COLLECTING SKINS OF SMALL BIRDS. 



should be as small as possible to contain the necessary data- 

 locality, date, sex, number, collector's name, measurements, and 

 remarks. Some collectors label only with numbers, cori"- 

 sponding with recorded data in a note-book ; but it is a bad 

 plan. Note-books often get lost, and then such specimens lose 

 half their value. 



WRAPPING UP A SKTN. There are various ways of " laying 

 out " bird skins. The best is to wrap each skin in a very thin 

 sheet of cotton batting or wadding, which draws witli the soft- 

 ness of down, and yet, when pinched or twisted at the ends, it 



w^ 



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FIG. 13. The Bird Skin in Position. 



holds every feather in place. The bird skins prepared by Mr. 

 William Palmer, one of the National Museum taxidermists, are 

 fine examples of how skins should be made. Mr. Palmer's 

 method of shaping and wrapping up a small skin is as follows, 

 and the accompanying figures are from specimens prepared by 

 him : Take the skin up between the left thumb and forefinger, 

 at the shoulders, and pinch it together, while with the small 

 forceps you adjust the scapulars over the point of the wings. 

 Cross the feet, lay the skin breast downward on a thin sheet 

 of cotton battitog of the proper dimensions, and arrange the 

 feathers of the back, the wings, etc. (Fig. 13). Then lift the 

 outer edg^e of the sheet of cotton, bring it forward over the skin 

 toward the operator, so that it will cover the back (Fig. 14). 



