30 



The specimens being thoroughly dry then, they should be placed,, 

 each species by itself, in a sheet of white printing paper, either 

 loose, or confined by strips here and there of gummed paper, but 

 never entirety fastened. A coloured sheet, of a larger size, may con- 

 tain all plants of a genus, and a different one all the genera, form- 

 ing one natural order. For example, — Polygonum prostrcttum, P. 

 subsessile, and so on, are placed on the first sheet, and labelled 

 Polygonum ; these again, with the genus Rumex and Muehlenbeckia, 

 form the Natural Order Polygone^e. This forms a neat herbarium, 

 A label should be attached to each sheet with the name of the 

 specimen, when and where collected. For instance: — 



Polygonum prostratum. R. Brown. 

 Banks of Yarra. April, 1856, 



A good pocket lens is indispensable; and we have found a smalt 

 knife, made by Murray of the Melbourne Arcade, for the purpose 

 very useful in dissecting minute plants. 



Alg^e. — Having resided for the last two years near the sea-coast 

 we have taken great interest in the marine algas, and found some 

 hints kindly given us by Miss GifTord, author of a valuable little 

 work, " The Marine Botanist," of much assistance in properly lay- 

 ing down and preserving the colours of seaweeds. 



In collecting seaweeds care should be taken to gather those 

 either growing in the pools left by the tide, or those recently 

 thrown up by the sea; for when exposed to the air they decompose 

 and lose their colour: and we recommend collectors to ascertain 

 before drying their plants, by the help of a lens, whether they are 

 in fruit or not, for such are to be desired, and if so, whether it is 

 granular or capsular. The specimen should then be placed in a 

 flat dish, filled with fresh water, and when properly expanded, a 

 sheet of paper to be gently placed underneath, until the plant 

 assumes a natural appearance; then gently raise the paper, allow- 

 ing the moisture to run off, after which lay it in blotting paper 

 (which should be kept entirely for marine plants), having thick 

 layers between each, and place under weights, 



Where time is an object, as with ourselves, we recommend our 



