When a likely collecting spot has been located, the ground should be
examined very carefully to see if there are any rock fragments which
contain pieces of shell or the imprints of leaves or other organisms.
If the fossils have been freed by weathering, they can be easily picked
up and placed in the bag. Many times, however, it will be necessary to
take the hammer and very carefully remove the surrounding rock. Smaller
specimens may be more safely freed with the careful use of the proper
size chisel by gently tapping the chisel and gradually chipping away the
_matrix_—the rock that is holding the specimen. After most of the matrix
has been removed, the fossil should be carefully wrapped and placed in
the collecting bag.
Before leaving a collecting locality, one should be sure to record its
geographic location and the geologic age of the rock in which the
fossils were found. The place should be located on the map and the
locality entered in the notebook in such a manner that it could easily
be located again for additional collecting. If a county or topographic
map is available, it is wise to mark the locality on the map. The
geographic and geologic data should be written on a label placed in the
bag of fossils collected at that particular locality. In addition, many
collectors find it helpful to write the locality on the outside of each
bag of fossils.
Material from separate localities should be kept in individual cloth or
paper bags, and the collector should take every precaution to keep the
labels with their respective fossils. Remember that _a fossil without a
locality is hardly worth the paper it is wrapped in_.
The collector should _always_ ask the land owner’s permission before
entering or collecting on private property. One should respect all
property, especially livestock and fences, and leave the area cleaner
than when entered. If these precautions are observed, future collectors
will probably be welcome to return for additional collecting.