and cases. A more 
expensive paint, which produces the best results, is the ivory 
black used by carriage makers. ‘This should be mixed with 
a little shellac varnish and applied with a brush. Sometimes 
