96 MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS. 



birds yield their share of specimens. The alimentary canal is 

 XDften the seat of parasites of various kinds, interesting to the 

 helminthologist ; other species are to be found under the skin, 

 in the body of muscle, in the brain, etc. Most birds are also 

 infested with external parasites of many kinds, so various, 

 that almost every leading species has its own sort of louse, 

 tick, etc. Since these creatures are only at home with a live 

 host, they will be found crawling on the surface of the plu- 

 mage, preparing for departure, as soon as the body Qools after 

 death. There is in effect much to learn of a bird aside from 

 what the prepared specimen teaches, and moreover apart from 

 regular anatomical investigations. Whenever practicable, brief 

 items should be recorded on the label, as already mentioned. 



§49. Restoration of poor skins. If your cabinet be a 

 "general" one, comprising specimens from various sources, 

 you will frequently happen to receive skins so badly prepared 

 as to be unpleasant objects, besides failing to show their spe- 

 cific characters. There is of course no supplying' of missing 

 parts or plumage ; but if the defect be simply deformity, this 

 may usually be in a measure remedied. The point is simply 

 to relax the skin, and then proceed as if it were freshly removed 

 from the bird ; it is what bird stuffers constantly do, in mount- 

 ing birds from prepared skins. The relaxation is effected by 

 moisture alone. Remove the stuffing ; fill the interior with 

 cotton or tow saturated with water, yet not dripping : put pads 

 of the same under the wings ; wrap the bill and feet, and set 

 the specimen in a damp cool place. Small birds soften very 

 readily and completely ; the process may be facilitated by per- 

 sistent manipulation. This is the usual method, but there is 

 another, more thorough and more effective ; it is exposure to a 

 vapor-bath. The appointments of the kitchen stove furnish all 

 the apparatus required for an extempore " steamer ;" the regu- 

 lar fixture is a tin vessel much like a wash-boiler, with closed 

 lid, false bottom and stopcock at lower edge. On the false 

 bottom is placed a heavy layer of gypsum, completely satu- 

 rated with water ; the birds are laid on a perforated tray above 



