Re: The place of amateurs? (The Crown)

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Shaun Sinclair wrote
>> It is a good idea for any 'amature' collector to know what the 
>> legalities are for wherever-it-is that they reside.
>> 
>> Apart from that, good luck and have fun.
>> 
>> Shaun
>> 
>> (wishing that he could get out into the field once in awhile)
>> 
>> 
>> 
>When the reference to the crown comes up, they are not refering to the 
>Royal Crown of Great Britain ,but as used it refers to the local 
>government of the seperate Provences. Canada though in the past had 
connections with 
>the"crown" they do not any longer. that doesn't mean that it isn't 
>illegal to take specimens and ship them all over the world. So it would 
>be extremely wise to check and get permission, another idea is the you'd 
>probably have a better chance of sending casts of the specimens. By the 
>way what sort of specimens do you have?
>
        Thank you for that, Aaron. From local groups, geologists, 
paleontologists I have
talked to while on the field, there is no need for concern in Quebec as long 
as you 
are not in a provincial park. Areas of rich palontological legacy such as 
Alberta and the
Burgess shales of British Columbia are a definite no-no, though, and yes, 
care to
be clean and honest about your business is clearly an asset for both the 
individual's
criminal record and the reputation of amateur paleontologists as a whole.

        I don't have much specimens since I have hesitated to remove 
anything from sites
until I was sure that I knew what I was doing. I have very few complete 
specimens of trilobites, namely Flexicalymene senaria (Conrad) and Isotelus 
gigas De Kay (though
the identification is hard on the Isotelus. I have fragments of Cryptolithus.
        I have three samples of Conularia trentonensis Hall, two of which 
are presently held for examination. I find them exedingly interesting and 
well preserved.
        I have a few pieces of Cephalopods, most probably Endoceras 
proteiforme Hall and Orthoceras sp.. Unfortunately, an accident resulted in 
the loss of the most complete specimen that I had.
        There are no brachipods that I've researched or collected yet. It 
was pressing for me, for personal reasons, to collect what I could and 
brachiopods are (for me) very hard to identify correctly.
        I have other bits and pieces that have not been identified yet but 
that show singular forms or even colors.
        My reason for offering to share and send out specimens is based on 
the fact that may fossil records of the late cambrian to ordovician are not 
available elsewhere and that what may seem an unimportant brachiopod to me 
might be valuable as a research specimen to someone else. My offer was not 
based on the value of what I had to share but on my geographical situation 
and *its* value to potential readers here. I mean to help if I can, without 
"blowing a gasket"!

        Cheers,






Stephane Gautier
stegau@cam.org
Montreal
Quebec