subroutine showec (nob, nof, agent)

      character*6 agent

c display comment records from ffb files

      include 'basics.inc'

      include 'hold.inc'

      character*80 line
      
      character*1 recs1
      character*4 recs4
      character*86 recs86
      character*84 recs84
      character*72 recs72
      
      do i=1,80
         line(i:i) = ' '
      end do

      line(:6) = agent
      lenlin = 6
      nol = nob
      
c write out the first type 3 comment record
      
c      call words (mout, recs(nol)(25:96), line, lenlin, 6)

      call words (mout, recs72(nol,25,96), line, lenlin, 6)
      
c write out all the type 4 comment-continuation records
 
      do while (nol .lt. nof)
        nol = nol + 1
        
c comments from isf rtns start at col 11 not standard 13
c following is attempt to write them out without truncation
c based upon '#' or '+' in col 11 or valid date 1900+ plus
c space in cols 11-15 - (happens in REFERENCES) or 'Year'
c in cols 11-14 (references again)

c        num = itch(recs(nol)(11:14),ier)  ! possible 'date'       
c        if (  ( recs(nol)(11:11) .eq. '#' ) .or.
c     1        ( recs(nol)(11:11) .eq. '+' ) .or.
c     2      ( ( recs(nol)(15:15) .eq. ' ' ) .and.
c     3        ( num .ge. 1900 ) )           .or.
c     4        ( recs(nol)(11:14) .eq. 'Year') ) then     
c            call words (mout, recs(nol)(11:96), line, lenlin, 6)        
c        else         
c            call words (mout, recs(nol)(13:96), line, lenlin, 6)
c        end if
        
        
        num = itch(recs4(nol,11,14),ier)  ! possible 'date'       

        if (  ( recs1(nol,11,11) .eq. '#' ) .or.
     1        ( recs1(nol,11,11) .eq. '+' ) .or.
     2      ( ( recs1(nol,15,15) .eq. ' ' ) .and.
     3        ( num .ge. 1900 ) )           .or.
     4        ( recs4(nol,11,14) .eq. 'Year') ) then
     
            call words (mout, recs86(nol,11,96), line, lenlin, 6)
        
        else 
        
            call words (mout, recs84(nol,13,96), line, lenlin, 6)

        end if        
        
        
      end do
      if (lenlin .gt. 6) call putout (mout, line(:lenlin))
      return
      end