20 THE VICTOKIAX NATURALIST 



experiment, and decomposition arrested. Vaseline, almond oil, and 

 oliye oil, have all been tried with equal success, and here in Australia 

 W3 have just to try it further with eucalj^ptus oil. Trulj^, after all 

 science and simplicitj are near akin, if not synonymous, as the 

 simplest means may often prove the most effective. I think I am 

 somewhat justified from these two striking examples of microscopic 

 Hiethods being applied on the big scale, in saying to those of a 

 'suggestive turn of mind^ that latent discoveries exist here — 

 discoveries which might be turned to practical account, like the dry 

 preparation of animal specimens, or the arrest of the decomposition 

 of the blood. 



In the title of this paper, I have indicated some of the uses to 

 Tvhich such dry preparations may be applied, — for museum and 

 teaching purposes. First, for museums, and here their use is 

 evident The object of a museum being public instruction, whatever 

 lielps in the accomplishment of that end is to be commended and 

 encouraged. TJie soft parts of animals are at least as instructive as 

 the hard parts, but of the visitors to our museums, who cares for the 

 spirit preserved specimens, or gives them more than a passing^ 

 curious glance, regarding them as so much flabby material, without 

 seeming order or beauty? The shells of many animals are beautiful 

 and artistic, the skeletons are, at least, wonderful, but the internal 

 parts suggest little or nothing as commoidy exhibited. Now, if a 

 number of the commoner animals were displayed after the manner of 

 these dry preparations, in glass covered card-boxes, with the 

 important parts coloured and named, such as the heart, stomach, 

 lungs, kidney, &c., I venture to say that the general public would 

 then take an interest in something they can understand. Beside 

 the skeleton of the animal might be placed, the various organs wliich 

 it is its function to support and protect; and thus the public would 

 cease to regard the animals as so much skin and bone, from seeing 

 so frequently in museums only stuffed specimens and skeletons. 

 And just to single out one class of animals, I think it would be a 

 unique collection to have the bodies of the mollusca represented in 

 our museums, alongside of their shells — to liave the whelk and the 

 limpet, the mussel and the snail, placed beside the houses they 

 construct and inhabit, so that the wonderful architects might have 

 some share of the interest and admiration their works excite. To 

 any one ho)-e interested in that class, I would suggest that his 

 interest could take no better shape than i^reparing such a collection, 

 and perhaps presenting it to one of our public museums. 



It is becoming customary in many museums, to have Students* 

 Type Collections, cases wlicre the genuine student can go and study 

 iho leading types of animals, with their various parts displayed to 

 advantage. For tliis purpose I can conceive nothing better adapted 

 than these dry preparations, to show every part, if need be, in its 



