66 HANDBOOK OF FOSSILS. 



history. It was not, however, until near the end of the last 

 century that geology began to be recognised as a science, and 

 the true bearing of fossils in relation to the rocks in which they 

 were found was conclusively proved. William Smith in Eng- 

 land, and Werner in Germany, while working independently of 

 each other, both came to the same conclusion, viz. that the nu- 

 merous strata invariably rested on each other in a certain order, 

 and that this order was never inverted, 1 whilst William Smith in 

 addition proved that each group of rocks, and even each stratum, 

 had its own peculiar set of fossils, by which it might be recognised 

 wherever it occurred. From that time forth the study of the 

 various fossils began to be considered as a separate science 

 apart from that of the beds containing them ; this is now known 

 as Paleontology, the study of the composition of the rocks them- 

 selves being termed Petrology. 



At this moment, however, we are less concerned with the 

 study of rocks and fossils than with the best and simplest way 

 of collecting, preparing, and arranging specimens as a means to 

 this study. 



THE CABINET. 



With regard to the cabinet for such specimens as you are 

 able to collect, the same advice holds good as that given 

 in a previous Manual (The Young Collector's Shell Book), 

 namely, the simpler the cabinet the better, though of course 

 card-board boxes would not as a rule be strong enough to stand 

 the weight of the specimens, and hence it is advisable to have 

 wooden ones. The boxes in which Oakey's Wellington Knife- 

 powder is sent out (they measure about 15 in. X 10 in. X 3 

 in.) are on the whole the most convenient size, and are easily 

 obtainable at any oil and colourman's. These, when painted 

 over with Berlin Black, after first removing the external labels, 

 look very neat. The inside may be papered according to taste, 

 when the trays may be arranged in order ready for the reception 

 of your specimens. 2 



IMPLEMENTS REQUIRED WHEN COLLECTING. 



A certain amount of apparatus is needful in collecting geo- 

 logical specimens. It is necessary to break open the hard 



1 Except in such cases where the rocks themselves have been displaced 

 by movements of the earth's crust. 



2 For description of trays, see " The Young Collector's Shell-Book." 



