THE GOIiIiECTORS' IflONTHIiY. 



Devoted to Ornithology, Oology and Natural History. 



BOTANY. 



Special to the Collectors' Monthly. 



In most papers devoted to the study of 

 natural history Botany is over looked. 

 Especially with young Oologist's this subject 

 is almost entirely unknown, and I think that 

 most of the older botanist will agree with 

 me that this subject is too often slighted. 



There are first and second class specimens 

 in this line as well as with eggs, and all 

 collectors should avoid second class 

 specimens. 



Botany is, as well as Taxidermy, classed 

 with the "Fine Arts" but the botanist will 

 find that he cannot dispose of duplicate 

 second class specimens. Second class speci- 

 mens are not Jiue so they cannot be classified 

 with the Fine Aht8. In preparing botani- 

 cal specimens two things must be observed. 

 First, Absolute Correctness in the Scientific 

 names. Second, neatness, in pressing, drying 

 and mounting. 



I find with my experience that the best 

 way to dry specimens is to get two boards 

 2 feet long by i 1-4 feet wide and place 

 pieces of blotting paper between, (the blot- 

 ting paper must be nearly the same size as 

 the boards and can be obtained at most any 

 Insurance office.) News paper will do if 

 blotting paper is not at hand, but this necessi- 

 tates the changing of the paper every day to 

 prevent molding. Now when you have "run 

 down" your plant (i.e., found the name) pin 

 the name to it and lay it between two sheets 

 of the paper, put the top board on and then 

 put a weight on it, care must be used not to 

 crush the plant by putting too heavy a 

 weight upon it. Not over 15 pounds in any 



After it has thoroughly dried place it upon 

 prepared paper (11 x 14 inches is the stand- 

 ard size) then carefully trim off the root 

 fibers and branches to accomodate the size 

 of the paper. Now don't glue it onto the 

 paper, but take a sheet of good book paper 

 (never use ruled paper,) and give it a coat 

 of glue after pinning it to the wall to prevent 

 curling. When thoroughly dry give another 

 coac, and still another this will be enough, 

 now cut it into strips and dampen with 

 tongue, then paste one over each branch and 

 root fiber (never use sticking pastes.) If 

 the rhizoma is too thick it may lie flattened 

 with a knife on one side only. 



If this is of interest to the readers of the 

 Collectors' Monthly and the publisher will 

 kindly allow me this space again, I will try 

 and give you a few more hints on preserving 

 natures beautiful Mowers, also a way to rind 

 the names of plants unknown to you. and 

 some collecting experience of my own. 



Letson Bai 1 IIT. 



Des Moinies. Iowa. 



Birds are the only animals besides man 

 that can be taught distinctly to articulate 

 and utter sentences. which, though u! course 

 not understood by the birds themselves, are 

 none the less surprising to listen to. 



The best speed of a railway train is only a 

 little more than half the velocity of the gold- 

 en eagle, the Might of which often attains to 

 the rate of 140 miles an hour. 



Of all birds, the condor mounts highest 

 into the atmosphere. Humboldt describes 

 the Mght of this bird in the Andes to be at 

 least 20,000 feet above the level of the sea. 



