BULLETIN 39, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



[10] 



greater to tlie glacial geologist than to the paleoutologist. As a rule, 



fossils not found in place, whether they 



have been transported by 

 human or other agencies, 

 are much less valuable 

 than those collected from 

 their original beds. The 

 collector should there- 

 fore always try to trace 

 all fossils found in walls, 

 stream beds, drift, etc., 

 to their source, and make 

 his principal collection 

 there. 



GENERAL COLLECTING 

 OUIEIT. 



1. Collectinghag. — The 

 leather collecting bag 

 illustrated above (see tig. 

 1) is one in general use 

 among geologists and 

 paleontologists. It has 

 a width and length of 13 

 inches and a depth of 4 

 inches. Flat-bottomed 



Fig. l.-Collecting bag or knapsack. baskctS are alSO USCful 



to pack fossils in, but are more tiresome to carry on long journeys than 

 leather bags, which may be car- 

 ried over the shoulders. 



2. Hammers. — Two hammers 

 are required, the "paleontolo- 

 gist's" hammer and a "trim- 

 ming" hammer. The former (see 

 fig. 2) is most convenient for col- 

 lecting fossils and for prying up 

 thin ledges of rock. The peen 

 end is longest, tapering, with the 

 cutting edge transverse to the 

 handle; the striking end has a 

 flat, square face. The trimming 

 hammer (see fig. 3) should be 

 small and light, to enable the 

 user to strike a quick, sharp blow. 

 To avoid shattering a specimen, 

 direct the blows near the margin 

 and never near the center. 



3. Chisel. — A small stonecutter's chisel is useful in freeing fossils 

 from large blocks of rock or from the face of clifts. 



Fia. 2. 



Fig. 3. 



Collectina; hammers. 



