260 Transactions. — Zoology. 



plan to have vessels of various sizes, so as not to use more of the fluid than 

 is absolutely necessary. I find that a small pudding basin, a vegetable 

 dish, a soup tureen, and an earthenware foot-bath, or "tongue pan," form 

 a very useful series of vessels. If earthenware vessels of sufficient size 

 cannot be had, tin, zinc, or galvanized iron may be used ; but then fluid B 

 must be employed, and not A. 



After remaining in the glycerine fluid for about three to seven days, 

 according to size and density, the specimen is transferred to melted 

 glycerine jelly, made in one of the following ways : — 



f Glycebine Jelly, B. 



Glycerine 1 litre. 



Water.. .. .. .. 1 ,, 



Glycerine Jelly, A. 

 Glycerine . . . . . . 1 litre. 



Water 1 „ 



Gelatine .. .. ..150grms. 



Corrosive sublimate . . 10 ,, 



Gelatine 150 grms. 



Concentrated solution of 



Phenol 5 c.c. 



Either of these fluids may of course be made by removing the specimen 

 fi'om the glycerine fluid, dissolving in the latter the requisite quantity of 

 gelatine, and when the jelly is of the right temperature, replacing the 

 specimen. It is not well to have much alum present, as it tends to stiffen 

 the jelly. I generally use gelatine-glue instead of pure gelatine, for the sake 

 of cheapness. Even common glue will answer the purpose, the chief dis- 

 advantage attending its use being the darker colour of the specimens. 



The jelly must be kept at a temperature just sufficient to retain it m the 

 fluid condition (about 40° C.) ; for this purpose it is best to use a water- 

 bath. The specimen is retained in it from two to four days, so as to get it 

 thoroughly permeated with glycerine jelly. 



After removal from the jelly the specimen is thoroughly drained and 

 placed in a dry room on a sort of trellis-work tray, made by stretching pieces 

 of tape across a wooden frame ; this allows of exposure to the air on all 

 sides. The drying-room should be kept shut up as far as possible, so as to 

 keep dust from the sticky surface of the specimen. Such cartilages as the 

 shoulder-girdles and jaws of Elasmobranchs, which are strongly curved and 

 of considerable thickness, should be fastened in position during drying by 

 strappings of tape, wooden supports, etc., as otherwise the small but 

 inevitable shrinking which takes place will cause a certain amount of dis- 

 tortion, and prevent accurate fitting when the whole skeleton is mounted. 

 The gill-arches. should be very carefully fixed out in their natural position 

 before drying. 



Of wholly cartilaginous skeletons there have been prepared for theDunedin 

 Museum Carcharodon, a young male about 10 feet long, Cestradon, Raja, 

 and Trygon, as well as skulls of Petromyzon, Alopecias, and Acanthias. The 

 first of these was prepared with an iusufiicieut amount of gelatine and is 



