supplemented by water, air, and sun; by the three latter aids, I have
repeatedly improved in a wonderful manner "old bones" which were
greasy and discoloured.

Should the sea be close at hand, the skeleton, shut in a box with
holes, may be sunk, and exposed to the attacks of various "small
deer," especially "bees" (Aega tridens), which swarm in some shallow
waters to such an extent as to clear the flesh from a large animal in
a few hours.

SKELETON LEAVES.--Very beautiful objects may be made by placing the
leaves of trees and shrubs, or such as are of a strong or woody
texture, in a pan, pouring boiling soft or rain water over them, then
exposing them to the atmosphere for a time varying from one to three
or four months. They are then gently lifted out and held on a board,
or on a plate, under running water, and the pulpy part, or epidermis,
removed by gentle brushing with a camel-hair pencil or fine needle, to
split the skin away from the mid-rib.

When nothing but the ligneous skeleton or woody fibre remains, it may
be placed in a weak solution of chloride of lime, and exposed to the
sun under glass to dry and bleach. To prevent them sticking to the
paper on which you may wish to dry them, use either blotting-paper or
oiled paper, after well washing the leaves. If skeletonizing in summer
time, trust to sun alone, as chloride of lime has a tendency to make
the leaves go brittle. The seed vessels of various plants, such as the
poppies, thorn apples (Daturae), and campions, as also the leaves of
laurel, holly, ivy, lime, sycamore, poplar, and a host of others, may
be treated in this manner. When finished, they may be mounted on wires
whipped with white silk, and placed on black velvet under a shade.

Some writers have advised the boiling of the leaves in a solution of
caustic soda, or steeping them in a strong mixture of chloride of lime
and water, but I have hitherto considered these plans not so practical
as the foregoing, though, perhaps, quicker; as, however, I find two
writers, in Science Gossip for 1867, very positive on the subject, I
will give the following extracts:

"A solution of caustic soda is made by dissolving 3 oz. of washing
soda in two pints of boiling water, and adding 1.5 oz. of quicklime,
previously slacked; boil for ten minutes, decant the clear solution,
and bring it to the boil. During ebullition add the leaves; boil
briskly for some time--say, an hour--occasionally adding hot water to
suppl