On Gathering, Growing and Preparing Mosses. 129 
In order to produce nice herbarium specimens it is necessary 
to take pains with the pressing and drying. I use ordinary 
absorbent paper, such as is used for flowering plants, placed 
between two stout boards, the pressure being obtained in the 
usual way by a strap. A moderate amount of pressure only 
should be applied, and the papers should be changed each day, 
one lot of papers being dried while the others are in use. A 
plentiful supply of paper is always a great advantage. When 
drying a number of specimens of the same species from the 
same locality, if the plants be small, it is a good plan to place 
them together on a piece of newspaper and lay this on the 
absorbent paper. Then when changing the latter the mosses 
can be lifted off in one operation, which is better than moving 
every tuft separately, and there is much less fear of breaking up 
or spoiling the specimens. All large thick tufts should be cut up 
into sections of suitable thickness, either by a knife or a pair of 
scissors. The best results are obtained by cutting the soil and 
rootlets at the base of the tuft, from below upwards, with a 
knife, and then tearing the sections apart, being careful to 
make them fairly uniform in thickness and to retain as far 
as possible the whole outline of the tuft. Species of Sphagnum 
and some pleurocarpous mosses, such as the harpidioid Hypna, 
should not be pressed in too thick masses, but should be in 
thin layers, so as to exhibit the branching of the stems, etc. 
In most cases, however, the natural tufts should not be dis- 
turbed more than necessary, but this does not prevent the 
exercise of taste and careful arrangement in the way the plants 
are spread out on the drying paper, the object being to show 
the natural habit of the species, and at the same time to make 
as pleasing a specimen as possible. 
In cases where small mosses, such as some species of Pottia, | 
etc., are found growing on earth which is likely to crumble 
into dust on drying and so break up the specimen, it is well 
to apply a preparation of isinglass and spirit of wine, such as 
is used in making adhesive plaster, to the attached soil. This 
composition, which is recommended by Leighton for use in 
preserving lichens, is first liquified in a vessel plunged into 
hot water and then carefully applied to the soil by means of 
a camel’s-hair brush. It is readily absorbed, and on cooling 
the isinglass solidifies and effectually binds the earth together. 
Care should of course be taken not to touch the moss itself. 
The specimen may then be pressed and dried in the usual way. 
It sometimes happens that an interesting plant is found 
with fruit in so young or immature a condition that it is 
unsuitable for properly determining the species, and also unfit 
for producing a good herbarium specimen. It is then well 
worth while to grow the plant at home until the fruit is fully 
developed. This is usually quite easily accomplished, either 
1g13 Mar. 1. 
