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Mallock, W. II. The Old Order changes. New 

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Randall, Rev. I). A. llam-Mishkan, the Won- 

 derful Tent. Cincinnati : Robert Clarke & Co. Pp. 

 420. $2. 



Stephens, IT. Morse. A History of the French 

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Tyrrell, Gerard G., M. D ., Secretary, Sacra- 

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Burnham, S. M. Precious Stones in Nature, 

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Stinde, Julius. The Buchholz Family. Trans- 

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Moerlein, George. A Trip around the "World. 

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POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



A Boy's Lesson In Taxidermy. — Mr. 



Frederick G. Mather, of Albany, communi- 

 cates to us the following directions in re- 

 gard to " The Best Mode of Stuffing Birds," 

 which were found in an old portfolio, 

 and which recall lessons that were given 

 by one of the learning taxidermists in the 

 country a generation ago. He has followed 

 his boyish notes to the letter. Materials. — A 

 glover's three-cornered needle ; a knitting- 

 needle sharpened and fixed in a handle, and 

 a sharp knife; arsenical soap, prepared as 

 follows : Pulverized arsenic, two pounds ; 

 potash, in powder, twelve ounces ; camphor- 

 gum, five ounces ; white soap, two pounds ; 

 lime in powder, four ounces. Shave the 

 soap into small pieces ; place it in a pipkin 

 over a slow fire, and add a little water ; stir 

 with a wooden spatula till the soap i3 dis- 

 solved ; take it off and add potash, stirring 

 till they are well mixed ; add the lime by 

 littles, and then the arsenic, stirring till all 

 are internally mixed ; when nearly cold add 

 the camphor, dissolved in strong alcohol ; if 

 it becomes too thick, add water sufficient. 

 Let the bird lie two to four hours before 

 skinning. Don't squeeze the head. Swab 

 out the throat with cotton and put in pow- 

 dered plaster of Paris ; then stuff cotton 

 into the mouth, which presses the plaster 

 into all the cavities of the head. Pass a 

 thread or string through the nostrils and 

 tie it; then stuff cotton into the nostrils. 

 The use of the string will be seen hereafter. 

 The cotton and plaster prevent any fluids 



from issuing out of the head and spoiling 

 the skin. Having smoothed the feathers 

 carefully with cotton, lay the bird upon a 

 piece of thick pasteboard, or a thin board 

 covered with canton flannel, soft side up. 

 Place the bird upon this with the head 

 toward the left hand. Separate the legs 

 and feathers, and at the end of the breast- 

 bone begin to cut through the skin, down- 

 ward. If blood or other fluids issue, put 

 in plaster of Paris, which will absorb them. 

 Do left side in the same manner, cutting 

 muscles and flesh from the body. Cut 

 muscles of wings. The membrane of the 

 ear must be undermined by a knife, and 

 the knife forced upward, bringing out the 

 ends nearest the bill. Gouge out the eyes. 

 Clear away the brain, tongue, and muscles. 

 Wash inside the skull with arsenical soap, 

 and fill the skull full of powdered arsenic ; 

 then press a piece of cotton into the sock- 

 ets. Leave the bones of the wing, and cut 

 the muscles. Insert a thread at the other 

 end of the bone in the skin. Break the 

 knob off at the end of the wing-bone. Take 

 the muscles out of the legs, and sometimes 

 take the fat off the legs. Lubricate with ar- 

 senical soap, and wind the bone with cot- 

 ton. Then take and tie the wings with their 

 threads, not too tight. Lubricate the whole 

 of it with arsenical soap. Get the ball of 

 cotton out of the nostrils. Take a little awl, 

 the size of a wire, and run it behind the 

 toes to the joint ; then straighten the legs 

 and tie the bone to the wire. Take the 

 cotton off and put more on with arsenical 

 soap. Prepare a cork body of the length 

 of the bird, and as large round as a large- 

 sized bottle-cork. Then take three wires, 

 two for the legs — which are already in the 

 legs — and one for the neck. Join them to 

 the cork body, leaving them to project three 

 or four inches outside the real body. Wind 

 cotton on the wire till it becomes as large 

 as the neck, and lubricate with arsenical 

 soap. Wind cotton around an instrument 

 like a knitting-needle till it is about the size 

 of your little finger, and take them off — as 

 fast as made — and lay them on under and 

 around the cork body. Press it from time 

 to time, and put in arsenic-powder. Insert 

 leg-wires. Don't get the legs too far back, 

 or the breast too full. More arsenic. Be- 

 gin at the upper part to sew up. Get 



