[Nhcoll-l] Guata / Watte for curation subjects

Thu Oct 7 22:21:52 EDT 2021

Thanks, Simon, that eases my concerns a bit!

Yes it’s very dry here, phew. Our egg clutches are also typically not so old. Mostly they are from the 1920s-1070s, and we have been transferring them from their pretty old wooden cabinets to archival boxes in HDPE drawers when we get new collections in. We have used cotton or ‘raylon’ as bedding for many of the clutches, however. We will probably not go back and transfer those clutches onto new synthetic material, so thanks for easing my mind about that…but I suppose we should seriously consider getting polyester bedding for the clutches that still need bedding…. Anyone have suggestions for a fine/soft version of Dacron?

Incidentally, our emeritus curator of birds just told me that the egg membrane becomes very acidic when eggs get close to hatching (to help weaken the shell so the chicks can get out more easily), and that he noticed some problems with eggs (sounds similar to Byne’s Disease?) that had been collected at very late stages where the membrane was not removed.

Cheers,

Tonya

From: Simon Moore <couteaufin at btinternet.com>
Sent: Thursday, 7 October 2021 7:24 PM
To: Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Crace) <Tonya.Haff at csiro.au>
Cc: Mariana Di Giacomo <maru.digi at gmail.com>; Callomon,Paul <prc44 at drexel.edu>; Sergio Montagud <sergio.montagud at gmail.com>; NHCOLL-new <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>; Sergio Montagud <montagudsergio at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Guata / Watte for curation subjects

Hi Tonya,

If the environmental conditions are good, you should have nothing to worry about.  The experience that I mentioned occurred due to old cotton wool (100 years old) and a rather different formulation I suspect, high RH and the eggs were stored in VOC active wooden cabinets since these were the norm back in the early 1900s in grand houses.

With all good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,

www.natural-history-conservation.com<http://www.natural-history-conservation.com>

[cid:image001.png at 01D7BC47.71E98BF0][cid:image002.jpg at 01D7BC47.71E98BF0]

On 6 Oct 2021, at 23:54, Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Crace) <Tonya.Haff at csiro.au<mailto:Tonya.Haff at csiro.au>> wrote:

Thanks for this thread, it’s very interesting. The discussion of Byne’s Disease makes me nervous, though, as most of our eggs are on  cotton wool. We are in a very dry environment, and soon to be moving to a site with controlled humidity. I have avoided cushioning eggs with Dacron/polyester batting because it tends to be a bit springier and clingier, and I worried about it getting caught in any rough edges on poorly blown or cracked eggs. I’m curious if any of you have opinions on whether we should be rethinking the use of cotton wool in light of the potential problems with Byne’s Disease?

Cheers,

Tonya

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> On Behalf Of Mariana Di Giacomo
Sent: Thursday, 7 October 2021 3:16 AM
To: Callomon,Paul <prc44 at drexel.edu<mailto:prc44 at drexel.edu>>
Cc: Sergio Montagud <sergio.montagud at gmail.com<mailto:sergio.montagud at gmail.com>>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>; Sergio Montagud <montagudsergio at gmail.com<mailto:montagudsergio at gmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Guata / Watte for curation subjects

Hi Sergio,

"Guata" is batting, so hopefully it is polyester batting, although you should ask just to be safe. For short term transport it is ok but make sure that if they're using this material for permanent storage, that it is placed correctly because eggs are so light that they can spring if the batting is compressed. Another thing to keep in mind is if you have broken eggs, because the batting can get caught in the cracks, so whoever is manipulating these, should be very careful. In short, it is an acceptable material with certain caveats that you should examine for your specific case.

Let me know if you have any other questions, estoy a las órdenes.
Best,
Mariana

Mariana Di Giacomo, PhD
Natural History Conservator, Yale Peabody Museum
Associate Editor, Collection Forum, SPNHC
Secretary/Communications APOYOnline

El mié, 6 oct 2021 a las 12:09, Callomon,Paul (<prc44 at drexel.edu<mailto:prc44 at drexel.edu>>) escribió:
Hi Sergio,

“Watte” is the Japanese word for cotton wool, so I think it’s an international term. If they are using polyester batting (sold for stuffing pillows, toys etc.) then there’s no problem. Short-term use of cotton wool is also OK, but it is not suitable for long-term storage in closed environments as it is cellulose and can thus (theoretically at least) cause “Byne’s Disease” in calcium compounds.
https://conchologistsofamerica.org/bynes-disease-questions-and-answers/

Paul Callomon
Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates
Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
prc44 at drexel.edu<mailto:prc44 at drexel.edu> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> On Behalf Of Sergio Montagud
Sent: Wednesday, October 6, 2021 11:27 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Cc: Sergio Montagud <montagudsergio at gmail.com<mailto:montagudsergio at gmail.com>>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Guata / Watte for curation subjects

External.

Hi everyone,

Yesterday, a company that helps us to transport specimens for a coming exposition, come to the museum to prepare all the material. I help them in the process and when we want to arrange a large box of bird eggs, I see they wanted to use a thing close to the cotton to ensure the samples. They told me that that material was "Guata" (I think watte in English), and I can use it extremely well to ensure individual each egg on his box. My question is if anybody has used this material in his museum work and if somebody knows negative effects for the specimens, such as acid components in the fiber that can damage thespecimens or something like that.
Thanks for help!

Sergio

Sergio Montagud
Museu [UV] Història Natural

Universitat de València

C/. Dr. Moliner, 50

E-46100 Burjassot (Valencia). Spain

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