48
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
are driven before the wind carrying with them some of the beau-
tiful seeds and getting rid of them before coming again to rest.
The same sort of thing happens in some of the Crucifera and
Leguminosae, but careful observation is required before one can
feel quite sure about this, that, or the other suspected case. My
own practice is to keep such things with the seeds because, al-
though not sown, they are dispersed with them ; they concern
the subsequent history rather than the first-instance dispersal,
so it is more in harmony with their natural history to keep the
two together ; but I do not admit them to the seed section
unless I have some good evidence of their dispersal value ; until
then I curate them with the spent fruits.
Before passing on to the third section there is one point of
practical utility to be dealt with. In view of the possibility of
being asked for an exhibit it is a good rule to mount the fruits
with enough spare room on the card to display thereon some of
the seeds as well ; thus, with the help of the herbarium sheet, all
the available material is at hand for inspection or study : of
course, if the fruit does not dehisce or break up and is therefore
not to be found in the green boxes, the seeds to which I now come
must be placed upon the herbarium sheet itself.
The apparatus for collecting material for the third section
need trouble no one ; it should include some small boxes with
blank labels inside, a packet of small envelopes and a pencil,
with which to record at once the name and locality of what is
put into each. A pair of sharp scissors should also be carried
in order to cut the material neatly. This is another of those
small precautions of great practical importance which should be
respected conscientiously, in conjunction with always putting
each species or variety into a separate box or envelope of its own.
Observance of this rule is an economy of time, for separating
mixed seeds is a long and tiresome business, while mixing them
at all is a great mistake, because it breeds error, which it behoves
every good naturalist to avoid, as far as possible. The scissors
should be used freely because the less unwanted material that is
taken home the less time will be. wasted in picking small seeds
out of superfluous debris. It is tempting to pull up small plants
bodily and put them into a box or envelope, but later it involves
removing the withered remains and their fragments and hunting
(To be continued).