346 



ZOOLOGY. 



[Sect. XI. 



or calcareous corals, care should be taken to bring the 

 entire specimen with its hasc or root. With respect to the 

 coarser algae, it is merely requisite, for the purpose of 

 traiisraission, to spread the specimens immediately on 

 being brought fresh from the sea, without previous wash- 

 ing, in an airy situation to dry, but not to expose them 

 to too powerful a sun : if turned over a few times they 

 will dry very rapidly. When thoroughly dried they may 

 be packed loosely in paper bags or boxes, and will require 

 only to be re-moistened and properly pressed, in order to 



delic^ote algae : 



i4 r 



r 



i 



make cabinet specimens. For the purpose of transmission 

 it is better pM to wash the specimens in fresh-water pre- 

 vious to drying, as the salt they contain tends both to 

 preserve them and to keep ih^m pliable, and more ready 

 to imbibe water on re-immersion. With respect to the 



The collector should have two or three 

 flat dishes, one of which is to be filled with salt water and 

 two with fresh ; in the first of these the specimens are to 

 be rinsed and pruned, to get rid of any dirt or parasites, 

 or other extraneous matter ; they are then to be floated 

 in one of the dish es of fresh water for a few minutes, care 

 beifig taken not to leave them too long in this medium, 

 and then one by one removed to the third dish, and a 

 piece of white paper, of the size suited to that of each 

 specimen, is to be introduced underneath it. The paper 

 is to be carefully brought to the surface of tlie water, the 

 specimen rcmainliig displayed upon it, with the help of a 

 pair of forceps or a porcupine's quill, or any fine-pointed 

 instrument ; and it is then to Le gently drawn out of the 

 water, keeping the specimen dis]>layed. These wet 

 papers, with their specimens, are then placed between 



