NATUBAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



63 



the most complex. One must be 

 an all-around naturalist to observe 

 its actions and learn anything 

 about it. And when he thinks he 

 knows it all pretty well — he learns 

 something else! If we could only 

 have a more united action — say a 

 chain of observers almost parallel 

 across the country every twenty- 

 five or fifty miles; it would be a 

 decided advance. Chains of 

 swamps, water courses, chains of 

 lakes, well wooded strips of land, 

 fertile sections and lines of hills 

 trending northward — we would find 

 out the value of these and many 

 other unknown conditions in their 

 influence on migration. 



It is to be hoped that this ca- 

 lamity of our Bluebird will turn to 

 some good conclusion the obser- 

 vation of many scattered and iso- 

 lated naturalists. 



Ernest W. Vickers, 



Ellsworth, O. 



How to Mount Botanical Speci- 

 mens. 



The secret of obtaining fine spec- 

 imens lies in drying them before 

 decomposition has had time to 

 take place, and applying as much 

 weight as possible without injur- 

 ing the more delicate portions of 

 the plant. The specimens should 

 remain in the press till all mois- 

 ture is absorbed, which is, in most 

 instances, about a week. In her- 

 baceous specimens the entire plant 

 is easily preserved. Bulbous roots 

 may be managed with very little 

 trouble by sectioning the root when 

 too bulky. Succulent plants should 

 be immersed in boiling water be- 

 fore being placed in the press. 

 Each sheet should show speci- 

 mens of both flower and fruit if 

 possible. In the case of herbs, 

 this can usually be done with one 

 and the same specimen. When 

 the seasons of flowering and fruiting 

 are separated by some weeks, 

 leaves should be preserved with 

 each specimen, as the foliage of- 

 ten changes materially in appear- 

 ance during that time. Where it 

 is impossible to show the entire 

 plant on a single sheet, the root 

 and leaves should be shown in con- 

 nection with the branches. 



In drying, it is well to turn part 

 of the leaves wrong side up, thus 

 showing the appearance of both 

 sides of the leaf; this is especially 

 desirable in the fern family, if only 

 one frond is shown. It is better 

 to mount two or more leaves, and 

 in that way give the different 

 views. 



Never mount more than one spe- 

 cies on a sheet; variations of the 

 same species may be placed togeth- 

 er, as the violet self-heal {Prunella 

 vulgaris) with its freaks of blush 

 and white. For mounting, Lin- 

 naeus used sheets of foolscap, but 

 that size is now universally con- 

 ceded to be too small for practical 

 purposes. Most botanists prefer 

 sheets 12x17 inches, and some use 

 a double sheet. While this meth- 

 od protects the plant more it adds 

 to the bulk of the herbarium and 

 to its cost, and on the whole it is 

 questionable whether the advant- 

 age gained by the use of the double 

 sheet balances that lost. — American 

 Gardening. 



How to Use a Pocket Magnifier. 



By Edward Pennock. 



Having frequently observed the 

 incorrect and unsatisfactory meth- 

 od of handling even so simple an 

 instrument as a pocket magnifying 

 glass, in the hands of those unac- 

 customed to its use, and knowing 

 what excellent and satisfactory re- 

 sults can be obtained by its proper 

 management, the editorial pen was 

 inspired to write as follows, to wit: 



Holding the object to be exam- 

 ined between the thumb and fore- 

 finger the left hand, take the 

 magnifying glass, ready for use, in 

 the right hand, and bring it ap- 

 proximately to its focal distance 

 from the object, resting the right 

 hand against the left to avoid any 

 unsteadiness. Bring the magnifier 

 and object thus held in the hands, 

 close to the right eye, and focus 

 upon the object until a clear and 

 distinct image is obtained. Care 

 should be observed that the object, 

 lens and eye, should be in a right 

 line with each other, and that the 

 lens should be held with its sur- 

 faces on a plane at right angles to 

 this line, so that there will be no 

 distortion or lack of clearness in 

 definition. Of course, one should 

 choose such a position as will per- 

 mit of the light falling fully upon 

 the object. It is much better to 

 hold the magnifier close to the eye, 

 rather than to hold it off at a dis- 

 tance therefrom, as in the latter 

 case a very small field of view is 

 obtained, with considerable dis- 

 tortion at the margins of the field; 

 by holding it close to the eye, a 

 broad, clear and distinct field is 

 obtained. — Queen's Mieroscopieal 

 Bulletin, 



Training a Butterfly. 



I have failed to find any one who 

 has ever seen or heard of such 

 pets. Their short lives make them 

 fleeting joys. Five weeks is ex- 

 treme old age, and it is only by 

 great care and tenderness the little 

 life will last even so long. Sur- 

 prising in them is the similitude to 

 human nature. I hope it will in- 

 terest those who see the beautiful 

 and wonderful in insect life if I 

 outline the life of the treasure of 

 my flock. 



On a cool October day, while 

 walking in the park, I saw a large 

 black and orange butterfly. It 

 was so perfect and beautiful, al- 

 though the frosty air had appar- 

 ently taken its life, that I carefully 

 put it in an envelope and took it 

 home. Reaching there, the but- 

 terfly was laid upon the table. Re- 

 turning to my room several hours 

 after, I was attracted by a strange 

 scratching on paper. Going to 

 the table I found to my surprise 

 that the sound came from the en- 

 velope. With much care and 

 gentleness I unfolded it, and out 

 came my treasure. It was not 

 dead, but had been chilled, and the 

 genial warmth of the room, reviv- 

 ing the latent spark, gave me such 

 a pet as I believe no one else in 

 the world has ever had. My first 

 thought was, it surely must be hun- 

 gry. But how to feed it? How 

 handle it? From nature's bount- 

 eous storehouse it lived upon the 

 honey of the flowers, with little 

 sips of water taken from the pools 

 by the roadside. Remembering 

 this, I prepared the feast for my 

 welcome guest — a honey or syrup 

 of white sugar in a tiny little sau- 

 cer, and, in another some water. 

 But how was" I going to get him to 

 eat? After much thought I decid- 

 ed the only way to handle him was 

 to fold back his wings and take 

 him by the shoulders. Next I 

 took a number seven sewing needle, 

 and placing the head of it very 

 gently through the curled probos- 

 cis, slowly unrolled it, and as I 

 did so the end of it fell in the sy- 

 rup. Oh, what an untold feast 

 for a half starved butterfly! After 

 he had his fill, I loosened my hold 

 and he at once commenced to re- 

 move the adhered sweets from his 

 proboscis and forefeet, then his 

 antenna; were polished, and lastly, 

 having plumed his body (if you 

 look through a magnifying glass 

 you will see the butterfly's body is 

 covered with minute feathers) he 

 moved Off like a man pleased with 



