Question

Taxonomic procedures taxonomic collection preservation curettage process of identification

Answer 1

■Hello❕

When museums and their collections were small, curators had maintained card-files which provided all sorts of information such as collecting station, name of the collector etc. A properly organized and well-curated collection is a reference catalog that permits rapid information retrieval.

Answer 2

This requires a great deal of expertise, knowledge and clear understanding of the function of different collections.

Explanation:

• Preparation of Material

There are certain materials which are ready for study as soon as collected from the field e.g., bird and mammal skins. There are certain insects which should never be placed in alcohol or any other liquid preservative whereas others are useless when dried. Certain invertebrates are to be preserved in alcohol of formalin before their study. Microscope slide mounts or slides of parts of organs may have to be prepared for the smaller forms. Most insects are pinned, and the wings are spread if they are taxonomically important as in butterflies, moths and some grasshoppers.

• Housing

Research collections should be housed in fireproof and dustproof buildings. Most museums keep their collections in air-conditioned buildings. Rapid changes in temperature and humidity are harmful to museum cases and specimens. Storage cases should be built to be insect-proof. Photographs and films should be stored in airconditioned rooms.

• Cataloging

The method of cataloging depends on the group of animals. All the specimens including vertebrates collected at a given locality or district or by one expedition are entered in the catalog together. This greatly facilitates in knowing the distributional data and the preparation of faunistic analyses. Cataloging is usually done after the specimens have been identified, at least up to the genus level. In groups where the collections consist of large numbers of specimens, it is customary to catalog the specimens by lots. Each lot consists of a set of specimens from a given locality or region. It is also important to note whether a lot was received as a gift or by purchase or exchange. The names of the collector and donor are always given. When museums and their collections were small, curators had maintained card-files which provided all sorts of information such as collecting station, name of the collector etc.

• Arrangement of the Collection

The collection should be arranged in the same sequence as some generally adopted classification. The sequence of orders and families is usually standardized in many classes of animals. The contents of trays and cases should be clearly indicated on the outside which could serve as a check list. Where specimens are of large and unequal size, they have to be stored separately.