138 ON COLLECTING AND PRESERVING FOSSILS. 
especially when it is desired to fix a fragment so that it can be 
separated again. 
Packing Fossils. 
1. In packing fossils always use flexible material, such as crumpled 
paper, shavings, straw, moss, grass, or cotton-wool—never sawdust, 
sand, 01 giain (chaff), Boxes should be tightly packed, leaving no 
room for shifting of contents. 
2. Boxes are better small and numerous than large and few. 
Heavy cases suffer more from concussion in transport than small 
boxes. 
Small boxes, carefully packed and placed in a larger case will 
travel well. 
The opening of cases by Customs officers in docks * and on the 
frontier of foreign states is often more fatal than a very long journey 
to the contents of boxes. Bribery in such cases seems permissible 
to ensure lenient treatment of collections. 
* If addressed “To the Director of the British Museum (Natural History') 
Cromwell Load, London, W.,” the cases will not be opened by the British 
Customs omcers, but sent on at once under seal. 
