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position of its parts becomes impossible. This is very unfortunate, 
because there is no natural order where a proper understanding of the 
position of parts, particularly of the lip and the column, is so necessary. 
Spirit preparations are most unsatisfactory. If the spirit is sufficiently 
strong to preserve the flowers the parts become so brittle that when 
handled they go to pieces ; if weak enough to prevent this hardening 
and consequent friability the spirit does not adequately preserve the 
specimens. The jars and bottles in which the specimens are placed, 
moreover, are very apt to get broken, and any one who has tried it will 
testify to the worry that is caused by the necessity of having to carry 
about a stock of alcohol. Dr. Schweinfurth when travelling in Africa, 
made useofamost excellent modification of the method of preservation 
in spirit. He laid his specimens between sheets of drying paper, laid 
these in tin-boxesandsoldered them upafter soaking the paperthoroughly 
with spirit. He was thus able greatly to reduce the initial stock of 
alcohol and was freed from the subsequent anxiety of possible break¬ 
ages. But the objections to spirit as a preserving medium for flo\i ers 
are not obviated by this mode of applying it, and it remainstobe seen 
whether the Alum solution will answer as a substitute if used in this 
way. 
In the meantime Mr. R. Bantling,who for many years has made 
a special study of Orchids, has perfected a method of drying them so far 
in advance of anything hitherto accomplished that it is highly desirable, 
that the details of his process should be made known. At the writer’s 
request Mr. Bantling has supplied these details and like Mr. Maries, 
has courteously given him permission to communicate the accounttothe 
Society. This memorandum is given below ; it will be noticed that it 
consists of a happy combination, suitably modified, of the ordinary me¬ 
thod of fire-drying recommended for all ordinary plants with the hot- 
sand process mentioned by Mr. Maries as that practised by florists in 
Europe. 
“ To dry Orchid Specimens .—In order to preserve Orchids so that 
“the leaves and flowers remain intact and do not fall away in fragments 
“ as invariably happens to epiphytal species when pressed in the ordi- 
“ nary way between drying paper, the procedure to be adopted should 
“ be as follows. Brocure a light metal box—14 inches, by 12 inches, 
“ by 6 inches deep is a convenient size—and place over the bottomhalf- 
“ an-inch of sand. Arrange a specimen between two sheets of thin 
“ paper inside the box and cover over with a layer of sand taking care, 
“ as far as possible, that the interstices between leaves, etc., are filled 
“ up. Repeat this until the box is full, then place it on a stove or above 
* First Assistant, Department of Cinchona Cultivation in Bengal. 
405 
