68 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



stormy petrels. I had five brought to me 

 which were taken in the bay. — H. Murray, 

 Carnforth. 



Toads. — One evening in the summer, as 

 it was getting dusk,-I picked up a full-grown 

 toad, and immediately I found my hands 

 wet, which shone with a luminous light for 

 a few seconds. I have often found my hands 

 wet in the day time when I have handled 

 toads, but I never saw the water luminous 

 before. I suppose the daylight would pre- 

 vent it being visible. 



Papilio Machaon. — Dr. Hiepe, a friend 

 of mine, has lately been over to Germany. 

 He says that P. machaon is very common 

 there, he caught five specimens in one 

 morning. — W. H. Bath, Birmingham and 

 Sutton Coldfield. 



ON PREPARING ALGiE FOR 

 THE HERBARIUM. 



From " Landsborough's British Seaweeds." 



Place on the table a basin of fresh water, 

 to cleanse the weeds from sand or any im- 

 purity. Let only a small portion of the mass 

 at a time be put into the basin, as many 

 species begin to decompose when placed in 

 fresh water. If the specimens are of large 

 size, they may, after cleansing, be floated on 

 a shallow tin tray filled with fresh water, 

 but if they they are only of a moderate size, 

 a white soup-plate will answer the purpose. 

 Let the plate be nearly filled with lukewarm 

 water; let a good supply of paper be at 

 hand ; and, as much of the beauty of the 

 specimen depends on the quality of the 

 paper, it should be fine and at the same 

 time stout, almost as good as drawing- 

 paper. The paper should be cut so as to be 

 quite smooth at the edges, and as this is 

 best effected by the bookbinder's knife, it is 

 well to have it done when the paper is 

 purchased. 



Having got the paper neatly cut into 

 square and oblong portions, of different 



sizes, take a piece ruled to the size of the 

 specimen, and place it under the weed float- 

 ing in the water ; then putting the left hand 

 under the paper, bring it near the surface, 

 and gently move the seaweed till it assume 

 on the paper a natural and graceful form. 

 The fingers of the right hand may be em- 

 ployed in helping to arrange the branches 

 of the plant, or some sharp pointed instru- 

 ment may be used for this purpose — a 

 penknife, the quill of a porcupine, or, what 

 is still better as being less sharp, the point 

 of a silver fruit-knife. A pair of nice little 

 scissors should be at hand to remove any 

 superabundant branches. When the speci- 

 men is properly arranged, let the paper on 

 which it is spread be very cautiously re- 

 moved from the water, for if the position of 

 the plant is changed the work may require 

 to be done over again. When the specimen 

 is removed from the water it may be placed 

 for a little while in a sloping position, to 

 allow the water to run off, and during this 

 time other specimens may be treated in 

 the same way. The drying and pressing 

 processes then begin. Before any part of 

 the paper is completely dry, place the speci- 

 mens on several folds of blotting-paper, quar- 

 to size, and cover them with a fold of mus- 

 lin, and over the muslin lay several folds 

 of blotting paper, repeating this operation 

 till all the specimens that have been laid 

 down are covered with a fold of muslin and 

 several folds of blotting-paper. If a screw 

 press be at hand, let the whole be placed in 

 it and gently pressed ; strong pressure at first 

 would bruise the plant, especially if it be 

 gelatinous. After some hours of slight pres- 

 sure the whole may be removed, and either 

 treated with a fresh supply of muslin and 

 paper, or those in which they were may be 

 dried before the specimens are again placed 

 in them. The advantage of being covered 

 with a fold of muslin will then appear ; for, 

 in general, none of them will be found adher- 

 ing to the muslin ; whereas, had they been 



