HINTS ON OUTFIT AND EXPENSES. 377 



at any rate twenty-four hours after the specimens 

 are first put in and at about two to three days' 

 interval afterwards. In a sunny climate they will 

 dry in about seven days ; this will be known by 

 their being brittle to the touch. They should 

 then be removed, with their labels attached, and 

 packed in alternate sheets of newspaper, or any 

 kind of paper available, with a small pinch of 

 the white powder naphthaline scattered on every 

 sheet. They should then be tied up in bundles 

 and packed away in a tin box. 



If one is collecting in great quantities, it is 

 advisable either to have numerous frames (say 

 twenty) or to devise some method of rapidly 

 drying them. 



I had on this last expedition a large roll of 

 paper, and used to stretch about five sheets be- 

 tween strips of mosquito netting. This answered 

 very well, as I could prepare three hundred speci- 

 mens a week, but I found it of advantage always 

 to press them first in the wire frames. It is very 

 difficult to get the rolls of paper referred to, how- 

 ever. 



Unless one is very specially devoted to birds, 

 reptiles, or amphibia, my experience is that it is 

 not likely that your collections are of very much 

 scientific use. Lessons in skinning and prepara- 

 tion of bird-skins are necessary before starting, 

 and plenty of arsenical soap is a necessity. Spirit 

 is extremely difficult to carry and keep unstolen, 



