OF THE FILAMENTOUS ALGJE. 69 



"white blotting or printing paper. Cover this with a second 

 sheet, which is to be also strewn with stearine chips ; and 

 so on, until five or six alternate layers of stearine and paper 

 have been deposited. Next, let a hot iron be passed over 

 the whole ; the stearine melts, and, forcing its way among 

 the fibres, renders the paper partially water-tight. No 

 attempt must be made to separate the sheets until the 

 stearine is cold and hard, otherwise they will cling together 

 and be spoilt. 



'Where it is requisite to prepare large quantities of the 

 paper at one operation, the heap, instead of being ironed 

 by hand, may be placed on a tin plate in the oven, or imme- 

 diately in front of the fire. 



After being used for some time, the stearine paper 

 (especially if the Algae with which it comes in contact are 

 wet and succulent) becomes more or less opaque, and the 

 plants are apt to cling to it. When this is seen to be the 

 case, all that is necessary is to pass a hot iron over it, and 

 the sheet is restored to its former condition.* 



In preparing this class of Algse for the herbarium, no 

 special attention need be paid to peculiarities in the growth 

 of such as are found in thick heavy masses. On the other 

 hand, the habit of those which grow in long flowing tresses 

 must be carefully observed and retained. These last 

 represent, to a certain extent, the higher plants, from the 

 root to the apex, and must be treated accordingly. Care 

 must be taken, as I mentioned just now, to get a specimen 

 direct from its point of attachment to the stones or other 

 object on which it had passed its existence, and to carry 

 it home without bending or entangling its filaments. If 

 this precaution has been attended to, the tiny branches, on 



* The Rev. D. Landsborough, in his 'Popular History of British 

 Seaweeds/ recommends a fold of muslin to be laid over the specimen. 

 He adds, however, ' In shifting the specimens the second time, the 

 muslin coverings may be removed. When permitted to remain till 

 the plants are quite dry, there is* danger of their leaving chequered 

 impressions on the specimens.' — Ed. 



