30 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



When death is brought about, which happens in a few 

 minutes, the animal is placed in alcohol of S o per cent, brought 

 by degrees to 70 per cent. 



Rectified Alcohol. — Lo Bianco states that rectified alcohol — ' 

 to which distilled water may be added, in certain proportions, 

 without affecting its limpidity or giving a precipitate — is to be 

 preferred for the fixing and preservation of delicate and trans- 

 parent organisms. 



Soft and gelatinous organisms are, when fixed by any 

 liquid whatever, afterwards preserved at Naples in alcohol, and 

 the method adopted is first to allow them to remain from two 

 to six hours in alcohol of 35 or 50 per cent, according to the 

 degree of firmness of the subject, and afterwards to transfer 

 them into alcohol of 60 per cent, followed by 70 per cent, or at 

 once into that of 70 per cent, which is the definitive strength. 



When the removal of a fragile animal from spirit of one 

 strength to that of another would be likely to damage it, the 

 spirit itself may be changed by means of a syphon without 

 disturbing the subject. 



It is necessary for the complete preservation of the subject 

 that the 70 per cent, alcohol should be changed once after 

 twelve to twenty-four hours, and, if the subject is thick, changed 

 again after two days. 



75 per cent. Alcohol. — In the Leicester Museum a somewhat 

 greater strength than usual, viz. 75 per cent, of methyl-alcohol 

 made as follows, has been proved of the greatest service : — 



3. — Alcohol (M.B.). For preservation of Fishes and Invertebrates. 



Take — 



Methyl-alcohol (methylated spirit), 90 per cent. 1 00 parts 

 Water, distilled . . . . 20 „ 



or by the 1000 cubic centimetre measure — 



Methyl-alcohol, 90 per cent. . . . 1000 cc. 



Water, distilled .... 200 „ 



