3*2i 
THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
beautiful specimens, but though it is true that, the 
whole deposit is full of these organisms it is 
difficult to separate them from the matrix. They 
may be obtained from the gritty powder which j 
is sometimes found at the foot of a chalk cliff, 
and is the result of the action of the weather 
upon the soft rock, but the best specimens may 
be got from the interior of hollow flint nodules. 
It is not difficult to tell which nodules are likely 
to prove productive. Those perforated with holes 
and having a semi-decayed appearance should 
be selected, and after being broken by a blow from 
a hammer will often be found to contain a quantity 
of greyish white powder, in which Foraminifera 
and sponge-spicules may at times be found in 
abundance. In the autumn of 1887, under the 
guidance of Mr. S. A. Stewart, of the Belfast Mu- 
seum, I spent a most enjoyable day amongst the 
quarries in the Chalk Limestone of White Well 
and Cave Hill, near Belfast, co. Antrim, aud 
brought home a heavy bag of material obtained 
from the interior of flint nodules. I was informed, 
whether by Mr. Stewart or Mr. Joseph "Wright, I 
do not now recollect, that the chalk beds in the 
neighbourhood of the sea were most prolific in 
these partially decomposed ^ints. 
The Gault Clay of Folkstone will be found to 
yield a rich harvest to the collector of Foraminifera. 
I am not at present able to say what particular 
parts of the thick clay bed are likely to be found 
to repay best the trouble of washing, but I may 
mention that I have in my collection nice speci- 
mens from that part of the Gault in which fossil 
Serpulse and the bivalve Inoceramas concentricus 
are found. The specimens from the Gault Clay 
are often infiltrated with iron pyrites, so that by 
removing the calcareous shell, by means of dilute 
acid, beautiful casts of the interior may be pro- 
cured. 
I will now pass on to speak of the manner of 
treating shore-gatherings or dredgings, in order to 
separate the Foraminifera contained in them. A 
quantity of the sand must be placed in a sieve 
made of brass or copper wove wire gauze of 120 
meshes to the inch linear, and a stream of water 
from a tap directed thereon in order to get rid of 
all fine particles, and also by washing away such 
salt as may be present to render the subsequent 
drying process more complete. No specimens of 
any value will be lost by this process, for as the 
meshes of the sieve do not exceed -^ryth part of an 
inch in diameter, the shells which do escape will 
| only be starved or immature forms of which adult 
and robust specimens are retained. A sieve of this 
mesh (namely, 120), will be found to answer for 
washing most gatherings, bat in exceptional cases, 
in which it may be thought desirable to save par- 
ticles which would pass through such a sieve, the 
silk gauze made for millers use may be substituted 
with advantage; one with 200 threads of weft to 
the inch being a useful number. 
After the sand has been well washed it should 
be dried slowly, a great heat in drying is ap: to 
damage the shells, causing thin and delicat ; oues 
to break and the thicker vitreous species to become 
dull and semi-opaque. When ■ the material is 
dried, sift it through a sieve of 10 wires to the 
inch to get rid of pieces of shell, fragments of sea- 
weed, and other coarse rubbish. which may, however, 
be examined separately for parasitic forms. 
The Foraminifera must now be separated from 
the sand and heavy material by the process of 
“floating.” To do this put about a coffee-cupful of 
the sand into a basin and then pour cold water 
upon it, stirring the meanwhile with a spoon, the 
Foraminifera wiii now' float, and may either be 
skimmed off or secured by the following method, 
which is more expeditious but requires some 
simple apparatus. Get a tinplate worker to 
make a funnel and tripod-stand. Tie a bag 
made of the silk gauze mentioned above to 
the lower part of the funnel and the affair is 
ready for use. Having well stirred up the basinful 
of sand and water, after allowing a minute or so for 
settling, pour the water and floating Foraminifera 
into the funnel, when the water will pa->s through 
the gauze, and the shells will be retained. Pour 
some more water on the sand, etc., in the basin, stir 
up and decant into the funnel as 1 More, allowing 
only half-a-minute for settling this time. All the 
Foraminifera which will float have now been secu- 
red, but the sand left in the basin should not be 
thrown away as useless, for in all probability 
(especially if it be dredged sand) it will be found to 
contain the heavier species. The surface of the 
sand ought to be scraped up with a spoon, dried, 
sifted, and such particles as will not go through a 
sieve of 35 meshes to the inch examiued under the 
