28 INTBODrCTION. 



III. Collection, Pbeseetaxion, and Examination op Plants. 



Plants can undoubtedly be the most easily and satisfactorily examined 

 and determined in the field, where abundance of complete specimens are at 

 hand. But time and other circumstances will rarely admit of this being 

 done during a walk or an excursion, besides that it is often desh'able to 

 rerify or assist the determination by comparison with other plants already 

 preserved and named. 



A Specimen must therefore be gathered for examination at home. The 

 facUity of this subsequent examination and determination will depend 

 much on the way in which the specimen is selected and preserved. 



It must be in full flower, and if possible, in fruit also. If both flower 

 and fruit are not to be had, care should be taken to select one in as early a 

 stage of flowering, and another in as late a stage, as can be found. 



If the plant is a small one, the specimen should be the whole plant, in- 

 cluding a portion of the root. 



If it be too large to preserve the whole, a good flowering branch should 

 be selected, with the foliage as low down as can be gathered veith it ; and 

 one or two of the lower stem-leaves or radical leaves, if any, should be added. 



The specimens should be taken from a healthy uninjured plant, of a 

 medium size. Or if a specimen be gathered because it looks a little dif- 

 ferent from the majority of those around it, apparently belonging to the 

 same species, a specimen of the more prevalent form should be taken from 

 the same locaUty for comparison. 



If the specimen broiight home be not immediately determined whilst 

 fresh, but dried for future examination, a note should be taken of the time, 

 place, and situation in which it was gathered; of the stature, habit, and other 

 particulars relating to any tree, shrub, or other plant of which the specimen 

 18 only a portion; of the kind of root it has; of the colour of the flower; any 

 particulars of thickness, consistence, etc.; or any other information which 

 the specimen itself cannot supply, or which may be lost in the process of 

 drying. These memoranda, whether taken down in the field, or from the 

 hving specimen when brought home, should be written on a label attached 

 to or preserved with the specimen. 



To dry specimens, they are laid flat between several sheets of bibulous 

 paper, and placed under a weight, or otherwise subjected to pressure. The 

 paper is subsequently changed at intervals, until they are dry. 



In laying out the specimen, care should be taken to preserve the natural 

 position of the parts as far as consistent with the laying flat. In general, if 

 the specimen is quite fresh, it may be simply laid on the lower sheet, holding 

 it by the stalk, and drawing it shghtly downwards ; then, as the upper sheet 

 is laid over, if it be shghtly drawn downwards as it is pressed down, it will 

 be found, after a few trials, that the specimen will have retained a natural 

 form, with very httle trouble. 



If the specimen has been gathered long enough to have become flaccid, it 

 will require more care in laying the leaves flat and giving the parts their 

 proper direction. Specimens kept in tin boxes, although apparently fresh, 

 will often have taken unnatural bends, which must be corrected, and, after all, 

 specimens will never be good if kept long after gathering, before they are 

 aid out. 



