[NHCOLL-L:782] Re: alcohol type specimen designation

[Sean Barry]

On Thu, 16 Nov 2000, Bill Alther wrote:


> We are rapidly building a spider collection and, among the specimens
> so far, have a number of types.  Is there a good method for
> designating type specimens stored in alcohol?  Are there colored
> labels that hold up in alcohol?  Any advice would be appreciated.

Aren't colored tags and threads generally discouraged in museum material?  
I think the concern is that even "colorfast" tags and threads are really
not, and they might stain preservatives and in turn stain the specimens.  
Certain dry specimens also also be vulnerable, particularly in high
humidity (which might make dyes run).  The staining artifact would be even
less desirable in type material than in other specimens.  Why not just
add another tag (and leave the original tag intact), with the type
designation and description citation written (holotype, paratype, etc).


Sean Barry
*********************
Sean J. Barry
The Rowe Program in Molecular Genetics (mail address)
  and The Section of Evolution and Ecology
University of California
Davis, California  95616
sjbarry at ucdavis.edu