Am'JuCiy"lSarm•}       The  Making  of  an  Herbarium.  381 
In  the  examination  of  an  unknown  plant,  the  height,  shape  and 
epidermis  of  the  stem  should  be  considered,  and  whether  endo- 
genous or  exogenous,  although  in  most  cases  the  venation  of  the 
leaves  will  show  the  latter  just  as  well.  The  leaves  should  be 
examined  as  to  phyllotaxy,  venation,  shape  and  size.  The  flowers 
should  be  examined  as  to  the  parts  present,  their  size,  shape,  color, 
union,  insertion,  etc.,  and  then  vertical  and  transverse  sections 
should  be  made,  notes  being  made  of  the  different  observations. 
When  this  has  been  done,  the  name  can  in  most  cases  be  speedily 
determined  by  means  of  the  analytical  key  in  the  front  of  "  Gray's 
Manual  of  Botany." 
Beginners  will  find  it  easier  to  analyze  regular  flowers  of  fair  size, 
such  as  the  Corn  Cockle  (Lychnis  Githago),  which  is  frequently 
found  in  wheat  fields,  to  the  annoyance  of  the  farmers ;  or  what  is 
still  better  is  for  the  first  times  to  take  known  flowers,  like  the 
apple  blossom  or  wild  rose,  find  the  description  in  the  "  Manual," 
and  compare  it  carefully.  After  this  has  been  done  a  number  of 
times  they  will  be  better  able  to  proceed  with  unknown  flowers. 
Those  with  but  little  knowledge  of  botany  will  find  Mrs.  Dana's 
"  How  to  Know  the  Wild  Flowers,"  in  which  they  are  classified 
according  to  color,  and  many  of  them  illustrated,  an  interesting 
book,  while  if  they  desire  to  increase  their  knowledge,  they  will  find 
Professor  Bastin's  "  Laboratory  Exercises  in  Botany  "  a  most  valua- 
ble work.  Gray's  "  School  and  Field  Botany  "  (Revised  Edition)  is 
also  an  excellent  work,  not  so  technical  as  the  "  Manual,"  and  it  in- 
cludes many  of  the  cultivated  as  well  as  wild  flowers. 
The  next  step  is  the  preservation  of  the  specimens.  They  should 
be  dried  between  sheets  of  absorbent  paper,  with  heavier  sheets 
occasionally  interspersed,  sufficient  pressure  being  made  by  means 
of  weighted  boards. 
Perhaps  a  better  arrangement  for  drying  is  to  use  for  top  and 
bottom  an  open  frame  or  lattice  work,  each  frame  consisting  of  two 
layers  of  half-inch  strips  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles,  having 
a  hook  in  the  end  of  each  strip.  The  sheets  of  drying  paper  are 
laid  between  the  frames,  and  the  proper  pressure  is  made  by  means 
of  a  stout  cord  passing  around  the  hooks,  the  whole  being  hung 
where  there  is  a  current  of  air. 
In  the  case  of  hollow  leaves  like  the  Sarracenia  (Pitcher  plants), 
or  flowers  like  Cypripedium  acaule  (Stemless  Lady's  Slipper),  ab- 
