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American Association of Museums 
left of this. It seems to me that a great mistake is made by printing 
the bulk of the data on the labels, as is customary in many institu¬ 
tions. The original handwriting, and especially the signature of 
the field collector or museum assistant, is a guarantee of authenticity. 
The signature vouches for the facts upon the label. I have, too, dis¬ 
carded entirely the use of the rubber stamp either in the field or mu¬ 
seum. Every item on the label is handwritten with Higgins’ Eternal 
Ink. We have found that the most approved stamp pad ink (every 
sort we have tried) is affected in one way or another. For instance, 
in a skin which is greasy, such as that of a Night Hawk, the grease 
runs out onto the label, reaching it by way of the string, and partly 
or entirely obliterates the legend imprinted by the rubber stamp. 
Fading from other causes has occurred with some of our labels. Car¬ 
bon writing ink is the only thing for inscriptions upon specimen labels. 
As to the kind of string, we have finally come to adhere strictly to 
no. 8 cotton thread, “J. & P. Coats Best 6 Cord.” This so far has 
defied the action of grease and various other deteriorating agents. 
We once received a collection of skins in which the labels were tied 
with the most approved linen cord. In course of a few years this 
cord has become so rotten that in many cases the labels have had 
to be retied—always a dangerous proceeding because of liability of 
mixing labels. 
As regards tying the label to the bird skin, our custom is again at 
variance with that of most other museums. We leave the tag strung 
loosely, falling about one inch from the crossed legs to which it is 
tied, so that it dangles freely. Experience has convinced me that 
when labels are tied directly and firmly to the feet, with no interven¬ 
ing string, the specimen is more readily subject to breakage. It is 
often found necessary to turn the label in order to read the legend 
on both sides; where the label is tied firmly to the feet this is difficult 
or impossible without moving these appendages, and, their attachment 
to the skin being more or less brittle, their breakage in many cases 
occurs. 
The distribution of the data on the label in a uniform order has 
seemed to us worth attention. The side of the label which bears 
the name of the institution should be reserved explicitly for the 
department number and for the name of the species. The reverse 
side should contain all of the field data. The order in which we now 
place this is as follows, occupying three or four lines, as need be: sex, 
original or collector’s number, signature of collector; exact locality, 
