BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
33 
ately back of the lecture-table — thrust upon the shelves in a 
way disregarding their value. In public display of museums, 
we are ahead.” 
She was amazed at the libraries, both at the Royal Academy 
and at the University of Upsala, and she found the arrange¬ 
ments of the botanical division of the Academy, as conducted 
by Professor Willrock, excellent. She says: — 
“The flora of Europe and of other countries was kept in 
portfolios behind locked doors. I never saw such beautiful 
preservation of leaves and color of flowers. He said the colors 
were only preserved by careful drying, it being necessary to 
change the paper frequently during the drying and pressing. 
He had series of dried plants showing the different stages of 
growth and development from first to last. This same idea was 
carried out with the plants in alcohol (about 50% alcoholic 
solutions). This means of keeping plants is new to me and 
most excellent. 
“The fungi and algae were prepared by taking very thin 
sections, drying and gumming them on paper. The spores were 
allowed to drop from the fungi upon paper, which preserved 
absolutely the arrangement of the spores as they are on the 
fungi. 
“The collection of alcoholic specimens of all fruits and 
fleshy plants was very large and superb in value of specimens. 
“Such collections and the ready access of other collections 
in near towns cannot fail to make students. Study from ob¬ 
jects, collections, and by observation seems to be the method 
of study generally followed. 
“The ethnographical collection, under the direction of Pro¬ 
fessor Smitt, was very instructive. The specimens were outside 
of cases and exposed for close examination. 
“Smitt is working up the fishes and has made some com¬ 
parative measurements of value. 
“The Laboratorrein for the preparation of specimens for the 
museum is outside of the city on a stretch of the Baltic. Smitt 
took us in a yacht belonging to the museum; his wife accom¬ 
panied us. The cold was intense. The water was covered with 
little boats. The maceration, as the Laboratorrein is called, 
