90 
HINTS TO TRAVELLERS. 
great disgust of the traveller, destroy what he has taken much pains to 
procure. When wood is scarce, as in the interior of Africa, boxes may be 
made of the skins of antelopes or other large animals by stretching them, 
when newly stripped from the animal, over a square framework of sticks, 
and sewing up the edges: after being dried in the sun they make excellent 
packing-cases. 
Preserving Mammals , &c., in Alcohol .—In the interests of science the 
preservation, in alcohol, of mammals, as well as of reptiles, fishes and 
Crustacea, is to be preferred, and the traveller is earnestly recommended 
to adopt this plan, especially with regard to the smaller specimens, dried 
skins of which are almost useless for scientific purposes. On this subject 
Dr. G-. E. Dobson sends us the following ‘ Hints , — 
The general collecting case should be made of strong block tin, rect¬ 
angular in form, about 2 feet x 1 foot x 1 foot 8 inches in height, having 
in the top a circular aperture from 6 to 8 inches in diameter, closed by 
a well-fitting brass-screw cap, the flange of which is made air-tight by 
a well-greased leather collar. This should fit accurately into a similarly 
shaped box of inch boards, having a simple flat lid (not projecting beyond 
the sides), secured by eight long screws, and provided with a strong iron 
