With the large numbers of plants and animals that are living today, plus those of the past, random naming would result in much confusion. For this reason scientists have established strict rules that must be followed when a specimen is named. The strict application of these rules enables scientists in all parts of the world to assign scientific names without fear of duplication. IDENTIFICATION OF FOSSILS The beginning collector is usually content to know if his specimen is a clam or a snail or a fern or a palm leaf. But as the collection grows, it becomes increasingly desirable to know the scientific name of each fossil. When he starts to identify fossils it may be helpful to show them to a geology teacher if a college or university is nearby. Most teachers are glad to be of help and will probably have similar specimens in their own collections. As all colleges do not have geology departments, a list of institutions with geologists on their faculties is included at the end of this section of the handbook (p. 27). In addition, many of the science teachers in the public schools are familiar with fossils and can give helpful suggestions as to how to classify material. Museums are also good places from which to get help. If the museum has a geological collection, it will be most helpful to compare specimens with the fossils in their collections and to ask the museum personnel for advice. In addition to the above sources of information, local professional geologists are usually familiar with the geology of the local area and the paleontological literature of the region. Possibly local librarians can recommend books, encyclopedias, or other publications that will be of help. Members of a local rock and mineral club, if one is available, are another source of information. Many times these collectors can pass along good ideas and tell exactly which books to consult. After books or journals describing the fossils of the area have been located, the collected specimens should be closely compared with any illustrations that are shown. Each fossil should be examined carefully, its more characteristic features noted, and it should again be compared with the illustrations and descriptions in the book. The phylum or class to which the specimen belongs should be determined first. For example, the genus and species of a certain fossil may not be known, but it looks like a snail and accordingly it is named a gastropod (for class Gastropoda, the snail class), and this is, at least, a start in determining the scientific name of that particular fossil. The descriptive material in the text of each reference will usually point out the more detailed features which will be diagnostic of the genus or species.