32 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTORS 



Alternatively light wooden tags or cardboard labels marked in indian ink or 

 pencil will serve. 



Care should be taken to see that the line is hung well out of reach of 

 prowling animals, and where scavenging birds will find it difficult to reach. 

 When in camp it may be advisable to take the line in each night and to put 

 it in a box until morning to avoid loss of specimens to agile nocturnal 

 animals. No chemical preservatives should be used in or on these specimens 

 (other than those suggested later) since the final preparation may involve 

 using insects to clean the bones, and the presence of persistent chemicals in 

 the dry flesh would make this impossible. 



Wrapping 



When the specimens are completely dry and the meat is quite hard they 

 can be taken down and wrapped. They can conveniently be labelled at this 

 period (see p. 39). They should be individually wrapped in newspaper 

 which is then secured with a pin or binding. At this stage a few grains of an 

 insect deterrent that will evaporate, can be washed off, and will not penetrate 

 the flesh, should be put with each specimen. Paradichlorbenzene crystals or 

 naphtha ("mothballs") may be used, but not DDT compounds. It is most 

 important that the specimens should be fully dried. In very wet conditions 

 where this is not possible the specimen should be wrapped when as dry as 

 possible and subsequently aired for further drying on all possible occasions. 

 The wrapping need not be removed. Never place specimens in polythene 

 bags. 



Storage 



The skeletons can be packed in their individual wrappings. Each should 

 be examined to ensure that the wrapping is sufficient to prevent any bone 

 which might become detached from being separated from the body. They 

 should be closely packed in a container with a little padding where necessary, 

 so that they fill the space and will not move. The container should preferably 

 be airtight; a metal container with a close-fitting lid being best, and a suitable 

 chemical insect deterrent (see above) should be sprinkled among them as they 

 are packed. They should never be packed in the same container with skins. 



