BULLETIN 39, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [10] 



From the eutry in the notebook the label is now made up. The most 

 satisfactory label is made of first quality strong parchment paper and 

 the writing should be done either with a No. 2 lead pencil or with good 

 fluid India ink, care being taken in the latter case not to immerse the 

 label in alcohol until it is perfectly dry. It saves a good deal of work 

 to have the labels printed, cut, and stringed before starting on the tripj 

 the printing may to great advantage contain the general locality where 

 the collections are to be made (as for instance name of state or country) 

 as well as the name of the collector. In addition to the exact locality 

 and date the label should contain the collector's running notebook 

 number. On the back may be written such additional information or 

 notes as may be deemed desirable. A label of good size and shape is 

 shown in the accompanying cut (fig. 5) which also indicates how to 

 string it. 



United States 



National Museum. 



t4c^t4AX,, Arizona, _f_ '89. 



L. Stejneger. 





Fig. 5.— Sample label; natural size. 



In tying the label on be careful not to fasten it tighter than necessary 

 to prevent the label from slipping off. Never tie a label round the neck 

 of a specimen ; in lizards and salamanders fasten it round the body 

 just behind the fore leg; in frogs and toads in front of the hind legs; 

 in snakes round the body at about the anterior third ; finally, in turtles 

 tie the string to one of the legs, and only in this case is it necessary and 

 permissible to draw it very tight. 



Before finally placing the specimen in alcohol the preserving fluid 

 should be made to enter the body cavities, as the specimens are almost 

 sure to spoil if the alcohol is only allowed to act on the outside. To 

 prevent its decomposition from the inside I have found it most useful to 

 inject a quantity of strong alcohol by means of a hypodermic syringe. 

 The point of the latter is run down the throat and under the scales into 

 the alimentary canal, in one or more places according to size, and in 

 large specimens it will be found advantageous also to inject alcohol into 

 the larger muscles. In this way the appearance of the specimens is not 

 injured in the least and the preservation is perfect. If a syringe is not 

 at hand the abdominal cavity should be opened with a jiair of pointed 



