[35] INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING MOLLUSKS DALL. 



whicli has already been passed through the coarse sieve, but in practice 

 the writer has not found this necessary. Most of the text-books direct 

 a collector to have two sieves, one fitting into the other, the one coarser 

 and the other finer; but, in the opinion of the writer, this is not only 

 unnecessary, but objectionable. After trying sieves fitted in this manner 

 he has had no satisfactory results. The motion of the sieve and the 

 fi-iction necessary to i3ass material through it are injurious to delicate 

 specimens and should be reduced to a minimum. If the material being 

 sifted is shaken and riddled through two sieves at once, without refer- 

 ence to its character, nothing of a delicate nature is likely to survive 

 the process, audit is always better before sifting any of the material to 

 look it over to some extent and to pick out such specimens as may be 

 noted in order to save the injury to which they are liable if they are 

 put into the sieve. Delicate objects, like naked mollusks, would be 

 ruined by being sifted; in fact, if possible, they should be taken out of 

 the dredge or landing-net and put immediately into separate cups of 

 salt water until the collector is ready to prepare them for preservation. 

 Similar care may be needed for other delicate objects, and for this pur- 

 IDOse it may be convenient for the collector to provide himself with an 

 ordinary box, like a candle box, to which the lid has been attached with 

 leather or other hinges, and around the sides of which, inside, a strip 

 or two of leather has been nailed, leaving loops large enough to fit a 

 number of wide-mouthed glass bottles. These bottles may be filled 

 with sea water and will serve to preserve temporarily the objects which 

 the collector may desire to protect from injury or to study in a living- 

 state. A more troublesome, but perhaps more elegant, manner of reach- 

 ing the same end is to have a thin drawer or shelf fitting the inside of 

 the box and sux^ported by a ledge on either end at a x^roper height, in 

 which shelf circular holes have been cut fitting the jars or bottles used 

 for this jDurpose. A landing net, such as has been previously described, 

 would also be convenient on some occasions, and the outfit of tubs has 

 already been spoken of. A bucket or water pail, especially one with a 

 nozzle, will be found convenient in dipping up and pouring salt water 

 for washing the collections. 



When the dredger returns from an outing the dredge should be 

 thoroughly cleaned and hung up where the air can get at it, so that it 

 will dry thoroughly and the net and flaps will not rest anywhere upon 

 the iron frame. By following these simple precautions a single net can 

 be made to last a long time, but if rolled up while moist, or kept in a 

 moist iDlace, the net will often mildew and become worthless. These 

 hints will be sufficient to start a collector in his dredging work. Each 

 man, after some experience, will work out methods of his own or invent 

 labor-saving devices or conveniences for use in his dredging work. All 

 that the writer undertakes to do in the present case is barely to outline 

 the mode of operations. 



