90 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST 



[Vol. XLI 



the state excluding the county, catalogued on buff colored cards 

 while other specimens from localities outside of the state would 

 be catalogued on salmon ^ colored cards. In the larger museums 

 where collections are made up of specimens from different parts 

 of the world, certain colors can be used to represent various regions, 

 (nearctic, neotropical, patearctic, etc.). Types, cotypes, etc. 

 could be catalogued on cards having the right half red, the left 

 half in accordance with the color representing the particular geo- 

 graphical distribution. 



Department number. — A single department number will cover 

 a series of specimens of the same species, which have been obtained 

 at the same time in a particular locality. This method is more 

 satisfactory than assigning a number to each individual specimen 

 inasmuch as time would be lost by such a method and no particu- 

 lar benefits result. Should the occasion arise at a later period, 

 a separate number may be assigned to any specimen. 



Accession number. — This should be indicated on the card, in 

 order that general information regarding the collection may be 

 obtained at any time. The accession number and department 

 number may be indicated in connection with the specimens as a 

 fraction {e. g. |§g ) whose numerator represents the accession num- 

 ber, and denominator the department number, or as a decimal 

 (294.896), or the accession number may be entirely omitted from 

 the specimens, since a reference to the department card will fur- 

 nish it when desired. 



Original niunber.— This is the number which a specimen may 

 possess on its arrival. Often times it will be the field number 

 placed on it at the time when it was collected or it may refer to a 

 number assigned in a previous collection. 



Number of Specimens. — This is essential in order to know the 

 amount of material in any collection. When duplicates are used 

 for exchange, the former number should be crossed out and the 

 new one substituted, while, at the same time, a reference number 

 referring to the exchange may be added. 



Sex.— The sex can be designate.l 1)V \\w conviMitional si<,nis, 

 C?, 9, 0, representing, male, female, and luM-iiia))lin)(litf t'oniis. 



