1853.] 



DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING, <fec., SPECIMENS OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



175 



and from six to twenty inches long, by two to six "wide. Tliey 

 are made like pillow-cases, open at one end, and sewed around 

 the other three edges with coaree stitches. The specimens, on 

 being gathered, may be put into a bag of proper size, and the 

 mouth closed by tying a piece of thread. A number may be 

 marked on the bag with a pencil, or with ink on a parchment 

 label, placed inside or tied to one corner. These bags are of in- 

 calculable service on a march, or in transporting collections, the 

 individuals of which are to be kept separate for any purpose 

 whatever. 



2. Vertkdrata. — Fishes under six inches in length need not 

 have the abdominal incision. Specimens with the scales and fins 

 perfect should be selected, and, if convenient, stitched or pinned 

 in bits of muslin, (fee, to preserve the scales. In general, fishes 

 under twelve or fifteen inches in length should be chosen. The 

 skins of larger ones may be put in liquor. It is important to 

 collect even the smallest. 



With regard to the sharks and sJcates, it will be best to take 

 the jaws and vertebral column as well as their skins. But, as it 

 very often happens that bodies in a state of decomposition are 

 met with upon the beaches or shores, it should then never be 

 neglected to take these hard parts. The tail of skates is also 

 desirable. If convenient, some vertebrte and teeth may be pre- 

 served in spirits far microscopic examination. 



Reptiles, as already observed, should be preserved in 

 liquids when their size does not forbid this mode of preser\ation. 

 Persons at leisure may find pleasure in preparing the skins of 

 many small kinds as a double series. 



A collection of birds in alcohol or spirit would be a valuable 

 acquisition to a public collection, as much is still to be learned 

 with regard to their anatomical structure. There are no birds, 

 with the exception of the large osti-iches, which could not be 

 collected for that purpose. This is a matter to which the col- 

 lector should be especially attentive. Skins, however, of the first 

 few individuals of rare species should be secured. And on a 

 march it will not often be convenient to preserve specimens in 

 spirit, as the space allotted for collections in alcohol is generally 

 required for' reptiles, fishes, small mammalia, and invertebrata. 



3. Invertebrata. — Insects, Bugs, dc. — The harder kinds 

 may be put in liquor, as above, but the \-essel or bottles shoukl 

 not be very large. Butterflies, wasps, flies, &c., may be pinned 

 in boxes, or packed in layers with soft paper or cotton. Minute 

 kinds should be carefidly sought under stones, bark, dung, or 

 flowers, or swept with a small net from grass or leaves. They 

 may be put in quills, or small cones of pa]3er, one in each. They 

 may be killed by nnmereing the bottles, &c., in which they are 

 collected, in hot water, or exposing them to the vapor of ether. 



It will fi-equently be found convenient to preserve or transport 

 insects pinned down in boxes. The bottoms of these are best 

 lined with cork or soft wood. 



The tra\'eller will find it very convenient to carry about him a 

 ^'ial having a broad moutli, closed by a tight cork. In this, 

 should be contained a piece of camphor, or, still better, of sponge 

 soaked in ether, to kill the insects collected. From this, the 

 specimens should be transferred to other bottles. 



Ether will be found most effective in killing all insects that 

 cannot or ought not to be immereed in alcohol All those that 

 can support the immeision in this liquid without injury may 

 readily be killed in this way. 



The camphor should always be fixed in the box containing 

 insects, as it would break the feet and antenna? of the latter if in 

 a loose and crystalline state. It may be kept in a piece of mus- 

 lin or canvas, and then pinned at the bottom of the box. 



Marine shells, crabs, worms, sea cucumbers, star fishes, sea 



urchins, and polypes, should be put in spirit and in small vessels, 

 so as to pre\'ent too great pressure. Sea urchins and star fishes 

 may also be dried after having been previously immersed for a 

 minute or two in boiling water, and packed up in cotton, or any 

 soft material which may be at hand. 



The hard parts of corals, and shells of mollusca, may alone be 

 preserved in a dried state. The soft parts ai-e removed by im- 

 mersing the animals for a minute or two in hot water, and washed 

 clean afterwards. The valves of bivalve shells shoidd be brought 

 together by a string. 



Spiders, scorpions, centipedes or thousand-legs, earth-worms, 

 hair-worms, and generally all worm-like animals to be met in 

 fi-esh waters, either clear and running, or still and putrid, cannot 

 be better preserved than in the strongest alcoholic hquor, and in 

 small bottles or vials. 



§ IV. EMBRYOS. 



Much of the future progress of zoology will depend upon the 

 extent and variety of the collections which may be made of the 

 embryos and fcetuses of animals. No opportunity should be 

 omitted to procui-e these and preserve them in spirits. All stages 

 of development will be equally interesting, and complete series 

 for the same species are of the highest interest. Not only the 

 domestic mammalia, as hoi'se, cow, sheep, hog, dog, i&c, sliould 

 be collected, but also anj' of the wild animals, as deer, bears, 

 wolves, foxes, antelope, and any and every species. Whenever 

 any females of such mammalia are killed, the uterus should be 

 examined for embryos, and the smaller or more minute, in many 

 cases, the more interesting. When eggs of birds, reptiles or fish, 

 are emptied of their young, these should be preserved. It will 

 be suflSciently evident that great care is required to label the 

 specimei:s, as in most cases it will be impossible to determine the 

 species from the zoological characters. 



§ V. HF.STS AND EGGS. 



Nothing forms a more attractive feature in a museum, or is 

 more acceptable to amateure, than the nests and eggs of birds. 

 These should be collected whenever they present themsehes, and 

 in any amount procurable for each species, as they are always in 

 demand for purposes of exchange. Hundreds of eggs of any 

 s]5ecies with their nests (or without, when not to be had) will be 

 gladly received. 



Nests require little preparation beyond packing so as to be 

 secure from crumbling or injury. The eggs of each nest, when 

 emptied, may be replaced in it and the remaining space filled 

 with cotton. 



Eggs, when fresh, and before the chick has foiTned, may be 

 emptied by making a nnnute hole at each end, and blowing or 

 sucking out the contents. Should hatching have already com- 

 menced, an aperture may be made in one side by carefully 

 pricking with a fine needle round a small circle or ellipse, and 

 thus cutting out a piece. The larger kinds should be well washed 

 inside, and all allowed to diy before packing away. If the egg 

 be too small for the name, a number should be marked with ink 

 corresponding to a memorandum list. Little precaution is re- 

 quired in packing, beyond arranging in layers with cotton and 

 having the box entirely filled. 



The eggs of reptiles, provided with a calcareous shell, can be 

 prepared in a similar way. 



The eggs of fishes, salamanders and frogs, may be preserved in 

 spirits, and kept in small vials or bottles. A label should never 

 be omitted. 



§ VI. SKELETONIZING. 



Skulls of quadrupeds may be prepared by boiling in water for 

 a few hours. A little potash, or ley, added, will facilitate the 

 removal of the flesh. 



