II 



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Sect. XI.l 



ZOOLOGY. 



381 



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a number corresponding \vith the collector's notc«book 

 should also be attached ; this number may be stamped on 

 a small piece of sheet-lead or trebly thick tin foil ; when 

 specimens are preserved in spirit the latter must be used^ 

 since the former will corrode and injure the specimens. 

 A set of steel dies from to 9, with a small punch, should 



be got, when the numbers may at any time be stamped in 



a line, with a hole punched in front of each, and then cut 

 off with a pair of scissors as wanted. 



Notes, — The collector should note down the colour of 

 the eyes or irides^ and the form of the pupil, and the 

 colours of those parts, the naked parts, e. g. which are 

 likely to be altered in drying : also the form of the head 

 and muzzle, the habitual position of the ears and taiL 

 The exact locality in which the several specimens were 

 procured is of great importance in the determination of 

 the laws of geographical distribution of mammalia : and 

 not only the country, but the nature of the country, its 

 elevation and geological character, as nearly as can be 

 ascertained. Also the degree of commonness of the 



animal and 



any 



of its known habiis 



^"5 and the native 



name. 



Neither shape nor colour can be preserved in the dried 

 skins of whales, porpoises, &c., nor can they be ascertained 

 from skins alone, without the aid of drawings taken from 

 the specimens in a fresh state. Skins of the cetaceans 

 (whale and porpoise tribe), and of seals, are, nevertheless, 

 great desiderata for public museums, and with the addi- 

 tion of sketches and notes of the recent animal, are espe- 

 cially recommended to the attention of the naturalist 



voyager. The skulls or skeletons of all the species of th 



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