74 
LORQUINIA 
30 fathoms, where the bottom is rocky, or strewn with boulders or 
rock fragments and large shells. Here a rich harvest is invariably 
to be obtained. 
Whether on shore or at sea, I find the same simple collecting outfit 
indispensable. This should include : 
1 broad, thin-bladed knife; 
1 old scalpel or penknife (for dislodging the more minute 
specimens). 
A few small buckets or jars. 
A series of small flat smooth-surfaced sticks like rulers, cut 
into convenient lengths, but of assorted widths. Except for 
Cryptochiton, which requires special treatment, a width of 3 inches 
is ample for the largest. 
A few ordinary glass microscope slides. 
A plentiful supply of narrow zMte (or undyed) cloth tape 
or very soft twine. (I usuallv find it an advantage to include 
both.) 
A supply of 70% alcohol. 
A large bucket or canvas knapsack as an all-inclusive con- 
tainer for the outfit. 
The animals are easily loosened from the surface to which they 
cling by a quick, neat insertion of the knife-blade beneath the edge 
of the girdle. Each should then be promptly transferred to one of 
the sticks of appropriate size (or if a small specimen, to one of the 
slides) previously well wetted with sea water, and bound in position 
by several turns of the tape or cord before there has been any chance 
for curling to take place. Care should be taken to bind firmly 
enough to hold the animal in position, yet without the exertion of 
force sufficient to break the often delicate and fragile valves. It 
sometimes happens, with the best of precautions, that a specimen 
curls up before it can be bound to its stick. In such cases a forcible 
attempt to straighten it is only likely to break the shell or otherwise 
result in damage to the specnnen. It is much better to drop the 
animal loose into the collecting bucket and cover it with sea water. 
If it has not meanwhile straightened out of its own accord, upon re- 
turning to base the collector may place it in a bowl of fresh sea 
water, where, if in good health, it will in time usually assume the 
normal position. In tying the chitons to the sticks a convenient and 
space-saving practice is to bin ! down two or more specimens at once 
by placing them on opposite faces of the stick simultaneously. As 
each stick or slide becomes filled to its capacity it may be dropped 
into weak alcohol or placed in sea water pending return to camp or 
laboratory. Here each stick should be carefully examined to ascertain 
whether any of the animals have perchance crawled from under the 
twine, or "slipped their moorings," so to speak. 
The whole may then be immersed in weak alcohol for an hour 
