mallkky.] SUGGESTIONS TO COLLABORATORS. 255 



manilla paper of loose texture, and to spread the sheet, after being 

 thoroughly wetted, over the surface desired, commencing at the top. 

 The top edge may be temporarily secured by a small streak of starch 

 or flour paste. The paper is then pressed upon the surface of the rock 

 by means of a soft bristle brush, so that its texture is gently forced into 

 every depression. Torn portions of the paper may be supplied by ap- 

 plying small patches of wet paper until every opening is thoroughly 

 covered. A coating of ordinary paste, as above mentioned, is now ap- 

 plied to the entire surface, and a new sheet of paper, similarly softened 

 by water, is laid over this and pressed down with the brush. This pro- 

 cess is continued until three or four thicknesses of paper have been 

 used. Upon drying, the entire mold will usually fall off by contraction. 

 The. edge at the top, if previously pasted to the rock, should be cut. 

 The entire sheet can then be rolled up, or if inconveniently large can 

 be cut in sections and properly marked for future purposes. This 

 process yields the negative. To obtain the positive the inner coating of 

 the negative may be oiled, and the former process renewed upon the 

 cast. 



Pictographs, when of bright colors and upon a light-colored surface, 

 may readily be traced upon tracing linen, such as is employed by topo- 

 graphers. Should the rock be of a dark color, and the characters in- 

 distinct, a simple process is to first follow the pictographic characters 

 in outline with colored crayons, red chalk, or dry colors mixed with 

 water and applied with a brush, after which a piece of muslin is placed 

 over the surface and pressed so as to receive sufficient coloring matter 

 to indicate the general form and relative positions of the characters. 

 After these impressions are touched up the true position may be ob- 

 tained by painting the lines upon the back of the sheet of muslin, or 

 by making a true tracing of the negative. 



A mode, of securing the outline once adopted was to clear out the 

 channels of the intaglios, then, after painting them heavily, to press a 

 sheet of muslin into the freshly-painted depressions. The objection to 

 this method is the obvious damage inflicted on the inscription. Before 

 such treatment, if the only one practicable, all particulars of the work 

 to be covered by paint should be carefully recorded. 



The locality should be reported with detail of State (or Territory), 

 county, township, and distance and directiou from the nearest post- 

 office, railway station or country road. In addition the name of any 

 contiguous stream, hill, bluff, or other remarkable natural feature 

 should be given. The name of the owner of the land is of some second- 

 ary value, but that indication is liable to frequent changes. The site or 

 station should be particularly described with reference to the surround- 

 ing country and to the natural circumstances and geological history of 

 the location. 



When numbers and groups of petroglyphs or rock paintings occur. 

 their relation to each other, to the points of the compass, or to topo- 



