84 GELATINOUS, CRUSTACEOUS, AND STONE-LIKE ALGAL 
stone ; here a stout hammer and two good steel chisels are 
requisite — one of the latter being broad and flat, the other 
pointed. The former serves to break off a piece of rock 
of the required size, when the plant grows on an angle, or 
at least where there is a good bearing for the instrument ; 
when, on the other hand, the surface is smooth, and 
offers no point of resistance, the narrow-pointed chisel 
comes into play to punch out a notch, on which one side 
of the broad chisel may rest, while a smart blow of the 
hammer is given. Of course, the thinner the stony bed of 
the Alga is, the better, as then it may be deposited among 
the leaves of the herbarium ; whereas if it be too thick it 
must be kept in a separate drawer or cabinet. Let me 
here warn the young botanist to fold the sections of rock 
or bark each in its own piece of paper, before placing 
them in his pocket or bag, to prevent the specimens from 
being rolled and rubbed together : unless this precaution 
be taken, the adherent Alga is certain to be much injured, 
if not entirely destroyed. If the stones, on being brought 
home, are found to be sufficiently thin and flat, they may 
be gummed on stiff strong paper ; and so with the pieces 
of bark. Should they be too large and rough, they may 
be put away on the shelf or in the drawer of a cabinet, 
such as is used for mineralogical collections. 
Vegetable parasites like Coleochgete may be dried and 
put away in paper bags ; or, if it is thought worth while to 
take so much trouble, may be stripped from their bed, and 
either dried upon glass or mounted in Hantzsch’s fluid. 
Some of the foregoing species are encrusted with lime. 
These must be immersed in dilute muriatic acid, in 
order to get rid of the lime, before they can be properly 
examined. The operator must recollect not to lay on the 
cover until the bubbles of carbonic acid have ceased to 
rise ; otherwise they will collect under the glass, and the 
experiment will come to nothing. 
With regard to the species of Chroolepus, it is as well to 
mention that its filaments lose their characteristic yellow 
