Mr. T. G. Rylands’ method differs in some degree from the above, and is, to use his own words, as follows:--Thick balsam is preferable, and the burnt covers (see Chapter II.) to be mounted are laid in a convenient position with the diatoms upwards. The slides required having been carefully cleaned and marked on the under side with a ring of ink, by the aid of a turntable about half an inch in diameter to point out the centre, a drop of benzole is applied by a large pin to the diatoms on the cover, so as to exclude the air from the valves and frustules. The slide is then held over the lamp, and when warm, a sufficiently large drop of balsam is put upon it, and heated until it begins to steam. If small bubbles appear, a puff of breath removes them. The slide being held slightly inclined from the operator, and the drop of balsam becoming convex at its lower edge, the cover is brought in contact with it at that point, gradually laid down, pressed with the forceps, and brought to its central position. When cool the superfluous balsam (if any) is removed with a heated knife-blade, the slide cleaned with a little turpentine, and finished by washing in a hand-basin with soap and water. In this process there is no delay if the balsam be sufficiently thick, as the slide may be cleaned off almost before it is cold.
It is now well known that from common chalk it is an easy matter to obtain interesting specimens of Foraminifera. Scrape a small quantity of chalk from the mass and shake it in water; leave this a few minutes, pour the water away and add a fresh quantity, shake up as before, and repeat two or three times. Take a little of the residue, and spread it upon the slide, and when quite dry add a little turpentine. When viewed with a power of two hundred and fifty diameters this will generally show the organisms very well. If it is desired to preserve the slides, they may be then mounted in Canada balsam. Mr. Guyon, in “Recreative Science,” observes that the accumulation of the powder, by the action of the rain or exposure to the atmospheric action, at the foot or any projection of the chalk cliffs, will afford us better specimens than that which is “scraped,” as the organisms are less broken in the former.