
The Notch-card System 
The simpler system, which is frequently better adapted to use with 
wildlife data is the noteh-card system. This is less commonly used but 
may be familiar to Yorld War II veterans who remember their personnel 
forms with holes and notches around the margins. With this system, 
cards of any size or shape may be used. The card has a series of holes 
punched around all sides just inside the edges. Data are coded so that 
each hole represents a specific bit of information. Then each hole which 
4s positive for its respective information is notched out so that it is 
no longer a hole but a notch in the side of the card. Holes negative 
for their respective bits of information are left intact. To return to 
the example of the hunter returns, there may be a bank or group of holes, 
each one representing a county in a state. The hole representing the 
county in which the hunter resided is notched out. Other county-holes 
ere not notched. Selection or sorting from a deck of cards so notched 
is done with a long steel needle. All the cards are smoothly aligned 
so that the corresponding holes are in alignment. Then the needle is 
inserted in a hole to be sorted and lifted up. All cards notched at that 
point fall aWay as the deck is lifted. JIn the above example, all those 
cards falling away would be those of all the hunters from a given county. 
These fallen cards may then be further sorted in the same manner to de- 
termine, for example, what areas were hunted, what kinds of guns were 
used, what game was killed, or any other information that had been pre- 
viously notched into the cards. 
Comparison of the Two Systems 
It will be noted that with the notch-card system, pre-punched holes 
are notched out, while with the Hollerith system, the card is not pre- 
punched but ante in the form of holes are punched into the card. Fither 
method is readily usable and the difference is not significant in e- 
valuating them. 
Both the Hollerith and the Notch-card systems have a place in wild- 
life research and management. The choice of systems is based largely 
on the size of job to be done and the financial resources available. 
The Hollerith system is geared to handle huge masses of data with amaz- 
ing speed, but its machines are costly and cannot be economically owned 
unless there is need for their continuous operation. Most wildlife 
research and management operations cannot afford to maintain a Hollerith 
plant. Rental services are available, however, and occasional big punch- 
card jobs should take advantage of such service. The Fish and Wildlife 
Service's migratory bird banding records are handled this way. 
The Notch-card system can be operated with a minimum investment of 
only $2.50 to $5.00, plus cards. While it does not have the capacity 
for handling data or the speed for sorting of the Hollerith system, it 
does greatly speed up the enalysis of data over non~carded methods and 
for most wildlife data its capacity is adequate. The capacity of a card 
is determined by the number of positions available for punching a hole 
or a notch. The Hollerith card can be punched in positions ranging all 
Over the body of the card, put tne card of the notvch-curd system can ve 
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