130 . THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



the ordinary one, like a draught and backgammon board about 15 inches by 

 10 £ is the most convenient size. This may of course be a matter of opinion, 

 but large boxes are in my opinion very objectionable. These boxes must, of 

 course, be well made, not merely nailed together, and so constructed as to 

 shut closely with a rebate that dust may not enter ; they must be lined with 

 good cork, I mention this, for as it is a costly item I have noticed that most 

 of the boxes sold by dealers have been lined with a very indifferent quality of 

 cork and not neatly papered. The temptation to use inferior cork is no doubt 

 great, as the cork is covered with paper so as not to be visible. Many at- 

 tempts have been made to find some cheap substitute for cork. Thick flannel 

 has been tried, but it only answers fairly well and is not to be compared with 

 cork for a moment. Good fine felt such as is used for covering the hammers 

 in a pianoforte is a fairly substitute, but the price comes up to that of 

 cork, so I am afraid that for the present, at least, the only material suitable for 

 our purpose is the best selected cork. There is, however, a substance adver- 

 tised called "Turf-plates," a German production, which is rather more than 

 half the price of cork, but as I have had no experience with it I cannot say 

 anything as to its efficiency. It is also important that the paste used for 

 attaching the paper to the cork should be poisoned, and for this purpose I 

 think nothing is so effectual as a little powdered corrosive sublimate, carbolic 

 acid prevents paste from smelling and becoming mouldy, and is therefore a 

 good thing to add as an antisiptic, but I do not think it is so reliable as the 

 sublimate. The greatest care is necessary in using corrosive sublimate 

 (bichlorides of mercury), as it is a very strong poison. 



These boxes should be distinctly labelled and numbered on the outside, 

 and arranged on shelves in the same position as books. The advantages to 

 be derived from using them in preference to cabinets are many, and I will 

 mention some of them. Eirst, they cost only from one-third to one-half the 

 price of cabinet drawers. Secondly, they are more portable and far more 

 practically useful, there being no glass tops to remove every time it is wished 

 to examine any particular insect. Thirdly, their number can be added to as 

 the collection grows, in fact you can begin with a single box, and extend the 

 series without limit ; again if you find you have not sufficient room for any 

 particular family, you can introduce another box without rearranging the 

 whole collection. It will be seen at once that you cannot do this with a 

 cabinet, as you are limited at the outset, hence the reason for having one 

 with a large number of drawers, for should you not have room enough by 

 only one drawer you cannot add it, the only way is to have another cabinet. 

 To overcome this difficulty Canon Tristram, the Eastern traveller, who has 

 most extensive collections, has his cabinets made of one uniform size, and the 



