[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Transferring a worm to new fixative

Wed Mar 25 14:36:38 EDT 2026

Some black paper under or behind the beaker also helps to enhance any milkiness, especially if the fat content is low.

With all good wishes, Simon 

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

www.natural-history-conservation.com

> On 25 Mar 2026, at 18:21, Callomon,Paul <prc44 at drexel.edu> wrote:
> 
> Take a small sample of the fluid in a pipette and drop a few drops into a beaker of water. How does it behave? If it floats, that should mean that dissolved fats are there. If it swirls slowly but does not disperse, there’s likely some oil (like glycerin or paraffin) involved. If it disperses and does not turn the water around it milky, that narrows things down to things like ethanol, glycol etc.
> Paul Callomon
> Collection Manager, Malacology and General InvertebratesAcademy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia
> callomon at ansp.org Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170
>   From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Dirk Neumann
> Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 2:17 PM
> To: John E Simmons <simmons.johne at gmail.com>
> Cc: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Transferring a worm to new fixative
>  External.
> Hi John,
>  any idea for oil? What jumped also to my mind was a highly concentrated sugar solution (because of density and 'peeling'), but this would not explain the formaldehyde-like smell. 
>  With best wishes
> Dirk
>  Am 25.03.2026 um 18:12 schrieb John E Simmons:
> Try using the salting out method to see if it tests positive for isopropyl, ethanol, or formaldehyde
>  Finkelde, I., and R.R. Waller. 2020. Salting out: A simple and reliable method to distinguish between common fluid preservatives and estimate alcohol concentration. Collection Forum 34(1): 11-31.
> 
> John E. Simmons
> US Fulbright Senior Scholar
> Writer and Museum Consultant, Museologica
> and
> Research Associate, Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery, Penn State University
> and
> Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitología, Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima
>   On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 1:07 PM Dirk Neumann <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de> wrote:
> Hi Nate,
>  'skin started peeling' sounds odd and might point to density differences. Can you tell if this is a water-based or alcohol-based preservative?
>  Could also be an oil-based preservative with very high density. But guess it is worth figuring out in what the specimen sits before starting to move it into something else, if there is such a strong reaction like peeling skin.
>  Not much, but perhaps a useful thought.
>  With best wishes
> Dirk
>    Am 25.03.2026 um 17:57 schrieb Shoobs, Nate:
> Hey all,
> We have a display specimen of a Giant Australian earth worm (Megalascides) with no data in our collection. It's in nice condition, but the fluid it's preserved in is quite dark orange (presumeably colors leeched from the animal) and thus it makes the specimen hard to see and appreciate.
>  I want to transfer it to fresh fluid so it's easier to examine, but I can't figure out what it's preserved in. I initially thought it was in 10% formalin, but test-dipping a portion of the animal in a fresh jar of 10% formalin caused a pretty immediate visible reaction (skin started peeling). The preservative is definitely not ethanol. It has an acrid odor like formalin. I don't have Schiff's reagent on hand. The specimen was acquired in the mid 60s early 70s, so I think it rules out many of the more obscure Victorian fixatives.
>  Any suggestions on a protocol to safely transfer it to a fixative that is less opaque (fresh formalin or ethanol)? The primary purpose of the transfer is for display and teaching, as the specimen is uncatalogued and has no data other than the ID, so the only thing that matters in this case is making sure it's not ruined aesthetically. (And of course, making sure I can figure out what the old preservative is to safely dispose of it).
>  -Nate
> -
> Nathaniel F. Shoobs, Curator of Mollusks
> College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University
> Museum of Biological Diversity
> 1315 Kinnear Rd, Columbus, OH 43212
> 614-688-1342 (Office)
> mbd.osu.edu
> 
> 
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> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
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> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
>  -- ****
>  Dirk Neumann
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>  Postal address:
> Museum of Nature Hamburg
> Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
> of Biodiversity Change
> Dirk Neumann
> Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
> 20146 Hamburg
> +49 40 238 317 – 628
> d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de
> www.leibniz-lib.de
>  -- 
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
> 
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst
>  -- 
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
> 
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst
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> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.