[Nhcoll-l] Lacerta and other specimens

[Dirk Neumann]

Dear Sergio,

I would be careful with those anatomical specimens; as we can learn from 
the picture, the arteries are still vividly red - which suggests that 
the holding fluid or the specimens contains heavy metal salts to 
preserve the colour; Simon Moore perhaps has an idea what was used for 
this staining.

If you open the jars, I would do this only in a fume cupboard with 
suited eye protection etc. The fluid itself looks like it would be 
alcohol-based, but you should definitely test it first. (e.g. by adding 
a bit alcohol and carefully watch if you see any density differences; a 
test for formalin surely is recommended, too). If mercury salts are 
included, dropping a 1-cent (copper) coin could give a positive test 
result (mercury precipitate on the surface of the coin), but other salts 
would be more difficult to detect.

I have inherited a similar collection from the veterinary medicine 
department of our university and for the moment I tilted the jars (and 
secured them that they remain stable in this position) so that the 
prepared specimen remains submerged in the remaining fluid. Not ideal, 
but prevents the specimen from drying up.

If you decide to open the jars, in this case a complete exchange of the 
holding fluid (after testing) would be recommended. But you should 
surely avoid to change the holding fluid from e.g. formalin to alcohol.

Hope this helps
Dirk


Am 03.11.2017 um 13:36 schrieb Sergio Montagud:
> Dear all,
>
> I am entomologist, but now I'm also the curator of Zoological collections of the University of Valencia. Last weeks, we received a very large collection (near 800 specimens of birds and mammals) with very old specimens of Vertebrates. Some of them, are reptiles and very bad preserved in old jars as I show in the enclose picture.
>
> My question is how we should proceed to reubicate and disposal these exemplars? What cain of preserved fluid do you recommend?
>
> Thank you in advance
>
> Sergio Montagud
>
> --
> ********************************
> Sergio Montagud Alario
> Universitat de València
> e-mail: sergio.montagud at uv.es
> ********************************
>
>
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-- 
Dirk Neumann

Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
email: Dirk.Neumann(a)zsm.mwn.de

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