9 



men completely in paper or cotton-cloth. The greatest care 

 should always be taken to keep from such collections any uncleaned 

 skulls or bones, wool, hair, loose feathers, or unpreserved animal 

 matter of any kind. If necessarily kept in the same boxes with 

 skins, skulls, even if apparently quite clean, should be separately 

 and closely wrapped up so as to prevent the access of insects to 

 them. It must be borne in mind that it is the larvae of these 

 insects that do the mischief, and that a single female gaining access 

 to a specimen may lay eggs enough to do a vast amount of injury 

 when developed. 



Where danger is apprehended to large skins, or where they 

 have been already attacked, a quantity of arsenic rnay be boiled 

 for a time in water, and after the free arsenic is strained out by 

 means of a cloth, the liquid may be applied to the fur or wool by 

 means of a watering-pot. The ears, lips, orbital region, and nose 

 may be well moistened by an alcoholic solution of corrosive sub- 

 limate. A tincture of strychnine is said, however, to keep off in- 

 sects much better than anything else. (See also page 22.) 



In passing through the breeding grounds of birds, attention 

 should be paid to securing abundant specimens of nests and eggs. 

 When possible, the skin of the bird to which each set of eggs may 

 belong should be secured. Further directions in regard to nests 

 and eggs will be found hereafter. Skins of all the species of birds 

 in each locality should be collected. A series of birds in alcohol 

 will also be very desirable. 



A great obstacle in the way of making alcoholic collections while 

 on a march has been found in the escape of the spirits and the 

 friction of the specimens, as well as in the mixing up of these from 

 different localities. All such difficulties have been successfully ob- 

 viated by means of the following arrangement : Instead of using 

 glass jars, so liable to break, or even wooden kegs, so difficult of 

 stowage, a square copper can should be procured, having a large 

 mouth with a cap fitting tightly over it, either by a screw or other- 

 wise. The can should be inclosed in a wooden box, or may be made 

 to fit into a division of a leather pannier, to be slung across the 

 back of a mule. Several small cans, in capacity of from a half to 

 one-third of a cubic foot, or even less, will be better than one large 

 one. Small bags of musquito netting, lino, crinoline, or other 

 porous material, should be provided, made in shape like a pillow- 

 case, and open at one end ; these may be from six to fifteen inches 



