Sterki: Collecting Sph^riid.^. 485 



picked out with a fine pair of pincers. A number of small boxes or 

 trays should be kept on hand for different species, or at least genera 

 or gfoups, and thus time and work will be saved. Even the smallest 

 specimens should be taken. Valuable material has been thrown away 

 on the supposition that the specimens were "only young and of no 

 account." Even the young are desirable, and so to some extent are 

 dead shells. Musculia, to repeat, must be handled carefully, because 

 many of them have very thin and fragile shells. Pisidia in par- 

 ticular are frequently incrusted with a ferruginous deposit, some- 

 times so thick that they appear to be globules of dirt, and it 

 takes a trained eye to recognize them. While fresh and living they 

 can be cleaned by putting them in a vial with some clean, sharp sand 

 and a little water, and shaking vigorously. A single specimen, fresh 

 or dry, with not too thin a shell, can be cleaned by rolling between 

 moistened thumb and finger, with some sand; a small glass with water 

 and another with sand, side by side on the table, have proved useful. 



When the specimens are picked out, separated, and identified so 

 far as can be done, they are put up in vials rather than in boxes, except 

 in the case of large lots, labeled, with or without the name, but with 

 the place of origin, catalogued, and filed in the collection. If the 

 label is not in the container, a small slip of paper should be added with 

 the serial entry number of the label, to prevent misplacing. On larger 

 specimens in the collection the number should be written. 



The beginner will have some difficulty in identifying his specimens, 

 and even the more advanced student may be in the same position 

 with respect to some groups, e. g., the Sphccriidcc. The best way is 

 to send them to an expert or specialist; it will at the same time aid 

 the latter in his studies. 



Sending Specimens for Identification. 



When specimens are sent for examination it is best to leave those 

 of a genus or group from each locality mixed up, only separated for 

 gross differences of size. This often makes the work easier, and gives 

 an opportunity for studying the species and the extent of their varia- 

 tion, also the influence of the habitat. It goes without saying that 

 separated lots may be sent for identification or verification, and it is 

 recommended that all specimens of a lot be sent; very often a few 

 have been forwarded with the request to name them, while the balance 

 was kept, on the supposition that they were all of the same kind, and 

 to be proved later a mixture of several species. 



