222 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



solution of cliloride of lime, and exposed to tlie sun under glass 

 to dry and bleacli. To prevent them sticking to tlie paper on 

 whicli you may wisL. to dry them, use either blotting-paper or oiled 

 paper, after well washing the leaves. If skeletonizing in summer 

 time, trust to sun alone, as chloride of lime has a tendency to 

 make the leaves go brittle. The seed vessels of various plants, 

 such as the poppies, thorn apples {Daturce), and campions, as 

 also the leaves of laurel, holly, ivy, lime, sycamore, poplar, and a 

 host of others, may be treated in this manner. When finished, 

 they may be mounted on wires whipped with white silk, and 

 placed on black velvet under a shade. 



Some writers have advised the boiling of the leaves in a 

 solution of caustic soda, or steeping them in a strong mixture 

 of cliloride of lime and water, but I have hitherto considered 

 these plans not so practical as the foregoing, though, perhaps, 

 quicker; as, however, I find two writers, in Science Gossip for 

 1867, very positive on the subject, I will give the following 

 extracts : 



"A solution of caustic soda is made by dissolving 3oz. of 

 washing soda in two pints of boiling water, and adding 

 lioz. of quicklime, previously slacked; boil for ten minutes, 

 decant the clear solution, and bring it to the boil. During ebulli- 

 tion add the leaves ; boil briskly for some time — say, an hour— 

 occasionally adding hot water to supply the place of that lost by 

 evaporation. Take out a leaf and put into a vessel of water, rub 

 it between the fingers under the water. If the epidermis and 

 parenchyma separate easily, the rest of the leaves may be 

 removed from the solution, and treated in the same way ; but if 

 not, then the boiling must be continued for some time longer. 

 To bleach the skeletons, mix about a drachm of chloride of lime 

 with a pint of water, adding suflS.cient acetic acid to liberate the 

 chlorine. Steep the leaves in this till they are whitened (about 

 ten minutes), taking care not to let them stay in too long, other- 

 wise they are apt to become brittle. Put them into clean water, 

 and float them out on pieces of paper. Lastly, remove them 

 from the paper before they are quite dry, and place them in a 

 book or botanical press." — Dr. G. Dicksoh", Science Gossips 

 January, 1867. 



"I once saw another way of managing skeleton leaves that 



