46 



NATUEAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



Snake Collecting. 



The following directions are pre- 

 pared for the use of naturalists, 

 who do not know the how, when 

 and where of collecting in this in- 

 teresting but neglected branch of 

 Natural History. 



A volume of detailed informa- 

 tion might be written on the sub- 

 ject, but as space is limited, only 

 a few concise directions will be 

 given. 



We can dispose of the when and 

 where questions with a very few 

 words. Spring and early Summer 

 is the time to collect Ophidians, 

 and they will be found in various 

 places. Many species delight to 

 lie in the sun, and usually no lo- 

 cality furnishes so many varieties 

 as warm rocks, gravelly hillsides 

 and sandy, sunlit plains. The 

 aquatic species will be found in or 

 near the water. Some varieties 

 live in the deep woods, some in 

 swamps, some in hollow logs. 

 Barren lands and gravel pits are 

 good collecting grounds. The rar- 

 er class of burrowing Snakes live 

 entirely under ground. We will 

 even find some species in the trees. 



The tools necessary for the work 

 are few and inexpensive: A gun 

 or collecting pistol; dip net for 

 aquatic species: a pair of old 

 gloves; bags of cheese cloth; col- 

 lecting box of tin with shoulder 

 strap (an old botanical collecting 

 can is excellent) or a fish basket. 

 Lastly, but not least, a hypodermic 

 syringe. All of these tools, with 

 the exception of the last, are to be 

 found in the laboratory of every 

 working naturalist. A good hypo- 

 dermic syringe, holding one ounce, 

 can be purchased at any drug store 

 for 50 cents. 



There are three- ways of captur- 

 ing specimens: First with the 

 gloved hand. This is perhaps the 

 easiest and most satisfactory meth- 

 od to use excepting in the case of 

 the Rattlesnake family. As an aid 

 to this form of capture a forked 

 stick or a stick with a fish hook 

 straightened out and driven into 

 one end, may be used. 



The second method is easy and 

 safe, shooting with No. 12 or dust 

 shot. Of course many specimens 

 obtained in this way are mutilated 

 beyond redemption, but it is easier 

 to obtain more with a gun than 

 in any other manner. 



Third, a fine noose on the end 

 of a branch is reliable. Horse 

 hair does very well for a noose, 

 though in the case of large, heavy 

 specimens it is better to use cop- 

 per wire. 



As soon as captured, specimens 

 should be placed in the cheese- 

 cloth bags and laid away in the 

 collecting can. The collector 

 should always carry a supply of 

 these bags of various sizes, from 

 4 inches by 5 inches to 4 inches by 

 10 inches. Slips with the number 

 of the specimen can be pinned to 

 each bag, this number correspond- 

 ing to the number of an entry in 

 the notebook from which to make 

 out the labels at the end of the 

 day. 



This entry should contain: 1st, 

 Running number; 2d, Locality; 

 3d, Soil and vegetation; 4th, Date 

 of capture; 5th, General Remarks. 



At the end of a day's collecting 

 the specimens should be taken 

 care of as follows: Kill all living 

 specimens by dropping them in a 

 two quart jar filled half full with 

 a 50 per cent solution of alcohol. 

 This seems to be the best as well 

 as the easiest way to dispose of 

 Ophidians. The alcohol seems 

 to intoxicate them at first, and 

 then as the head is submerged 

 death comes by drowning. 



Blood and dirt should be wiped 

 away, and the specimens laid to- 

 gether on a glass plate for prep- 

 eration. Take a careful measure- 

 ment of length from head to tip of 

 tail and diameter through the 

 thickest part of the body. Note 

 carefully the markings of the spec- 

 imen and if possible make a rough 

 drawing with colors accurately 

 listed. As alcohol tends to bleach 

 out all the brighter colorations, 

 our marking and color records are 

 our only safe guides to the accu- 

 rate appearance of the snake dur- 

 ing life. For very accurate work, 

 Ridgway's "Nomenclature of Col- 

 ors" should be used. If there is 

 undigested food in the stomach, 

 indicated by a bulging out of the 

 sides, it should be removed. 



All wounds of any size should be 

 carefully sewn up with silk thread. 

 Then we proceed to the injection. 

 With the specimen lying on its 

 back, we insert the point of the 

 hypodermic needle under the first 

 belly scale and inject alcohol un- 

 til we feel the body expand slight- 

 ly. Then removing the needle 

 the operation is repeated every 

 inch until the vent is reached. In 

 large specimens it is well to inject 

 the muscles also. If this matter 

 of thorough injection is not attend- 

 ed to, specimens invariably decay 

 from the inside, even though the 

 exterior be well preserved. 



The label should now be made 

 from the entry in the notebook. 

 The most satisfactory label is 



made of strong parchment paper 

 and the writing done with a soft 

 lead pencil. ^4 inch by 3 inches 

 is a good size and by writing on 

 both sides the space is sufficient. 

 One side may be occupied with 

 the date, exact locality, scientific 

 name, number and name of col- 

 lector. On the reverse may be 

 written the color record, soil and 

 vegetation data and the usual 

 ' 'Remarks. " 



Alcohol is the only reliable pre- 

 serving fluid and the specimen 

 with the label tied around its neck 

 should be immersed in a 50 per 

 cent solution (made by diluting 95 

 per cent alcohol with water) for 

 24 hours. If this weaker solution 

 is not used first, the specimens 

 are apt to shrivel and blister when 

 placed in the stronger alcohol. 

 Now bring out the specimen jars 

 and after arranging therein your 

 Ophidians in coils or loops to suit 

 your own taste, pour upon them a 

 75 per cent strength alcohol, and 

 your hideous, horrible snake en- 

 emies are turned into things of 

 beauty fit to adorn the cabinet of 

 a king. 



For identifying all specimens 

 use "Reptiles and Batrachians of 

 North America, Part 1. Ophi- 

 dia," by Samuel Garman, Ken- 

 tucky Geological Survey. "Jor- 

 dan's Manual" is a good book for 

 beginners, but for real down-right 

 work you want the best which is, 

 of course, Carman's work. 



This then comprises the art of 

 snake collecting, briefly told, but 

 I cannot close without a word of 

 advice. Your collection of snakes 

 will only be valuable to you as 

 you study them. If you collect 

 but one specimen this season 

 study it well and you will be re- 

 paid. Pry into the secret of its 

 wonderful vertebras, dissect its 

 muscles and see their uses, com- 

 pare its internal organs with those 

 of other animals. Make drawings 

 of everything that interests you, 

 write copious notes; in short un- 

 derstand the subject. For I truly 

 believe that the anatomy and hab- 

 its of one snake, well understood, 

 is worth a hundred of showy spec- 

 imens without that knowledge. 



A. Mowbray Semple. 



How to Make a Herbarium. 



By Helena D. Leeming. 



To make what the early botanists 

 called a hortus siccus, or dried gar- 

 den, has become a fine art. There 



