678 MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



paper mentioning the locality being attached ; this 

 is especially requisite in warm countries, as plants 

 begin to fade very rapidly, and their value as speci- 

 mens is thereby much deteriorated. If the heat is 

 very great, it is advisable to line the inside of the 

 collecting-box with large leaves, and from time to 

 time to sprinkle a little water on its contents. De- 

 ciduous flowers, or those with fugitive colours, should 

 be placed at once in the " Field Book/' 



3. Drying. — The different apparatus being placed 

 at hand take a plant from the vasculum, and opening 

 one of the fasciculi of drying-paper place it within the 

 centre sheet, with the root or lower part downwards, 

 and proceed to lay it out, not displaying the parts 

 artificially, but, as far as can be, retaining its natural 

 form and appearance. This must then be placed under 

 pressure between the boards, and after every ten or 

 twelve such parcels one of the thin boards should 

 intervene. When plants are likely to adhere to the 

 drying-paper they should be laid out in a sheet of tea- 

 paper, which should then be placed within the ab- 

 sorbent-paper. After an interval of from twelve 

 hours to two days the plants should be removed 

 into dry paper, and the damp sheets hung up to dry. 

 This process must be repeated twice or thrice until 

 the specimens are thoroughly dried, when they may 

 be transferred, with a piece of paper mentioning all 

 particulars, or better, with a number referring to 

 an entry in the note-book, into a sheet of common 

 gray paper, and be laid aside. 



4 Points of inquiry. — These should comprehend 



