174 Field Columbian Museum — Reports^ Vol. IL 



in the record books are recorded the following: Date of accession of 

 each specimen, its previous or original number, if any; its name, local- 

 ity, from whom received, by what method, such as gift, exchange, pur- 

 chase, etc. ; by whom and when collected, its dimensions or weight, or 

 both, and any further data regarding it that may be of interest or im- 

 portance. Accession cards filed in the Recorder's office show corre- 

 sponding numbers and the more important of the above data. Thus, 

 practically, two separate records of each specimen are preserved. The 

 maintenance of a third in the form of a card catalogue has not been 

 found essential, although such a catalogue has been prepared for 

 some collections. The label of the specimen, which is kept so far as 

 possible associated with it, affords practically, however, a third 

 brief record. If the label becomes separated from the specimen in 

 any way, the number on the specimen affords at once a means of 

 identifying the latter through consulting the record books. The 

 chances of confusing specimens or of losing the data regarding them 

 are, therefore, practically eliminated, and complete and readily 

 accessible records of each specimen are available at all times. 

 The work of labeling has included the preparation of twenty- 

 eight hundred (2,800) tablets for the paleontological collection. 

 Each of these tablets bears the label of the specimen or specimens 

 which belong to it, imprinted directly upon the surface of the tablet 

 itself. As the tablets are of many different sizes, the correlation of 

 tablet, object, and label, so as to avoid mistakes and present a neat 

 ' appearance was a labor involving much care and painstaking. As 

 now prepared, the completed mounts show, beside the specimen 

 itself, the Museum number of the specimen, its common name, if any, 

 its scientific name, the authority by whom named, the period to 

 which it belongs, and the locality where found. The paleontological 

 cases have also been completely provided with framed case labels 

 indicating the contents of each case. About one thousand (1,000) 

 labels were printed and distributed in Hall 72 for the collection of 

 gold and silver ores. The labeling of that collection is now prac- 

 tically complete. The collection of lead and silver ores to the^iumber 

 of about seven hundred (700) specimens in the West Dome was also 

 completely labeled. The labeling of the systematic rock collection, 

 so far as the individual specimens were concerned, was carried 

 to completion, about three hundred (300) labels having been 

 prepared for this purpose. Numerous miscellaneous labels, many of 

 them descriptive in character, were also prepared and placed with 

 new material as it was put on exhibition. There are now^ fifty-one 

 catalogue books in the Department of Botany, which show one hun- 



