( 12 ) 
that the effects of one such dose of so strong a poison must be per¬ 
manent, No more disastrous fallacj'- exists. Still no definite rule 
can be laid down as to when rcpoisoning should be done. One is 
always seeing one’s specimens at intervals : when any sign of mis¬ 
chief is apparent at once give another dose. 
Calcutta^ 1890. 
From the Journal^ Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. LXII, Part II, No.j, 
1893. 
153 
Xote on some methods of preparing Botanical specimens, communicating 
Memoranda by MESSRS. C. MARIES, F.L.S., and R. Pantling.— 
By D. Prain. 
[Read June 5th.] 
Usually the preparation of botanical specimens is easy; some na¬ 
tural families, however, give a good deal of trouble. Those who have 
private herbaria are as interested to hear of improved methods of treat¬ 
ing such families, as are those who look after public collections. The 
writer, therefore, would call general attention to modes of dealing with 
three troublesome families— Magnoliacece, ConifercB and Orchidacecc. 
I. Magnoliace^. The Champak familyis not troublesome to pre¬ 
serve as totheleaves, buttheflowers are apt to go to pieces. If, however, 
pieces of blotting-paper are carefully insinuated between the petals 
before the specimen is laid in drying-paper, and if the specimen is then 
rapidly fire-dried, even adult flowers may be preserved entire. Nothing, 
however, prevents the shrinkage of the large leathery petals. In this 
order shrinkage is so excessive and so unequal, that in the case of 
402 
