129 
All specimens, of whatever kind, should be numbered, preferably in 
pencil. If the number can be placed on the specimen itself, well and good; 
if not, the number should be written in pencil on a tag secured to the speci- 
men. Pencil has the advantage that it will not run when wet, as do ink 
and indelible pencil. Blurred numbers are frequently almost illegible 
when the specimens are received. 
Avoid the use of gummed labels. They frequently come off as soon 
as they are dry, and whether they adhere or not, they leave a mark on the 
specimen which it is almost impossible to remove. 
In excavating Eskimo archaeological material it is generally impossible 
to strip off more than a shallow layer of an inch or so of soil at a time, the 
remainder being frozen. It often happens that a specimen will be held 
fast by one end in the frozen earth, while the other end stands free. If left 
in this position over night the specimen may be found split and ruined in 
the morning. To overcome this, cover the exposed part of the specimen 
with a shovelful of earth, thus protecting it from the light and from too 
great a change in temperature and humidity. 
Preservation in the Field 
Many specimens, especially in archaeological work, are found in such 
a friable condition that they cannot even be lifted, much less shipped. 
A thin solution of shellac in alcohol may be poured slowly on the specimen 
and the immediately surrounding soil. When the alcohol has evaporated, 
the treatment should be repeated as many times as may be necessary, 
until the specimen is sufficiently hardened to permit its removal and 
packing. The same results may be obtained by the use of a thin solution 
of celluloid in acetone, which may be carried already made up in a thick 
stock solution. This stock solution is thinned in the field to the required 
degree by the addition of acetone. 
Specimens found in water or very damp situations should be shipped 
in the same condition in a water-tight container packed with enough moss 
or similar substance to prevent any movement. An attempt to dry the 
specimen will only result in cracking and warping it, often to such an 
extent that its original shape is no longer apparent. 
Specimens infected, or suspected of being infected, with clothes 
moths, or other insect pests, should be sprayed or drenched with gasoline 
and then dried in the open air. Shipping infected material to a museum 
is so dangerous a proceeding that it would almost be better to do without 
the specimen. The preparator who is to handle the material when it is 
received should always be informed that it was infected and a warning 
should appear on the packing case. 
Specimens from different areas should never be included in a single 
package. They may be shipped together in one packing case, if necessary, 
but should be done up in different bundles, each specimen numbered and a 
list accompanying each bundle. A duplicate of the complete list should 
be forwarded by mail at the time of shipping the specimens. Better 
handling results from the use of several small packing boxes rather than 
one or two large ones, and crumpled newspaper will be found to make the 
12931— 8J 
