76 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE FORMATION
LABELLING AND ARRANGING.
I regard labels as quite unnecessary, and even objectionable, as
tending to limit the space available for notes. I should recommend
that a neat stamp with the following words be procured, "Essex
Field Club Herbarium," with which each sheet should be carefully
stamped. Under this should be neatly written :—1st, The name of
the plant; 2nd, Where it was collected; 3rd, By whom collected;
4th, Date of collection, and any notes of interest relating to the
geological strata, situation, &c., or calling attention to any interesting
characters in the plant itself.
The nomenclature and arrangement adopted should be that of
the last edition of the "London Catalogue of British Plants." 1
All plants belonging to critical genera should be submitted to
some well-known authority for confirmation if possible. The value
of the collection will be greatly enhanced by the adoption of this
plan.
The following are essential features in the cabinet. It must
be fitted with sliding shelves six inches apart, a little larger than the
sheet of mounting paper adopted, and it must be dust-tight. In
other respects the cabinet must be made to harmonise with the
fittings of the museum.
One question now only remains :—By what means is this work to
be accomplished ? Clearly by the united efforts of all who will
volunteer to assist. In order to make such voluntary work effective
it would be necessary to divide the responsibility undertaken into
different departments. I would suggest that the following subdivision
of work would be convenient,
1st. Collecting and drying must clearly be undertaken by the
same worker; but it will be probably found useful to a certain
extent to subdivide this labour, to prevent waste of power by several
going over the same ground. Thus, some living near the coast
might give their particular attention to coast plants. Some volunteers
might undertake to give their particular attention to special orders or
genera of plants; for instance, one might undertake the Rubi;
another the Batrachian Ranunculi ; a third might undertake to
collect all the forms of Primula, while some might collect generally
in their own localities.
2nd. Mounting, arranging, &c. A small committee of, say, three
1 I should say, in general, there are many points in which such a standard will be susceptible
of improvement,—G. S. Boulger,