[43] DIRECTIONS FOR COLLECTING PLANTS KNOWLTON. 



Of course anything may be used as a substitute for these regularly 

 made collecting bags according to the exigencies of the occasion, but 

 some sort of receptacle for convenient transportation of specimens in 

 the field must be provided. 



WRAPPING PAPER. 



This is one of the most essential things and can never be dispensed 

 with. The quality to be selected is of little consequence, but partic- 

 ular care should be taken that the qiiantity be sufticient. Old news- 

 papers make probably the best wrapping paper. A very good kind is 

 firm manilla paper, such, for instance, as the kind usually employed by 

 hardware dealers. 



The wrapping paper must be taken into the field each day and the 

 specimens wrapped as fast as they are collected, or at least as soon as 

 they are ready to be taken to the general headquarters or are to be 

 packed for final shipment. Never attempt to carry unwrai)ped speci- 

 mens loose in the collecting bag, for they will almost surely be ruined. 



FIELD LABELS. 



Some form of label must be prepared in the field that will supply 

 all necessary information concerning the specimens. This information 

 may be either carefully written out on each label or the label may 

 bear a number or reference to the page of a note book in which all the 

 data may be recorded. It is in all cases, however, better to put on the 

 lal'el the locality and date of collecting, so that the specimens may have 

 always with them part, at least, of the data respecting them. Unlabeled 

 and unknown specimens are of very little value. If the expedition is 

 to be an extensive one, printed labels, like the following in form, may 

 be found convenient and time-saving : 



Field Label. 



UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



1 



Note book 



Date : 



Page 





Locality: 



Formation: 



Collector : 



