542 A. PARKER KITCHENS 



The most valuable method for practical purposes would seem 

 to be one whereby (1) ears tags and other equipment are rendered 

 unnecessary, (2) the description is recorded on a single line, on 

 ordinary paper without special ruhng or diagram. Although 

 systems similar to the one about to be described have probably 

 been in use for some time, none has appeared to the writer so 

 satisfactory as the elaboration of what was originally merely a 

 makeshift series of abbreviations invented at the time for a par- 

 ticular purpose. The fundamental idea of the plan in question 

 was conceived by Dr. Joseph McFarland more than fifteen years 

 ago ; and with a few modifications by the writer, the same method 

 has been used in these laboratories ever since that time. The 

 readiness with which an assistant of no training can learn to de- 

 scribe and recognize guinea-pigs accurately seems to be suf- 

 ficient recommendation for a more widespread use of this system 

 of abbreviations. 



The rules according to which guinea-pigs are described and 

 identified in the Glenolden laboratories are as follows: 



IDENTIFICATION OF GUINEA-PIGS 



1. Not more than 5 to 8 guinea-pigs are kept in one pen. 



2. The assistant in describing the animals mentions first the 

 weight, and then the sex, before calling out the description. 



3. The sex is denoted thus: 



Male cf 



Female 9 



4. The sides (Right and Left) and the colors are represented 

 in abbreviations by the capitalized initial letter. 



The sides of the animal are written thus : 



Right ^ 



Left ^• 



The colors are recorded as follows: 



1 The difference between the abbreviations for red, "/t** and right, "(Z.'', are 

 to be noted. 



