164 
THE NATURALISTS’ COxMPANION. 
which so well characterize the family. 
Taking the plant up carefully, we 
shake the earth from its roots, and place 
it in the box, to be examined more 
thoroughly and named after we reach 
home. 
Farther on in the woods we find quan¬ 
tities of this kind of plant, and of the 
hepatica, with occasionally a stray addei 
tongue, for it is rather early for them as 
yet. The dicentra, saxifrage and other 
plants are in abundance, but as their 
buds have not opened, we leave them for 
another time, and return home well 
pleased with the success of our expedition. 
The next thing is to name the speci¬ 
mens with the aid of a good botany. If 
the characteristics of the principal fam¬ 
ilies are memorized now, it will save a 
great deal of bother in the future, as one 
can then place a plant in its family in¬ 
dependent of the botany. After the 
specimens are named they should be 
put in the press immediately,as they do 
not look well if pressed after they become 
wilted. I think one can buy a kind of 
porous paper prepared expressly for peo¬ 
ple who prefer it in pressing flowers; but 
I used newspapers with good success. 
My method was as follows: After 
naming the plant, I placed it carefully, 
face downward, upon a newspaper fold¬ 
ed double, straightened the leaves and 
arranged the buds and flowers. I then 
placed a slip of paper with the specimen, 
giving its name and the family to which 
it belonged ; also where found and the 
date. This was done to guard against 
my forgetting anything I wished to 
know of the plant. The paper was then 
laid on a flat surface, and others placed 
with it, a board and a heavy weight sur¬ 
mounting the pile, and they were then 
left to themselves for a day or two until 
it was time to change the papers. If the 
weather is damp this should be done each 
day or the plants will mold, but if hot 
and dry they will do very well if left two 
or even three days at a time. When the 
plants are thoroughly dry they are ready 
to be mounted. One should now be 
provided with the sheets of bristol-board 
manufactured for this purpose, and 
which can be obtained at little expense; 
a sheet of white court plaster, a bottle of 
glue and a pair of sharp scissors. Place 
the plant in the centre of the sheet of 
bristol-board, then cut bits of the court 
plaster long enough to hold the stems 
down and a little less than an eighth of 
an inch wide. Moisten and place the 
two strips over each stem, unless it is 
short when one will do; one near the 
flower and the other near the stalk. 
Now place a little glue on the back of 
each leaf, bud and flower, press gently 
into place, and put away to dry. After 
it is dried all you have left to do is to 
place the name of the plant, date 
when gatheied, and your own name, in 
this order: First,generic name; second, 
specific name, followed by the common 
name; third, where gathered; fourth, 
your own name, thus:— 
LILIACEAE. 
Trillium Grandiflorum, 
(wake robin) 
East Woods, Brockport, N. Y. 
Mary Smith. 
April 13th, 1886. 
This should be placed in the lower 
right hand corner ol the sheet. Of 
course part of the label can be omitted 
if desired, but 1 give it as I arranged 
