Page:Sea and River-side Rambles in Victoria.djvu/108

89 the most delicate specimens wrapped in very fine muslin and enclosed in thin gutta percha or tin foil, will travel safely and last for some days; but when required for the Herbarium, no time should be lost in their preparation, so soon does decomposition set in, more especially in those of delicate structure; the process is a simple one, and practice will teach more than a volume on the subject; yet we will give some concise instructions which will no doubt be beneficial.

The specimens to be preserved having been sorted, so as to keep together the smaller and more membranous kinds, place them for a few minutes into a large bowl of freshwater, and whilst they are soaking there, cut into different sizes some good white thick cartridge paper, (the better it is, the more beautiful will be the specimens); then selecting any one plant, transfer it to another dish of clean water, taking care that all sand and extraneous matter has been removed by the first ablution, and when it is properly expanded, place one of the papers underneath it, and gradually withdraw it so as not to disarrange the natural position it has assumed. A forceps or quill is often used to correct any slight defect in the specimen, but we do not recommend it,—a soft camel's hair brush will answer every purpose. The specimen should now be placed on white blotting paper, each sheet being filled, when layers of several sheets must be placed on them, and then more specimens, and more layers of soaking paper. Many collectors place calico or muslin over their plants to prevent the paper adhering to them, but it frequently marks the specimen, and we seldom use it, preferring to give the sheets but a gentle pressure