48 



Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



apices of burrowing species. Remember this caution, and always act 

 upon it. Each species, when cleaned and thoroughly dried should be 

 accurately labeled with name, author, locality, and date of capture if 

 the locality is one seldom visited. The little boxes or tubes containing 

 the smaller species should be kept in a larger box, the Pupas together, 

 Vertigos together, etc. This will reduce the labor of selecting ex- 

 changes more than one half. 



FRESH WATER SHELLS. 



The following implements are needed: Brushes, as before, but one 

 or two larger and stiffer ones for the Unionidai. 



A scoop made of wire gauze, fine enough to hold the smallest 

 shells, with a socket for the handle. This scoop should be hemi- 

 spherical, eight inches in diameter, with the rim made of good, tough 

 hoop-iron, to which the socket is attached. 



The handle may be used for a walking stick, and the scoop can be 

 carried in your basket. Both socket and handle must have a hole 

 for the spring key. A quart or two of saturate solution of oxalic 

 acid. A small quantity of nitric acid. A boUle of boiled linseed oil. 

 Bottles of alcohol, diluted somewhat, say one-fourth water. A few tin 

 boxes of various sizes. These are all the necessary tools, according to 

 my experience. 



Having reached your locality, your best method of procedure will 

 depend upon what you are looking for. If the bottom is muddy, or 

 sandy, and you are seeking for Sphairium, Pisidium, the Amnicolidai, 

 etc., usually found in such stations, put your handle into the scoop, 

 slip the spring key into its place, and scoop up mud, sand, and shells 

 by a dragging motion along the surface. When the scoop is suffi- 

 ciently filled, shake it in the water, washing out the mud and finer 

 sand. Pick out the sticks and leaves, and continue this operation 

 until your shells are easily removed. Put the little univalves into al- 

 cohol. The smaller Pisidiums and Sphwriums may also go there. 

 The larger Sphmriums may be treated as hereafter described. 



By this means, if }<ou do not hesitate to wade in the mud once in-a- 

 while, you can very rapidly collect all that 3 r ou will need of such 

 species from a given locality. The same implement can be used for 

 ^skimming Planorbis, Physa and Limnma from the surface, or for collect- 

 ing them from the bottom, when crawling there. These shells should be 

 taken home in the tin boxes. If you are collecting in Southern 



