120 THE VICTORIAN >JATURALIST. 



flo\\ers may be immersed in it for some little time. In this 

 connection I tried kerosene, benzol, and turpentine ; the two 

 former preserved colour, while the latter completely removed 

 it. 



(c.) Paraffin paper used for mounting. The paper is prepared 

 by soaking in solid paraffin which has been melted. The 

 specimen to be preserved is laid out upon the paper in the 

 usual way, then after covering with brown paper, pressed with 

 a hot flat-iron. Just apply sufficient heat to melt the paraffin 

 and sufficient pressure to flatten the specimen, and thus at one 

 stroke as it were, the flower is dried and pressed, and colour 

 preserved. I have seen specimens in the Edinburgh Herbarium 

 treated in this way, with their colours quite fresh years after. 

 In this case both heat (ironing) and a re-agent (paraffin) are 

 used in combination. 



Second — To preserve natural shape and colour, the well- 

 known sand process is a type of the method, but before 

 describing this or any other, let me call your attention to a very- 

 striking fact commented on by Mr. Carruthers, of the British 

 Museum, and president of the Linn^ean Society, in his presi- 

 dential address before the Biological section of the British 

 Association at its recent meeting. 



It has reference to the dry preservation of flowers in their 

 natural colours within the mummy wrappings of the ancient 

 Egyptians, and it is so pertinent to our present subject that I 

 make no apology for quoting it somewhat fully. He says : — 

 " The recent exploration of unopened tombs belonging to an 

 early period in the history of the Egyptian people has permitted 

 the examination of the plants in a condition which could not 

 have been anticipated. . . . The plant remains were 

 included in the mummy wrappings, and, being thus hermeti- 

 cally sealed, have been preserved with scarcely any change. 

 By placing the plants in warm water Dr. Schweinfurth has 

 succeeded in preparing a series of specimens gathered 4000 

 years ago, which are as satisfactory for the purposes of science 

 as any collected at the present day. . . . The colours of 

 the flowers are still present, even the most evanescent, such as 

 the violet of the larkspur and knapweed, and the scarlet of the 

 poppy. The chlorophyll remains in the leaves, and the sugar 

 in the pulp of the raisins. . . . It is difficult without the 

 actual inspection of the specimens of plants employed as 

 garlands, which have been prepared by Dr. Schweinfurth, to 

 realise the wonderful condition of preservation in which they 

 are. The colour of the petals of Papaver rhceas, L. and the 

 occasional presence of the dark patch at their base, present the 

 same peculiarities as are still found in the species growing in 



