FOE COLLECTING. 699 



The most convenient cases, but not sufficient for all specimens, 

 are boxes 2 feet in length, 1| foot broad, and 1 foot deep. The 

 traveller may provide himself with such cases ready made, 

 packing in them other articles which he wants during his 

 journey ; or he may find it more convenient to take with him 

 only the zinc plates cut to the several sizes, and join them into 

 boxes when they are actually required. The requisite wooden 

 cases can be procured without much difficulty almost everywhere. 

 No collector should be without the apparatus and materials for 

 soldering, and he should be well acquainted with their use. 

 Also a pair of scissors to cut the zinc plates are useful. 



Wooden casks are not suitable for the packing of specimens 

 preserved in spirits, at least not in tropical climates. They 

 should be used in cases of necessity only, or for packing of the 

 largest examples, or for objects preserved in salt or brine. 



Very small and delicate specimens should never be packed 

 together with larger ones, but separately, in small bottles. 



Mode of preserving. — All fishes, with the exception of very 

 large ones (broad kinds exceeding 3-4 feet in length ; eel-like 

 kinds more than 6 feet long), should be preserved in spirits. A 

 deep cut should be made in the abdomen between the pectoral 

 fins, another in front of the vent, and one or two more, according 

 to the length of the fish, along the middle line of the abdomen. 

 These cuts are made partly to remove the fluid and easily decom- 

 posing contents of the intestinal tract, partly to allow the spirit 

 quickly to penetrate into the interior. In large fleshy fishes 

 several deep incisions should be made with the scalpel into the 

 thickest parts of the dorsal and caudal muscles, to give ready 

 entrance to the spirits. The specimens are then placed in one of 

 the provisional boxes, in order to extract, by means of the spirit, 

 the water of which fishes contain a large quantity. After a few 

 days (in hot climates after 24 or 48 hours) the specimens are 

 transferred into a second box with stronger spirits, and left 

 therein for several days. A similar third and, in hot climates 

 sometimes a fourth, transfer is necessary. This depends entirely 

 on the condition of the specimens. If, after ten or fourteen 

 days of such treatment the specimens are firm and in good con- 

 dition, they may be left in the spirits last used until they are 



