November 5, 1915] 



SCIENCE 



657 



No originality is, of course, claimed for this 

 system of labeling, but the writer does not 

 happen to know of its being used elsewhere for 

 chemical specimens. Any one may easily 

 devise letters and numbers to fit his present 

 collection as well as future additions. Pro- 

 vision may be made for alloys, commercial 

 samples, and the like, wherever necessary. 



It is convenient to write the letters and 

 figures in two lines, library style, as, " S 6 " 

 is written large with the " th 2 " written small, 

 beneath. Three figures, with the initial, will 

 be the maximum number of characters in the 

 first line. For the lower line, the rule is not 

 to use more than three letters, while two 

 figures will always be sufficient. 



The bottles used in the writer's collection 

 are one-pound and half-pound " salt mouth," 

 of uniform style, with " mushroom " stoppers. 

 These are convenient sizes, the smaller size 

 being used mainly for the more costly sub- 

 stances. There are two labels on each bottle. 

 The larger labels are known to the trade as 

 No. 1006, about four by one and five eighths 

 inches. The names of the substances are 

 printed on these labels with rubber type in 

 capital letters a quarter of an inch high. 

 These labels are placed just below the shoulder 

 of the bottle. The round labels used for the 

 index letters and numbers are known as " A 

 88 " or library labels. These are centered 

 under the large label near the bottom of the 

 bottle. A library assistant did the lettering of 

 these labels, using india ink. The bottles are 

 sealed with paraffin, and the labels coated with 

 paraffin. The latter is necessary as the bottles 

 are kept on open shelves, and usually require 

 wiping with a damp cloth when they are to be 

 shown. The paraffin further protects the 

 labels against accidental contact with acids or 

 alkalies. 



This system of labeling is scarcely applica- 

 ble to organic compounds, unless one does not 

 wish to keep them separate from inorganic. 

 The writer, for present purposes, has made a 

 list of the substances studied or referred to, 

 in order, in the organic text used (one of the 

 most complete published), and each substance 

 given a number. This does not include sub- 



stances that are impracticable to keep or pro- 

 cure. The collection is so arranged that the 

 substances mentioned in a given chapter are 

 found together, in numerical order, the miss- 

 ing numbers to be supplied in the future. An- 

 other possible arrangement is by classes of 

 compounds. This has been used, but is rather 

 less convenient than the present arrangement. 

 In the organic set, the half-pound bottle is 

 the maximum size for solids, the two-ounce 

 the minimum. For liquids, there are three 

 sizes, from a half-liter down. The labels are 

 No. 1007 for the names, and No. 539 for the 

 numbers. The bottles are paraffined as in the 

 inorganic set. On account of the effect of light 

 on many organic compounds, the specimens are 

 kept in a dark room, where the inorganic set is 

 also kept for convenience. 



The " looks " of one's teaching devices will 

 be certain to leave lasting impressions on the 

 observer. This is especially true in the chem- 

 ical laboratory and lecture room. While it is 

 not claimed that the above-described methods 

 of labeling bottled chemical specimens are the 

 best that could be devised, they have served 

 the writer very well and it is hoped that the 

 description may interest others. 



C. E. Vail 



Colorado Agricultural College 



SEFOBT OF TEE SAN FRANCISCO MEETING 



OF SECTION F OF THE AMERICAN AS- 

 SOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCE- 

 MENT OF SCIENCE. II 

 Thursday, August 5 

 Morning Session, Demonstrations 

 In charge of Olive Swezy, University of California 



Entamoeba Bucoalis, Inez P. Smith, University 

 of California. 



Mitosis and Multiple Fission in the Flagellata, 

 Olive Swezy, University of California. 



Mitosis in Lamhlia muris, Elizabeth Cliristian- 

 sen, University of California. 



Enflagellating and Exflagellating Soil Amceba, 

 Charlie W. Wilson, University of California. 



Flagellates of Hemiptera, Irene McCulloeh, Uni- 

 versity of California. 



Drawings for Monograph on Dinoflagellata, C. 

 A. Kofoid and Mrs. Eigden-Michener, University 

 of California. 



