288 THE ANTARCTIC MANUAL. 
XX... 
BOTANY. 
Compitep By GreorGe Murray, F.RS. 
Ir is very improbable that any flowering plants will be found in the 
Antarctic regions to be visited by the Expedition, but a careful 
search, especially for minute forms, should be made, It is needless 
to say that the discovery of such forms would be of the highest 
interest ; and the following directions (which apply to many of the 
lower plants as well) are extracted, with modifications, from the 
British Museum ‘Directions for Collecting and Preserving Plants 
for a Herbarium.’ 
This is a much simpler process than is generally imagined by 
those unpractised in it, and travellers have been often deterred from 
collecting specimens by the time and trouble required for preparing 
them in the way that has by many been recommended. 
The chief circumstances to be attended to are, to preserve speci- 
mens of plants in such a manner that the moisture may be quickly 
absorbed, the colours as much as possible preserved, and such a 
degree of pressure given to them as that they may not curl up in 
the act of drying. 
For this purpose let a quantity of separate sheets of paper be 
obtained of a folio size. Common brown paper is. upon the whole 
the best, except for the very delicate kinds, which require paper of 
a smoother and somewhat absorbent texture. Blotting-paper would 
absorb the moisture too rapidly, and by repeated damping and drying 
would soon be rendered useless. 
Two boards [or light presses made of galvanised iron wire] should 
be provided—one for the top and the other for the bottom of the 
mass of papers. 
For pressure when stationary for any length of time in a given 
spot, nothing serves better than a weight of any kind (a folio book, 
a large stone, etc.) put upon the topmost board; and the great 
advantage of this is, that the weight follows the shrinking of the 
plants beneath. 
