How to Preserve Museum Specimens?| Zoology

This article will guide you about how to preserve, display, label and maintain the museum specimen for microscopic and macroscopic animals.

Preservation of Specimen:

Well-preserved specimens—both micro­scopic and macroscopic—are assets of a good museum.

i. Microscopic animals:

Stained, permanent slides are prepared and preserved with proper labeling.

ii. Macroscopic animals:

Soft-bodied animals are preserved for a long time in 70% alcohol or glyceroalcohol. At the initial state one or two changes with fresh alcohol is needed. For colourful soft coelenterates glyceroalcohol is a good preser­vative.

Display of Specimen:

Properly killed specimen is placed on a glass slide which may fit in a gas jar. The speci­men is tied with white thread in such a way that all parts are seen from outside. The glass plate with tied specimen is placed in the gas jar and formalin solution is poured slowly in it till the specimen is submerged in the solution.

The gas jar is closed with a lid or cap and the joining is sealed with molten paraffin to prevent evapo­ration. The specimen in the jar will remain in good condition for long years.

Labeling of Specimen:

A specimen is of little value if not provided with a label stating its scientific name, precise locality, name of collector, date of collection and other information.

i. Temporary labeling:

It is necessary immediately after collection in the field and should indicate the name of locality, altitude or depth, name of collector and date of collection, etc. These may be writ­ten on good quality white paper with soft lead pencil or black waterproof Indian ink, which stand in liquid (spirit, formalin, etc.).

ii. Final labeling:

Specimens are brought to the laboratory from the field and their identity are determined prior to final labeling. On good quality white cartridge paper the scientific name, exact loca­lity, name of donor or collector, name of institute where it is deposited and its proper registration number is written with black water-proof Indian ink. If the specimen is a holotype, para-type, etc., such indication is to be written on the label.

Sample of printed proforma of a label:

Zoology Department, University of……….

Name of the specimen

Loc. Date

Alt.

Coll/Don

Regd. No.

Maintenance of Preserved Specimens:

The labeled specimen is put in museum rack along with the specimens of the same or nearest group. Properly preserved specimens remain as such for many years. Replacement or addition of preservative should be done when­ever necessary.