Ill 



his memory. When the packages are all securely tied and 

 labeled, set them in a stout wooden box,* and mark the con- 

 tents on the outside of the box. Never ship specimens in a 

 box which is not completely filled and firmly packed. 



(B.) Preparing Fossils for Study. 



Outfit. The laboratory outfit varies according to the 

 amount and character of the work to be done. Much must 

 be left to the ingenuity of the worker; but the following- 

 tools are indispensable : 



1. Trays. Both wooden and pasteboard trays are needed. 

 The wooden trays should not be less than two inches deep, 

 should fit one upon the other, so as to prevent dust from 

 getting into them, and should not be too large for easy 

 transportation. A wooden rim nailed around the outside of 

 the top of each tray, so that a portion projects above the 

 upper rim of the tray, will be found an excellent device for 

 making the pile of trays stable, for keeping out dust, and for 

 aid in carrying the tray. In place of the trays, wooden 

 drawers may be used. The paper trays should be shallow — 

 not over an inch deep, and of different sizes. Pasteboard 

 box covers, and the boxes themselves with the rims cut 

 down, are suitable. The trays in which the fossils are to be 

 permanently kept should be of uniform quality, and in size 

 they should be multiples of one another, and made to fit into 

 the drawers which are to contain the collection permanently. 



2. Tools for Cleaning. 



a. Brushes. A variety of brushes is required. Several 

 coarse bristle brushes, of various sizes and stiffness, are 

 needed for washing the fossils. Finer brushes, such as nail- 

 brushes and tooth-brushes, are needed for developing. A 

 fine camel's-hair brush, for picking up delicate specimens, is 

 convenient. A long, narrow brush of fine brass wire is use- 

 ful for cutting soft sandy matrix from the fossils. 



* Soap boxes are excellent for this purpose. 



