Peterson: The Osteology of Promerycochcerus. 155 



dislodged from llie sandy slope a fragment of the fore linih of the animal 

 I was looking for. I had been sitting directly over tlie object of my 

 quest. With much excitement the tools were brought into requisition 

 and on penetrating more solid ground I soon discovered that I had 

 found more than the already exposed and dislocated fragments of the 

 forelimb. In the soft surface of the cliff were pieces of ribs, which 

 finally were succeeded by more solid parts, when undisturbed rock 

 was reached. The remainder of the fourth skeleton was now being 

 exposed. A letter was forwarded to Mr. J. B. Hatcher, then curator of 

 the department of paleontology in the Carnegie Museum, requesting 

 the drawing of the specimens already on exhibition in order to sketch 

 in my recent find with reference to position and distance from the 

 main group. The matter was brought to the attention of Dr. \V. J. 

 Holland, the director of the museum, and the drawing in due time was 

 received. This sketch which was later redrawn by Mr. Prentice, is 

 reproduced in Plate XXXIV. The fourth skeleton of the series was 

 soon extracted from the matrix, and, as articulated, is used in the follow- 

 ing pages as a paratype (No. 1081) enabling a more complete descrip- 

 tion of some parts, which are more or less inaccessible on account of 

 the undisturbed position of the three specimens first found. 



The foregoing account is given for three reasons. First, in order 

 to impress the importance of investigating all reports of newly dis- 

 covered specimens (especially fossil remains) no matter how vague 

 the accounts received ma^^ be. The greater number of cases, it is 

 true, in reality are disappointments; but it frequently happens that 

 pleasant surprises await the investigator. Secondly, I do not believe 

 that collectors can be too careful in searching for specimens in a place 

 known to have yielded them, and it is a greater fault on the part of 

 the collector to hastily finish up his work in an important locality, 

 than to spend much time upon it, with doing which he may be 

 reproached b}^ his superiors, who look for and expect speedy results. 

 Thirdly, although exchanges between collectors of material secured 

 by them in the field is not to be encouraged, and it is far from the wish 

 of the present writer to advocate such a practice, it is nevertheless 

 believed that reasonable cooperation among fellow-workers will 

 seldom fail to bring its reward, as in my case, where my willmgness to 

 make up a few mouse-skins led me to the discovery of the finest group 

 of its kind in existence. 



