A quicker alternative to the standard removal and fixation of brain tissue was sought. Whole fetal brains were fixed in situ using a mercuric based fixative. The subarachnoid space was perfused overnight with Heidenhain's Susa fixative. The following day the brains were removed from the cranium in the standard manner. After storage for three days in Susa's fixative the brain was sliced and processed, with excellent preservation of gross and microscopic architecture. The cost is only marginally higher than that of commercial formalin.