Brass balls....

       As I've traveled around the country, collecting for the museum, I'm always saddened when I come upon a site where thieves have taken fossils illegaly. These thefts are increasing in numbers and as a result many state, and federal, laws have been proposed to prohibit collecting fossils. As usual, the few have made it bad for the rest of us. A good example is from a site near where I live. Someone had dug into the cliff to remove a section of mysticete skull. They decided to come back later to finish the job. Maryland law prohibits digging into the cliffs. Yet here was someone who didn't care. They even went so far as to write " Please dow not touch" on the cliff. I wasn't sure what "Dow" meant. But I took a picture and GPS reading and called it into the local museum. They assured me that they hadn't started the excavation and that their staff were "literate" in any case. They promply received the land owners permission and excavated it that afternoon. And as their policy dictates, they filled the hole with concrete and clay to match the original cliff face. Done legally! And done right! I "dow" hope that the thieves don't get too upset.