122 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Skulls of all the livint^ tribes of Indians, carofnllj^ selected, should 

 always be preserved, as much of the natural history of the liuman race 

 is founded on this study, especial!}' when they can be compared with 

 those of other nations in large museums. 



TRANSPORTATION. 



Specimens of animals may be prepared for sending to the society by 

 making an incision large enough to extract all the entrails, and tilling . 

 the cavity with salt, or even charcoal coarsely powdered, wliich in the 

 dry season preserves them for several days. They may be boxed up, 

 and sent through Wells, Fargo & Conlpan3^ free of charge, directed to 

 I. N. Hoag, Secretavy of State Agricultural Society. 



In packing specimens for transportation, too much care cannot be used 

 to avoid injury by dampness, breakage, etc. Those in alcohol, if in large 

 vessels, should be rolled or sewed up in cloths, especially the fishes, and 

 empty space filled with branches, etc., to prevent them from shaking 

 about too much. Bottles should not have the mouths wider than neces- 

 sary to get the specimen in, so that they may not leak around the cork. 



The various modes of trapping, poisoning, and shooting, are so well 

 known that they need not be here described. For birds smaller than a 

 crow, number ten shot is the best, as it does not damage the skin much, 

 and if near by, any kind of bird ma}' be killed with it. Number five is, 

 however, useful for large birds or long shots, and sometimes wire car- 

 tridges are required. 



The society has offered prizes this year, amounting in all to thirty 

 dollars, for the best collections of mammals, birds, and reptiles of this 

 State, and fifteen dollars for the second best, or one third the amounts 

 stated for the best of each class, with the privilege of bu^'ing the collec- 

 tions, after their exhibition, for its museum. 



QUADRUPEDS OR MAMMALS. 



Of this class one hundred and ten species are believed to inhabit this 

 State and the adjoining ocean, including some which have no proper 

 feet, such as whales, porpoises, etc., but which zoologically belong to the 

 same class, as they suckle their 3'oung, unlike the fishes, which they 

 externally resemble. 



Some species are still ver}^ little known to naturalists, or are so rare 

 and doubtful as inhabitants of California that particular attention is 

 called to them. Of the carnivorous order, the sea otter is unknown in 

 any American collection, and little is known of its habits. Good skins, 

 fit for Rtutfing, skulls, and skeletons, are much wanted. The difterent 

 kinds of seals are even less known to naturalists, and some of our fai'niers 

 residing along the coast have frequent opportunities of obtaining them. 

 The existence of a large species of Ij'nx in the northern part of this State 

 is undetermined, one or two, much lari>;er and darker than the common 

 wild cat, being found north of the Columbia. 



The jaguar, larger than the common panther, here called California 

 lion, has been often reported to exist in this State as far north as latitude 

 forty degrees, but no skins or skulls have been seen by natui-alists. It 

 is pale yellowish, beautifully spotted with black spots in rings, tail long. 



The various kinds of dark weasels and ermines inhabiting the high 

 mountains are still to be determined. 



The " raccoon fox," or " civet cat," of the miners, though said to be 



