38 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



and reptiles, frogs and fishes, which it certainly does for some 

 years, but renders them very hard, and, except in the cases of 

 frogs and snakes, ultimately breaks up their tissues in the same 

 manner as weak alcohol ; within five years, however, the speci- 

 mens, as evidenced by some young hedgehogs lately examined, 

 are — although stained of a curious yellow colour — tough and 

 leathery, and more fitted for " setting-up " than if preserved in 

 some other media. 



Bichloride of Mercury {Corrosive Sublimate). — Corrosive 

 sublimate, says Mr. Lee (p. 3 2), " is stated in the books to be 

 soluble in about sixteen parts of cold and three of boiling 

 water. It will probably be found that the aqueous solution 

 contains about S per cent, of the sublimate at the temperature 

 of the laboratory. It is more soluble in alcohol than in water, 

 and still more so in ether. Its solubility in all these menstrua 

 is augmented by the addition of hydrochloric acid, ammonious 

 chloride, or camphor. With sodium chloride it forms a more 

 easily soluble double salt ; hence sea-water may dissolve as 

 much as 1 5 per cent, and hence the composition of the liquid 

 of Lang." 



The following series of preservatives, which have no alcohol 

 as their base, will be found of great use, and some of them of 

 permanent value : — 



16. — Bichloride of Mercury 



Saturated solution (boiling) (Lo Bianco) 



This is used at the Naples Station to kill, in a satisfactory 

 manner, colonies of the Infusorian Zoothamnium, and, amongst 

 the Actinozoa or "sea-anemones,'' Heliactis, Sagartia dohrnii, 

 Paranthus, Corynactis, and small examples of Aiptasia are 

 killed in like manner, but these should be left to harden for 

 some minutes in chromic acid of ^ per cent, before being placed 

 in the 70 per cent, alcohol. 



