diff --git a/syndicate/mc/preserve.md b/syndicate/mc/preserve.md
index d491541..10e22de 100644
--- a/syndicate/mc/preserve.md
+++ b/syndicate/mc/preserve.md
@@ -320,31 +320,26 @@ Each `Repr` takes one of three possible forms:
 Applications may choose between formats B and C depending on their
 needs at serialization time.
 
-Every `Repr` starts with a *lead byte* describing the remainder of the
-representation.
-
 #### The lead byte
 
-The lead byte is constructed by a function `leadbyte`:
+Every `Repr` starts with a *lead byte*, constructed by
+`leadbyte(t,n,m)`, where `t`,`n`∈{0,1,2,3} and 0≤`m`<16:
 
     leadbyte(t,n,m) = [t*64 + n*16 + m]
 
-Both `t` and `n` are two-bit unsigned numbers; `m` is a four-bit
-unsigned number.
-
-The lead byte describes the rest of the representation as
-follows:[^some-encodings-unused]
+The arguments `t` and `n` describe the rest of the
+representation:[^some-encodings-unused]
 
   [^some-encodings-unused]: Some encodings are unused. All such
     encodings are reserved for future versions of this specification.
 
- - `leadbyte(0,0,-)` (format A) represents an Atom with fixed-length binary representation.
- - `leadbyte(0,1,-)` (format A) is reserved.
- - `leadbyte(0,2,-)` (format C) is a Stream Start byte.
- - `leadbyte(0,3,-)` (format C) is a Stream End byte.
- - `leadbyte(1,-,-)` (format B) represents an Atom with variable-length binary representation.
- - `leadbyte(2,-,-)` (format B) represents a Record.
- - `leadbyte(3,-,-)` (format B) represents a Sequence, Set or Dictionary.
+ - `t`=0, `n`=0 (format A) represents an `Atom` with fixed-length binary representation.
+ - `t`=0, `n`=1 (format A) represents certain small `SignedInteger`s.
+ - `t`=0, `n`=2 (format C) is a Stream Start byte.
+ - `t`=0, `n`=3 (format C) is a Stream End byte.
+ - `t`=1 (format B) represents an `Atom` with variable-length binary representation.
+ - `t`=2 (format B) represents a `Record`.
+ - `t`=3 (format B) represents a `Sequence`, `Set` or `Dictionary`.
 
 #### Encoding data of fixed length (format A)
 
@@ -494,9 +489,7 @@ order.
 
 Note that `header(3,3,m)` and `open(3,3)`/`close(3,3)` is unused and reserved.
 
-### Variable-length Atoms
-
-#### SignedInteger
+### SignedIntegers
 
 Format B/A (known length/fixed-size):
 
@@ -522,32 +515,16 @@ needed to unambiguously identify the value and its sign, and `m =
 
 For example,
 
-    [[   -257 ]] = [0x42, 0xFE, 0xFF]
-    [[   -256 ]] = [0x42, 0xFF, 0x00]
-    [[   -255 ]] = [0x42, 0xFF, 0x01]
-    [[   -254 ]] = [0x42, 0xFF, 0x02]
-    [[   -129 ]] = [0x42, 0xFF, 0x7F]
-    [[   -128 ]] = [0x41, 0x80]
-    [[   -127 ]] = [0x41, 0x81]
-    [[     -4 ]] = [0x41, 0xFC]
-    [[     -3 ]] = [0x1D]
-    [[     -2 ]] = [0x1E]
-    [[     -1 ]] = [0x1F]
-    [[      0 ]] = [0x10]
-    [[      1 ]] = [0x11]
-    [[     12 ]] = [0x1C]
-    [[     13 ]] = [0x41, 0x0D]
-    [[    127 ]] = [0x41, 0x7F]
-    [[    128 ]] = [0x42, 0x00, 0x80]
-    [[    255 ]] = [0x42, 0x00, 0xFF]
-    [[    256 ]] = [0x42, 0x01, 0x00]
-    [[  32767 ]] = [0x42, 0x7F, 0xFF]
-    [[  32768 ]] = [0x43, 0x00, 0x80, 0x00]
-    [[  65535 ]] = [0x43, 0x00, 0xFF, 0xFF]
-    [[  65536 ]] = [0x43, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00]
-    [[ 131072 ]] = [0x43, 0x02, 0x00, 0x00]
+    [[   -257 ]] = 42 FE FF    [[     -3 ]] = 1D       [[    128 ]] = 42 00 80
+    [[   -256 ]] = 42 FF 00    [[     -2 ]] = 1E       [[    255 ]] = 42 00 FF
+    [[   -255 ]] = 42 FF 01    [[     -1 ]] = 1F       [[    256 ]] = 42 01 00
+    [[   -254 ]] = 42 FF 02    [[      0 ]] = 10       [[  32767 ]] = 42 7F FF
+    [[   -129 ]] = 42 FF 7F    [[      1 ]] = 11       [[  32768 ]] = 43 00 80 00
+    [[   -128 ]] = 41 80       [[     12 ]] = 1C       [[  65535 ]] = 43 00 FF FF
+    [[   -127 ]] = 41 81       [[     13 ]] = 41 0D    [[  65536 ]] = 43 01 00 00
+    [[     -4 ]] = 41 FC       [[    127 ]] = 41 7F    [[ 131072 ]] = 43 02 00 00
 
-#### String, ByteString and Symbol
+### Strings, ByteStrings and Symbols
 
 Syntax for these three types varies only in the value of `n` supplied
 to `header`, `open`, and `close`. In each case, the payload following