HANDBOOK OF FOSSILS. 67 



rocks in order to get at the fossils within, and for this purpose 

 a strong hammer is required. One end of the hammer-head 

 should be square, tapering, slightly, to a flat striking face ; 

 for when thus shaped the edges and corners are less likely to 

 break off; the other side should be produced into a rather long, 

 flat, and slightly curved pick, terminating in a chisel-edge at 

 right-angles to the handle ; the total length of the head should 

 not exceed g\ in., the striking face being 3 in. from the centre 

 of the eye in which the handle (18 in. long) is inserted ; the 

 latter should be made of the toughest ash, American hickory, 

 or "green-heart," and fixed in with an iron wedge ("roughed" 

 to prevent its coming out again), taking care that in. of the 

 handle protrudes on the other side. It is the usual practice, 

 but a mistaken one, to cut it off level with the hammer head, 

 which is likely, under these circumstances, to come off after it 

 has been in use for a time, whereas, by leaving a small portion 

 of the wedged-out end projecting, this mischance is avoided, and 

 your weapon will not fail even when used to drag its owner up 

 a stiff ascent. It is better to shape and fix the handle yourself, 

 us by this means you can not only cut it to fit your hand, but may 

 rely upon its being properly fastened in. By filing grooves 

 around it an inch apart, it will serve to take rough measure- 

 ments with, while a firm grasp may be insured by bees- waxing 

 instead of polishing it. Another and much smaller hammer 

 will also be necessary, chiefly for home use, to trim the speci- 

 mens before putting them away in the cabinet ; the head of this 

 hammer must not be more than 2^ inches long, the handle 

 springing from the centre ; one end has a flat striking face, 

 square in section, the other, instead of being formed like a pick, 

 is wedge-shaped, the sharp edge being at right-angles to the 

 handle. Next to a hammer, a cold chisel is indispensable to 

 the collector, since without its aid many a choice specimen 

 embedded in the middle of a mass of rock too large to break 

 with the hammer would have to be left behind. There is one 

 thing, however, to beware of in using this tool it has sometimes 

 to be hit with great force, and should you chance to miss it and 

 strike your hand instead, the result may be more serious than 

 even a severe bruise. To prevent this, procure from the shoe- 

 maker or saddler a piece of thick leather, about 4 inches in 

 diameter, having a hole cut in the centre through which to pass 

 the shank of the chisel, and, thus protected, you may wield the 

 hammer with impunity. 



For digging fossils out of clay, an old, stout knife, such as 

 the worn-down stump of a carver, is handy, and in sandy beds 



