MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS. 



49 



ornithukigy essential service. I refer to tlio skull, and to the breast-bone with its principal 

 attachments. These parts of the skeleton are, as a rule, so highly characteristic that they 



afford in most cases invaluable 

 is of course to sacrifice a skin, to 

 mutilated or decayed specimens 

 in this way. The breast -bone 

 tilated, is always preservable with 

 may form its natural accompani- 

 with it the coracoids (the stout 

 with the shoulders, figs. 1, 2, e), 

 intervening between these bones, 

 d), all without detachment fmm 

 tively constitute the " shoulder- 

 off the large breast muscles close 

 sertions into the wing-bones (c) ; 

 that tie the shoulder-blades to tlie 

 b) close to the side of the breast - 

 usually found between the prongs 

 hold of the shoulders (figs. 1, 2, 

 affair, dividing some slight connec- 

 behind it. The following points 

 often has long slender processes 

 mon fowl and the ptarmigan are 

 shown in the figures), liable to be 

 snapped ; the shoulder-blades usu- 

 off; the merry-thought is some- 

 When travelling, it is generally not 

 tions of either skull or sternum ; 

 fluous hesh removed, and besprin- 

 perfectly cleaned, is particularly 

 pronged bones that hinge the jaw, 

 push on the palate from behind, 

 specting the identification of these 

 which should invariably bear the 

 it belongs ; the label should be 

 is more likely to be able to speak 

 ally accompanied by a skin ; never- 

 cilitate its recognition should be 

 are methods, with which I am not 

 preparations. You may secure 

 ing the bones ; or, what is perhaps 



Fig. 3. — Trachea or 

 windpipe of the male red- 

 breasted merganser, Mer- 



till the flesh is completely rotted r/?<s serm^or, about * nat, 

 .1 * Tiii i J size, viewed from above 



the sun. A little potassa or ~~ 



zoological items. To save a skull 

 all intents; but you often have 

 that are very profitably utilized 

 (figs. 1, 2, a) excepting when mu- 

 tho skin, and for "choice" invoices 

 ment. You want to remove along 

 bones connecting the breast-bone 

 the merry-thought (figs. 1, 2, /) 

 and the shoulder-blades (figs. 1, 2, 

 each other, for these bones coUec- 

 girdle," or scapular arch. Slice 

 to the bone, and divide their ia- 

 scrape or cut away the muscles 

 chest ; snip off the ribs (figs. 1, 2, 

 bone ; sever a tough membrane 

 of the wish-bone; then, by taking 

 at c), you can Uft out the whole 

 tions underneath the bone and 

 require attention : the breast-bone 

 behind and on the sides (the com- 

 extreme illustrations of this, as 

 cut by mistake for ribs, or to be 

 ally taper to a point, easily broken 

 times very delicate or defective, 

 advisable to make j)erfect prepara- 

 they are best dried with only super- 

 kled with arsenic. The skull, if 

 liable to lose the odd-shaped, 

 and the fi-eely movable pair that 

 Great care should be exercised re- 

 bones, particularly th'e sternum, 

 number of the specimen to which 

 tied to the coracoid bone. A skull 

 for itself, and, besides, is not usn- 

 theless, any record tending to fa- 

 duly entered on the register. There 

 familiar, of making elegant bony 

 very good results by simply boil- 

 better, macerating them in water 

 away, and then bleaching them in 

 hastens the process. With breast - 



(behind); after Newton, ^, 



bones, if you can stop the process tonsue; nil, its attacli- just when the flesh is completely 

 dissolved but the tougher ligaments S^'./theTJiddir'and remain, you secure a ''natural" 

 preparation, as it is called; if the swelling below into a bony ligaments go too, the associate 

 parts of a large specimen may be ^°^^^ ^^^^^^ tf iui.gT'^^^*^ ^^''^^^ together, those of a small 

 one glued. I think it best, with ' skulls, to clean them entirely of 



ligament as well as muscle ; for the underneath parts are usually those conveying the most 

 desirable information, and they should not be in the sUghtest degree obscured. Since in such 



4 



