to refer the fossil to its proper specimen or formation. He 
should be careful to ascertain if it contains any mineral, in veins, 
beds, or otherwise, connected with it; whether it has been sub¬ 
ject to any thing like a fracture ; and if so, whether there has 
been a displacement of the beds, that is, if the beds on one side 
of the fracture are higher than the same beds on the other side; 
and whether the fracture be simple or filled up by a rock dif¬ 
ferent from any composing the beds or the earth above ; if dif¬ 
ferent, specimens of it should be obtained. 
The collector should have with him one or two hammers, 
weighing one or two pounds, and should make his specimens 
into the proper size and form on the spot. Care should be taken 
to make all the fractures from the edges, as no hammer-marks 
should appear on the faces of the specimens. Clays and marls 
may be cut into proper size, and sands should be collected in 
quantities equivalent to the solid specimens. Each specimen 
should be carefully wrapped in sufficient paper, and accompa¬ 
nied with a label setting forth the locality, thickness, relation to 
other beds, dip, and all other matters, including reference to 
fossils, that may appear to relate to it. Where the beds or strata 
present any differences, and particularly where these differences 
are remarkable, as between sandstone and limestone, gneiss 
and marble, or where there is a diversity in the dip of neigh¬ 
boring strata, care should be taken to obtain specimens for each. 
If the collector is familiar with drawing, a sketch of the bluff 
or section, as it is called, with numbers on the strata corres¬ 
ponding with the numbers of the specimens, will produce more 
distinct conception than the most lengthy description. This 
thing of numbering each of the strata on the specimen that the 
bluff or section presents is very important, even when not ac¬ 
companied by a sketch. Always state on the number whether 
it counts from the top or bottom of the bluff. 
If the region in which collections are being made produce 
metal of any kind, ascertain, if possible, the kind, and condi¬ 
tion in which found, and obtain specimens. If this mineral or 
metal presents itself in regular beds or veins, ascertain the 
general thickness and direction of the vein. If the bed or 
vein has been opened, collect specimens from each one of the 
