Goodale — New Form of " Container "for Museums. 451 



Art. XLI. — A new form of " Container " for use in 

 Museums of Economic Botany / by George Lincoln 

 Goodale. 



It has been found so difficult to procure prismatic glass 

 bottles with perfectly even sides and faces, that an attempt 

 was made in May last, in the Botanical Museum of Harvard 

 University, to prepare a new kind of " container " with a flat 

 front. A simple modification of the well-known passe-partout 

 appeared most practicable. Many experiments were tried in 

 order to meet the obvious objections, and at last, a form 

 was devised which has appeared to answer every reasonable 

 demand. At the request of many correspondents, the follow- 

 ing details are given. 



The materials are (1) lantern-slide glass of best quality and 

 of standard size. (2) Strips of hard wood of different widths, 

 ranging from one-sixteenth of an inch to one inch, but of per- 

 fectly uniform thickness, namely one-sixteenth of an inch for 

 the widths below one-half and one-eighth inch for the widths 

 above this. (3) Strong fish-glue in a liquid form. That 

 which comes in Dennison's tubes has proved satisfactory. (4) 

 A strong solution of potassium dichromate or a twenty per 

 cent solution of formalin. (5) Hard paraffin. (6) Strong 

 binding-strips well made with good glue. 



From three strips of the wood neatly fastened between two 

 thoroughly cleaned glass slides, one procures a container of 

 the desired thickness. This is filled with the specimen of 

 seeds or other objects and then is closed by placing the fourth 

 strip in position. All four edges are next dipped for an 

 instant in the solution of potassium dichromate or of for- 

 malin, in order to render the glue, after drying and exposure 

 to the sun, wholly unaffected by moisture. If preferred, these 

 solutions may be put on with a brush. When the filled con- 

 tainer is completely dry, the edges are placed in a thin layer 

 of melted hard paraffin and quickly removed. On cooling, 

 the excess of paraffin is carefully scraped off, and the binding- 

 strips are then applied. The prepared container is now ready 

 for installation in any exhibition-case. Its contents are proof 

 against invasion by moisture or any museum pests. In the 

 very few instances where insects have been subsequently 

 detected in the container, a small hole was made in one side 

 of the wood, and a littJe carbon disulphide or chloroform 

 thrown in by a medicine-dropper, and then the hole was closed 

 by a bit of soft wax. In no case has it been found necessary 

 to repeat the dose. 



