602 
NATURAL 
Naturalift’s and Traveller’s Companion; but, as Mau- 
duit’s methods require much (kill and addrefs, he recom¬ 
mends the following, efpecially for the flat kinds of fifli. 
He makes a longitudinal incifion with fciflars along the 
belly of the fifh from the anus to the lower mandible, and 
then gradually and carefully feparates the (kin from the 
flefli with the afliftance of the blade and flat handle of a 
fcalpel, till he has laid bare one fide of the animal. He 
then pafles to the other fide, proceeding in the fame man¬ 
ner to detach the (kin from that part; after which he fepa- 
rates the head from the body with a pair of fciflars, and 
clears away the flelhy parts attached to the head. He now 
detaches the (kin from the back as far as the anus ; and 
then, laying the fi(h on the table, he pafles the flat handle 
of the fcalpel below' the (kin that covers the tail and 
neighbouring parts, in order to feparate it completely. 
This done, he pufhes the tail inwards, and, with the aflift- 
ance of the fcalpel and drawing the (kin very gently, he 
detaches this as near as poflible to the end of the tail, 
which he then feparates with fciflars, thus leaving the (kin 
with nothing attached to it but the head and extremity of 
the tail. It only remains now to clear away the ears and 
eyes, and properly clean the head. The (kin is now 
fteeped for fome days in the tanning liquor, then laid on 
a table, and, when the head is properly arranged, a model 
of the body of the fifli, made of foft clay mixed with fine 
fand, is placed within the (kin, which is made to fit neatly 
over it, is then bound with little bandages of linen, and 
fuftered to dry. When the clay is quite dry and hard, 
and the (kin has acquired fo much firmnefs as to retain its 
proper form, it is to be gently beaten all over to break 
the clay, fo that it may be withdrawn through the open¬ 
ing. When this is done, the whole infide of the (kin and 
head is to fmeared by a pencil-brufli with the foap-poma- 
tum; after which, it is to be entirely filled with cut tow, 
and the opening ditched up as neatly as poflible. Then 
artificial eyes are to be placed in the orbits by means of 
foft wax, and the whole body is to be covered with a coat 
of white varniflt prepared by digefting four ounces of 
clear turpentine, three ounces of fandarac, and one ounce 
of maftic in tears, with eight ounces of oil of turpentine, 
and four ounces of fpirit of wine, in a bottle placed in a 
water-bath. 
5. Under the article Entomoaogt, vol. vi. p. 843, 4, 
we have given fome diredlions for preferving infefts; but 
thofe directions were confined chiefly to what is called the 
mounting', or fixing them in a proper pofition, leavihgtheni 
expoled to the air till all their moifture is evaporated. 
But this, in fome of the larger infeSts, as thofe of the 
claffes coleoptera and hentiptera, would take a confider- 
able time; and therefore M. Nicolas recommends a pro- 
cefs fomewhat fimilar to that which is ufed for the more 
perfeft animals. Each infeft is to be held between the 
thumb and fore-finger of the left hand, the wings to be 
raifed by means of a pin, and heldopen with the middle 
finger, while the abdomen of the animal is (lit open from 
the back, and the entrails abftraded by means of an iron 
wire ; the cavity as well as the edges of the wound are to 
be walhed with the bitter lpirituous liquor deferibed be¬ 
fore, by means of a very fine pencil. Then a fmall cotton 
plug impregnated with oii of petroleum is to be fluffed 
into the cavity, with the point of a wire, till the cavity is 
fufficiently full, when the wings are to be fuftered to re¬ 
turn to their natural fituation, and the infeft is ready for 
mounting. For mounting infefts, M. Nicolas employs 
little fquares of card, through the middle and acrofs 
which he pafles a fmall iron wire well annealed, and about 
the fize of a harpfichord-ftring. A very fine needle is now 
to be palled through the animal, as near as poflible to the 
corfelet; and, after having covered the upright iron wire 
with a light coating of gum-water, he pafles it through 
the hole made by the needle, and fixes the animal in fuch 
a manner that its feet may reff upon the card. 
6. As to worms, the only mode of preferving the mol- 
lufca, or thofe with naked bodies, is to keep them in fpi- 
HISTORY. 
rits ; and of the teftacea, or (hell-fiflt, the only part 
thought w'orth preferving is the (hell; for the preparation 
of which, fee Conchology. vol. v. p. 36. Crabs, lob- 
fters, ftar-fifh, and fea-urchins, require but little prepa¬ 
ration. In crabs the (hell, and in lobfters the tail, is to 
be feparated from the reft of the body; as much as poflible 
of the meat is to be picked out from the body and large 
claws; the whole interior is to be fmeared with the foap- 
pomatum ; and, after having united the parts, the whole 
is to be differed to dry. The ftar-fifli and urchins, if 
taken alive, (hould be killed by plunging them in fpirit of 
wine, and afterwards drying them in the fun orin an oven 
moderately heated. 
Full inftruftions for colleding and preferving plants, 
fo as to form an herbarium or hortus iiccus, have been 
given under the article Botany, vol. iii. p. 300 & feq. 
That the cultivation of an acquaintance with the ob¬ 
jects of nature is attended with many and important be¬ 
nefits, is a pofition w'hich needs only to be dated to obtain 
our conviftion of its truth. It requires, furely, no labour 
of argument to demonftrate that an occupation of this 
defeription has a direct tendency to roufe and to gratify 
the principle of curiofity ; that it is eminently calculated 
to mature and improve our powers of tafte ; that it influ¬ 
ences the enlargement and melioration of our intellectual 
powers; that it generates and foflers thofe difpofitions of 
mental compofure and ferenity, which'refult from con¬ 
templation and reflection, and which, if not abfolutely 
virtuous, are at lead akin to virtue, and confpire to its 
production and maintenance; and that it contributes, 
more powerfully than the purfuit of any other branch of 
human knowledge, to ftimuiate and invigorate our fen- 
timents of piety and religion. The proofs of the exiftence 
of a Supreme Caufe, deduced from abftraCt and meta- 
phyfical argumentation, are capable of being apprehended 
only by a few individuals of leifure and learning : but 
the works of creation exhibit, in language intelligible to 
all, the molt irrefragable and aftonilhing difplays of 
power, defign, wifdom, and goodnefs. It is impoflible 
to examine a blade of grals, or the lowed modification of 
animal exiftence, without reflecting that the models of 
their organization, which have remained unaltered for 
thoufands of years, could never refult from blind or 
fortuitous impulfe. The kind provifions which have been 
inftituted for the prelervation of the various fpecies, with 
the countlefs inftances of the wonderful adaptation of 
means to ends, cannot fail to infpire us'with the confoling 
and animating truth,that the Deity exerclles his paternal 
protection over all the creatures which he has made, and 
that not an atom can change its form or afpeCt without 
his permiflion. 
Thus, then, a more rational pleafure cannot poflibly 
occupy the attention or captivate the affeCtions of man¬ 
kind, than that which arifes from a due confideration of 
the works of Nature. Pleafure, we know, is a neceffary 
ingredient in human life, in order in fome meafure to 
counterbalance the pains, the evils, and the liftlefineffes, 
which are at times perhaps unavoidable, and in order to 
render life tolerable. It is the part, then, of the moralift, 
and it has been frequently his bufinefs, to point out and 
recommend fuch pleafures as are highly gratifying, and 
are yet perfectly innocent. The Spectator, whofe works 
will be admired as long as the language in which they are 
written is underftood, recommends ftrongly and elegantly 
the pleafure of a garden ; and a later writer, of no com¬ 
mon degree of merit, and of very confiderable fame, has 
an effay on the fame fubjeCt, from which we (hall feleCt a 
few obfervations. 
“ Not he alone (fays this degant writer) is to be 
efteemed a benefaCtor to mankind, who makes an ufeful 
difeovery ; but he alfo who can point out and recommend 
an innocent pleafure. Of this kind are the pleafures 
arifing from the obfervation of Nature ; and they are 
highly agreeable to every tafte uncorrupted by vicious in¬ 
ti ulgence v 
