FIXING SPECIMENS TO THE PAPEE. 



27 



coarse towels for a day or two, and allow them to wither 

 a little, when they will become more manageable, by 

 being less rigid. After this, they are to be put into a 

 deep dish, and a quantity of boiling water poured over 

 them, and allowed to remain for half an hour, or a little 

 more. This will deprive them of a great deal of mu- 

 cus, when the plants are to be separately washed in 

 cold fresh water, and neatly spread between several 

 folds of calico or common tow r els, and thus allowed to 

 dry, exposing them to the air occasionally, to prevent 

 their becoming mouldy. When nearly dry, and whilst 

 they are still flexible, remove them to a vessel contain- 

 ing fresh water, where they may remain about half an 

 hour ; and they are then to be managed precisely in the 

 same manner as before described, until they are tho- 

 roughly dry. 



As it will be found that several of the species just 

 referred to, and, indeed, many others, after being dried, 

 will not adhere to paper, the manner of fixing them re- 

 mains to be pointed out ; and I particularly recommend 

 that this should be done with as little delay as possible, 

 as they may be irreparably injured, if they are not pro- 

 perly secured before being removed to the herbarium 

 or elsewhere. 



With the finer sorts, I find a little skimmed milk is 

 quite sufficient to fix them firmly to the paper, taking 



