THE OOLOGIST 



17 



collecting was short range, I used a 

 32 long dust shot cartridge, which I 

 loaded myself with E. C. and Ballestite 

 powder, and an auxiliary barrel fitted 

 in a Parker double barrel 28 gauge 

 shot gun. The 28 gauge worked per- 

 fectly. It was light and effective and 

 the shells of a day's supply felt like 

 so many peanuts in the pocket as 

 compared with the heavy 12 gauge 

 shells. Still for all round work I 

 would choose a Parker 12 and 32 auxi- 

 liary in one barrel at least. The Colts 

 revolver described in a back number 

 of the Condor is a good thing and such 

 contribution are certainly helpful to 

 the collector. 



In the nature of shot, half of the 

 skins of today are made from badly 

 shot up specimens. Care should be 

 taken not to put too many shots in a 

 bird and mangle it. After the bird is 

 in the hand it should be cared for 

 gently so as not to muss the feathers. 

 Several English collectors string up 

 the birds through the nostrils but 

 this causes stretching of specimens. A 

 paper cone is a good thing. One may 

 carry a supply of square cut sheets in 

 the hunting coat and make cones of 

 them as the occasion demands. The 

 way a bird is wrapped after the skin 

 is made, during the drying process, is 

 important. 



A thin layer of absorbent cotton 

 should be smoothed out, just the 

 right size and thinness and laid 

 smoothly on a smooth surface. 



The bird should then be placed on 

 it breast forward and the cotton 

 brought over from each side from the 

 corners alternately, the bird being 

 wrapped tightly and the surplus ends 

 torn away. It is best to insert the bill 

 through the cotton and bring the cot- 

 ton straight over the crown and head 

 to the nape. Have the cotton so thin 

 that the color of the bird is faintly 

 preceptible. This is the method adopt- 



ed by the experts. Cotton plugs for 

 the field should be carried in supply 

 and made the right size for throat and 

 wound plugging. Cornmeal should be 

 used in the field and a supply carried 

 in a small bottle. For cleaning, ben- 

 zoin is the thing for cleaning off grease 

 stains. 



Labeling specimens is a matter of 

 taste, as much print as possible should 

 be had and the names printed neatly. 

 It requires a little more time to use 

 a pen or pencil letter by letter in the 

 printing but it adds much to the vaule 

 of the cabinet specimen later. I know 

 a collector whose filed notes looked 

 all the world like they had been print- 

 ed by a press and who has the art of 

 interspersing water color drawings of 

 birds through the notes at intervals. 

 For types, pink or red paper or card 

 board should be used. I would rather 

 have one perfect specimen than three 

 indifferent ones. 



In the preparation of the eggs, the 

 late Dr. W. L. Rolph, made holes 

 scarcely larger than a pinpoint, in 

 eggs the size of crows eggs. Likewise 

 Major Bendere showed me eggs pre- 

 pared by Dr. Fisher with the same 

 sized small hole. This stirred in my 

 desire to measure up the splendid 

 examples, and when I took my first 

 set of Bald Eagle after a hard climb 

 near Washington, D. C. I wanted to 

 preserve it up to the highest standard 

 and struck on a new idea. I took a 

 hypodermic syringe and filled the 

 point and used water to force the con- 

 tents from the Eagle egg. By taking 

 the utmost care I entirely emptied the 

 contents through a single hole. I 

 would recommend such methods for 

 use on such eggs as the California Con- 

 dor, but it is to be trusted that no 

 more eggs of this bird will be taken. 

 Mr. Stephens of San Diego states that 

 now days a collector who would col- 

 lect Condor's eggs for profit would 



