[Nhcoll-l] Databasing Specimens Collected from Other Specimens

[Monaghan, Nigel]

In addition to cross-referencing using numbers you could consider a variation on the ‘removals slip’ that we use here. If the insect and fungus are inseparable you can (arbitrarily) decide which collection the specimen is to live in and place a label in the ‘empty’ space in the corresponding collection – in your example the fungus takes precedence and moves to a slide cabinet of fungi, leaving a gap in the insect collection which could be filled with a label showing where an insect once resided and explaining where to find it now.

We use this for fossils sharing matrix – we have type specimens of brachiopods on the same slab of rock as a type specimen of a gastropod. The brachiopod drawer houses the brachiopod (with it nearest neighbours in taxonomy) and the gastropod drawer (several cabinets away) has a label indicating that the type is to be found elsewhere. Specimens can only bilocate in a database.

Nigel

Mr Nigel T. Monaghan,
Keeper,
Natural History Division,
National Museum of Ireland,
Merrion Street,
Dublin 2,
IRELAND

From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Bob Glotzhober
Sent: 28 February 2013 17:12
To: Gregory Schneider; Lewis-Gentry, Genevieve
Cc: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Databasing Specimens Collected from Other Specimens

Our database allows for multiple numbers associated with an object. In such a case, we could assign a new catalog number to the fungus found growing on the insect, but also add the original collection number for the insect. This cross-references the fungus to the insect. I would also go back to the original record for the insect, and annotate it with a cross-reference to the fungus collection number. That way both items are cross-referenced and someone working with either collection is made aware of the connection between the two objects.

Not that I consider this any more “correct” than any of the other answers supplied to this query – but it is another manner to handle to situation, which in my mind seems to work.
Bob Glotzhober

Robert C. Glotzhober
Senior Curator of Natural History
Ohio Historical Society
800 E. 17th Ave.
Columbus, Ohio 43211-2474
Ph. 614-298-2054
e-Mail: bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org<mailto:bglotzhober at ohiohistory.org>



From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Gregory Schneider
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2013 11:05 AM
To: Lewis-Gentry, Genevieve
Cc: Natural History Collections Listserv (nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>)
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Databasing Specimens Collected from Other Specimens

In my opinion, the collecting event is exactly the same.  It is analogous to finding a whole identifiable specimen (ie. a lizard) in the stomach contents of a previously catalogued snake.  I would catalogue the lizard separately with the same collecting data as the snake, and cross reference the new entry to the original.
On Thu, Feb 28, 2013 at 10:54 AM, Lewis-Gentry, Genevieve <glewis-g at oeb.harvard.edu<mailto:glewis-g at oeb.harvard.edu>> wrote:
Hello everyone,

We are running into an interesting collections issue for databasing in the Farlow Herbarium and we were wondering how other natural history collections are handling the issue.

Our example:
Insect specimens were collected, identified, and stored in an entomological collection. Later, the insects were checked for a type of fungus (Laboulbeniales) and when found they were removed and mounted on permanent slides in the fungal collections. What counts as the collecting information? The original collection information for locality etc? (Which is our thought.) Who is the collector? The person who collected the insect or the person who collected the fungus? There are collector numbers for both.

We assume things like this across other types of natural history collections. (Birds and mites are an example we thought could exist.) We are having it happen here between our herbarium and the entomological collections in the department as well as from loans from other entomology collections who are letting us keep and deposit the fungal material here.

We want to have the best data we can within our system capabilities as well as match how other collections are handling this type of issue.

Any thoughts, suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. I am sure that we are not the only ones with cross collections issues like this.

Thank you so much and let me know if you want more information.
Genevieve

=================================================
Genevieve Lewis-Gentry, Curatorial Assistant
Farlow Herbarium, Harvard University Herbaria
22 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138  U.S.A.
Phone: 617-495-2365<tel:617-495-2365>  Fax: 617-495-9484<tel:617-495-9484>
glewis-g at oeb.harvard.edu<mailto:glewis-g at oeb.harvard.edu>


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--
Greg Schneider
Division of Reptiles and Amphibians
Museum of Zoology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1079
734 647 1927     734 763 4080 (FAX)

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ges at umich.edu<mailto:ges at umich.edu>



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