COLLECTING SKINS OF SMALL BIRDS. 



aries must not be separated from the bone of the forearm, or 

 the ulna. It is possible to clean out the flesh from the forearm 

 and also from the arm bone (humerns) without detaching th' 1 

 ends of the secondaries, as you will readily see. Cut away any 

 flesh which has been left at the root of the tail, but do not rut 

 the ends of the tail feathers. 



The next thing- is to poison the skin. Do this with a. mixture 

 of powdered arsenic and alum, in equal parts. Some of our 

 most extensive collectors use no alum, simply pure arsenic in 

 liberal quantity-, but I consider that the use of alum also is 

 always desirable, and under certain conditions it is extremely 

 so. Some collectors use arsenical soap exclusively, even on 

 small birds, and on large birds I, 

 too, have used it quite extensively, 

 supplemented by an immediate 

 sprinkling of powdered alum, to 

 do the curing of the skin. For 

 genuine thoroughness in poison- 

 ing and preserving, I will back 

 arsenical soap and alum against 

 all other substances the world can 

 produce ; but in treating small birds 

 Hi at are to be made up as dry skins, 

 I prefer and recommend powdered 

 arsenic and alum, as stated above. 



Whatever poison you decide to 

 use, apply it thoroughly to every 

 part of the skin, the skull, wings, 

 legs, and tail. Now put a ball of 

 c/otton in each eye-socket to fill up 

 the cavity, and you are ready to 

 reverse the skin and 1 tring it right 

 side out once more. It is usually 

 some trouble to get the skin back 

 over the skull, and that I accom- 

 plish in this wise : 



Let the skin rest on the edge of the table, place both of your 

 thumbs on the back of the skull, and with all your ringers and 

 finger-nails, reach forward and begin to crowd the skin of the 



Fio. 12. The Skin Wronp Skle Ont, 

 and Ready to be Poisoned. 



