134 FIELD GEOLOGY. 



exposed ; also that these open cuttings and sections 

 must be closely searched for the fossil remains which 

 the several beds may contain. 



Although it is not often that every separate bed or 

 layer contains definite remains of fossil organisms, yet 

 there are few without some traces of animal life, and 

 even in a limited series of strata there is usually one 

 at least which contains them in greater or less abun- 

 dance. These remains must be diligently collected, 

 whether they be large or small, common or rare, in a 

 good or bad state of preservation ; for this object cer- 

 tain tools and apparatus are necessary, and these are 

 different according to the nature of the rocks that are 

 likely to be met with in the area surveyed. For in- 

 stance, among hard rocks, or even those of moderate 

 compactness, a hammer and chisel will of course be 

 required, and indeed the geologist should rarely be 

 without the hammer and pick in some form or other ; 

 on the other hand, where only soft clays or marly sands 

 are to be explored, a good strong clasp-knife will be 

 found a more effective instrument for extracting the 

 fossils that they may contain. 



Large and strong specimens may be simply wrapped 

 in paper, with a note of the bed and locality written on 

 it ; while the smaller and more delicate specimens are 

 best stowed in small boxes, with wool or soft paper, 

 common chip-boxes are perhaps as serviceable as any 

 for this purpose. 



All this apparatus may be carried in a bag slung across 

 the shoulders, but where large and heavy " takes " are 

 expected, and especially among the older rocks, a fisher- 

 man's basket will be found admirably suited for such 

 service, since in this the various fossils and rock-frag- 



