roil IRR : IJKMIXrSCENCF.S AND PRACIICAI, HINTS ON mi.T.RrriNn. S5 



tlic smaller species is in round 2,lass-tn[)ped boxes, on blue or wbite 

 cotton-wool as preferred, with the name of the species and the locality 

 written on the bottom of the box, and for specimens personally col- 

 lected the date as well. For specimens bought or exchanged, I 

 always put the label received with them at the bottom of the box 

 under the wool. 



A year or two before he died, I bought from Mr. Ponsonby the 

 whole of his E/iidce, and in most cases he had written under the 

 locality the name of the person from whom he had received the 

 specimens, e.i^., from Canon Tristram, Tiberi, Debeaux, Hidalgo, 

 Ancey, Fruhstorfer, etc. 



Some collectors mount most of their shells in square glass-topped 

 boxes, and this is certainly a good plan, as you can so easily take out 

 a few species for exhibit at a meeting, but it is rather expensive, and 

 instead I had my cabinets made with glazed drawers, and put my 

 shells in open trays, say from about the size of our ff. horietisis. At 

 first I lined the bottom of the tray with blue cotton-wool, but I fou-nd 

 this unsatisfactory, as one of|en pulled up some of the wool with the 

 shell, so I now line the tray with blue flannel or blue union. I put a 

 card label across the bottom of the tray, tight enough not to be 

 moved when the drawer is pulled out, and the original label, if any 

 received, in the mouth of the shell, and plugged in with a little cotton- 

 wool. As regards the s\ze of the trays, I have found the one I origin- 

 ally started with extremely convenient. The most useful outside 

 measurements are 3" x i},". 3" x 2", 3" x 3", 3" x 4", and a few 4" x 4" 

 and 6" x 6", and all half-inch deep. Any of these can easily be 

 divided by putting a strip of card down the centre, a far better plan 

 than having smaller trays, and very useful when one has only single 

 specimens to mount. Some sizes of trays suit admirably for kee[)ing 

 the small round glass-topped boxes in position, the 3" x 4" will hold 

 nine boxes of i" diameter, or six of the i^", while the 4" x 4" hold 

 nine of the larger size. The drawers of my cabinets I liad made 

 iS|" X 18^" inside measurements, so as to take the 3" trays across 

 and allow a little play, as the trays are not always quite true to size. 

 By mounting your shells in this way, you can so easily replace a poor 

 specimen. 



