1916] The Ottawa Naturalist. 119 



(a) the serial field number assigned to it, (6) a precise defini- 

 tion of the locality from which the specimen was taken, (c) 

 name and formation, if known, (ci) the relationship to each 

 other of the beds from which different lots of fossils have been 

 taken — best shown by reference to a section in the note book 

 of the beds collected from — (e) name of collector, (/) date: day, 

 month and year; (g) number and page of field note book in 

 which the section or bed furnishing the collection is described. 

 The serial field number placed on the label should appear in 

 the note book in connection with the description of the part of 

 the section or bed from which the specimen was obtained. All 

 specimens taken from one bed in one locality, whether repre- 

 senting one or more species or individuals, should be given 

 the same number and label. Fossils collected from different 

 beds, even when only a few feet apart, should as a rule be given 

 distinctive labels, and specimens taken from talus slopes or 

 boulders should be kept separate from those found in place. As 

 a rule, each individual fossil should be wrapped separately in 

 newspaper or tissue paper at the locality where collected. Where 

 the specimens are very fragile, like the shells of the post glacial 

 clays of the Ottawa valley, for example, cotton batting and 

 small vials or pasteboard boxes are required to protect the speci- 

 mens from breaking. A single label will suffice for all the speci- 

 mens from one collecting station if heavy manilla paper is used 

 in making them into a secure package. This should be num- 

 bered on the outside in addition to having a label inside. 

 Abundant material should be obtained wherever circumstances 

 permit . 



The preservation of both the moulds and casts of a fossil 

 where the original material of the fossil has been removed is 

 most important. All of the parts of a broken specimen should 

 be carefully preserved and kept together. A tube of glue for 

 repairing broken specimens should always be included in the 

 collector's outfit. The collector should bear in mind the fact 

 that his collection of fossils may be of much value in furnish- 

 ing new data regarding the stratigraphic range and geographic 

 distribution of species. 



In collecting from a section where a considerable thick- 

 ness of rock, with several fossiliferous beds, is exposed, the 

 section should be measured as collecting proceeds. The section 

 may be given a number, and each subdivision of it designated 

 by a letter of the alphabet, the several lots of fossils from the 

 different levels being marked with their respective letters. De- 

 tailed information concerning the physical and chemical char- 

 acteristics of each subdivision of the section should be recorded. 

 If the section studied is exposed along the sides of a gorge, a 



