OF WASHINGTON. 47 



insertion of one or several large labels containing the full 

 record. 



I do not propose, however, to speak of alcoholic collections 

 nor of the numbering system of an economic collection, but 

 beg leave to offer a few and short remarks on systematic col 

 lections of dried specimens, which are by far the most 

 numerous kind of collections in existence. For such col 

 lections the numbering system is evidently less desirable, for 

 the usefulness of the collection as a means of reference and 

 comparison would be greatly impaired by the loss of time in 

 volved in referring from the numbers on the specimens to the 

 corresponding numbers of the note books. The labeling sys 

 tem alone is here advisable. 



It is difficult to give general rules for what ought to be con 

 sidered a correct method of labeling specimens : too much de 

 pends upon individual taste and experience, and on the 

 purpose for which a collection is intended by its owner. There 

 are hardly any collections which have too many labels, but 

 most collections which I have seen have too few and too 

 indefinite labels. As a general rule it may be said that the 

 labels should be plainly written, or printed whenever practi 

 cable, so that the}'- are intelligible to everyone. Some 

 collectors are in the habit of using labels of various forms and 

 colors, and more or less covered with mysterious hieroglyphs 

 to which the owner alone possesses the key. In the course of 

 time they are apt to become just as unintelligible to the owner 

 as to the outsider, and the specimens usually lose much of 

 their value if the collection changes hands. The labels 

 should be as small as possible, or at least proportionate to the 

 size of the specimen. The importance of this rule will have 

 been experienced by all who frequently handle the specimens 

 of their collections. If the labels are disproportionally large 

 the lower ones cannot be read without taking them off the pin, 

 and further, it becomes a matter of great difficulty to handle 

 the specimens without breaking, or at least endangering, the 

 adjoining specimens. It may be urged that the latter diffi 

 culty can be obviated by placing the specimens sufficiently 

 apart to allow the use of larger labels, but the necessity of and 

 advantage in economizing space are too evident. A compactly 

 arranged collection will always be found more useful for work 

 ing purposes than a collection in which much space is wasted. 



The following labels should be employed in a collection : 



i. The locality label. This should be as explicit as possible, 

 for a great deal more can be learned of a specimen with an 

 exact indication of locality. The importance of this point has 

 often been pointed out by others, so that it is hardly necessary 



