Use of Euparal
D.S. BLAKELEY
pab6dsb at WEST-01.NOVELL.LEEDS.AC.UK
Mon Nov 15 04:19:26 EST 1999
Both euparal and Canada Balsam are eventually prone to
crystalisation, especially if they are dried at too high a
temperature. Traditionally Euparal has been the preferred mountant
because it continues to clear heavily sclerotised specimens thus
making it easier to determine characters on the genitalia. Also the
use of Canada Balsam would entail the use of Xylene as a clearing
agent which, certainly in Britain, is now considered too much of a
carcinogen. The clearing agent used with Euparal, and as the
thinning agent as well, has the advantage of being gentler on
specimens and is not considered to be carcinogenic (as yet).From
personal experience, I would aways prefer to mount specimens
using the tried and tested technique that has been adopted.
David Blakeley
David Blakeley
School of Biology
University of Leeds
Clarenden Way
Leeds LS2 9JT
EMail D.S.Blakeley at leeds.ac.uk
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