1 1)2 



Directions for Collecting 



If the animal is small, as a rat or mouse, it may be preserved by im- 

 mersing it in its own weight of spirit; but if some spirit is thrown into 

 the abdomen, so much the better. it 



If it is a large animal, as a dog,* it ought to have the thorax and 

 abdomen filled with spirit; for before the spirit can penetrate through 

 the cutis, the internal parts will become putrid. 



A trochar and syringe will answer for filling both these cavities. 



Large fish should be preserved in the same way. 



In very soft animals the spirit will generally penetrate sufficiently 

 fast to preserve the whole. 



Animals preserved for their external figure should be suspended 

 nearly in the attitudes in which they are designed to be kept. 



Animals which are preserved merely for dissection, may be put into 

 a bottle or cask without suspension, and even more than one or two in 

 the same vessel, paying strict attention to the strength and proportion 

 of the spirit. 



If two are put into a cask at once, they should be kept apart for some 

 time, as they make too large a mass when close together for the spirit 

 to penetrate. 



More than one or two may be put into the same vessel when they are 

 suspended, because then they are not allowed to press on one another. 



According to our proportion of animal and spirit, a vessel may be 

 half filled with them. 



Birds are seldom so large but that they may be kept in spirit, so as 

 to preserve external appearances ; therefore they should all be sus- 

 pended with some care. Many may be put into one vessel, but must 

 not be squeezed upon one another ; and the mouth of the vessel should 

 be wid<i enough to let them pass both with and against the direction of 

 the feathers. 



If the bird was put into a proper position, the feathers made smooth, 

 and rolled up with a fine linen roller, it might still better preserve their 

 external form. 



If a pipe was put into the mouth, and spirit thrown down the wind- 

 pipe, it would pass through almost the whole body by means of the air- 

 cells ; and it would therefore be unnecessary to inject any by the anus 

 or abdomen. 



Animals of the Lobster or Crab kind may be put into a vessel without 

 suspension, and they should be wrapped up in linen, if preserved in 

 this way, for external form. They should be nearly of the same size, as 

 the larger will break the legs of the smaller if put all together. 



Animals of the soft or pulpy kind should be kept apart from others 

 which are hard, more especially if preserved for their external form, 

 and should not be crowded. If possible, they ought to be suspended ; 



* I call them large animals, because much larger can seldom he brought home whole. 



