34 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTORS 



the tissues. A syringe is now filled with the glycerine solution. This is a 

 thick heavy solution that is not easily drawn up by the syringe and it may be 

 easier to withdraw the plunger and fill the barrel up by pouring the solution 

 in. Injection is also a little slower and a larger-bored needle is needed. The 

 specimen is injected with glycerine with the same routine as before, and left 

 for a few minutes. It is now ready for immersion, and should bear an 

 inscribed tag or label, firmly knotted onto the leg, and with the information 

 written in pencil (see information on labelling, p. 39). 



The specimen is now completely immersed in 10% alcohol solution. 

 After two or three days the specimens should be transferred into a solution of 

 75 % alcohol. During the preparation period the weak solution of alcohol 

 should be topped up with additional spirit from time to time to maintain its 

 strength, and the 75 % solution will also require additional alcohol at intervals 

 as it takes up moisture from the specimens. 



2. In formalin. If the necessary additional chemicals are not available a 

 solution of 5 % formalin (see appendix 1) with two tablespoonsful of common 

 salt per quart added to counteract the hardening action can be used for 

 preserving specimens. If possible a Kaiserling no. 1 solution (see appendix 

 1) should be prepared for the purpose. The specimens are injected with this 

 solution with the same routine of injection as described above for alcohol 

 specimens, the difference being that only the one solution is used and the 

 specimens are immersed in the same solution. 



Packing whole specimens for storage 



Although whole specimens may be left immersed for any length of time in 

 the preserving fluids it is usually inconvenient to transport them to the 

 museum in this manner. Once they have been well soaked and permeated 

 with the fluid they may be removed, wrapped with a layer of cotton wool or 

 cloth soaked in the preserving fluid, care being taken to pad the bill and 

 claws, and then placed in a polythene bag. The bag is squeezed shut, as 

 much air as possible being excluded, and it is then either sealed by heating or 

 tied tightly with string in a double tie. The specimen is now a small padded 

 package from which moisture is unlikely to escape, and numbers of these 

 may be packed into boxes or, better still, into metal containers with close- 

 fitting lids. In the latter they will store and travel safely for indefinite 

 periods. 



