out of the
water, placing it in a slanting position for a few moments, so as to
allow the super-abundant water to ran off; after which, place it in
the press. The press is made with either three pieces of board or
pasteboard. Lay on the first board two sheets of blotting-paper; on
that lay your specimens; place straight and smooth over them a piece
of old muslin, fine cambric, or linen; then some more
blotting-paper, and place another board on the top of that, and
continue in the same way.

"The blotting-paper and the muslin should be carefully removed and
dried every day, and then replaced; at the same time, those
specimens that are sufficiently dried may be taken away. Nothing now
remains but to write on each the name, date, and locality. You can
either gum the specimens in a scrap-book, or fix them in, as
drawings are often fastened, by making four slits in the page, and
inserting each corner. This is by far the best plan, as it admits of
their removal, without injury to the page, at any future period, if
it be required either to insert better specimens, or intermediate
species.

"Some of the large algae will not adhere to the paper, and
consequently require gumming. The following method of preserving
them has been communicated by a botanical friend:

'After well cleaning and pressing, brush the coarser kinds of
algae over with spirits of turpentine, in which two or three small
lumps of gum mastic have been dissolved, by shaking in a warm
place; two-thirds of a small phial is the proper proportion, and
this will make the specimens retain a fresh appearance.'"

_Miss Gifford's Marine Botanist_.

2338. To Preserve Fungi.

Receipt of the celebrated botanist, William Withering, by which
specimens of fungi may be beautifully preserved.

"Take two ounces of sulphate of copper, or blue vitriol, and reduce
it to powder; pour upon it a pint of boiling water; and when cold,
add half a pint of spirits of wine; cork it well, and call it 'the
pickle.' To eight pints of water, add one pint and a half of spirits
of wine, and call it 'the liquor.' Be provided with a number of
wide-mouthed bottles of different sizes, all well fitted with corks.
The fungi should be left on the table as long as possible, to allow
the moisture to evaporate; they should then he placed in the pi