THE MUSEUM. 



189 



bers, and can also tell you how many 

 , of each kind I want and agree upon 

 the terms of exchange or sale, as some 

 kinds are worth much more than oth- 

 ers, because of their scarcity. The 

 size of a shell is no criterion of its 

 value. Enclose the bo.x with stout 

 paper and tie securely. Use no paste, 

 as that will subject it to letter postage; 

 insert no writing except the number on 

 the shell for the same reason." 



"The postage will be i cent an 

 ounce. "i 



' 'To any person who desires to form 

 a collection or cabinet of these or any 

 other kind of shells, fossils or plants, I 

 will freely give all the aid possible. I 

 will name without charge all the spec- 

 mens submitted, exchanging other 

 named specimens for those that are 

 common to you, or that you can col- 

 lect with little trouble or expense." 



"I hope many of the youth, espec- 

 ially, will embark in this most fascinat- 

 ing study instead of wasting their time 

 and energies upon stamps, autographs, 

 brands and other fads — things which 

 teach no lessons — lead us to no higher 

 conception of the power, wisdom and 

 goodness of the Creator of the Uni- 

 verse, and do not aidan forming valu- 

 able habits of observation and thought. 

 Besides, a well arranged collection of 

 Natural History objects, especially of 

 shells, is a thing of wondrous beauty; 

 something you will always be proud to 

 show your friends and be a solace and 

 comfort to you in times of trouble and 

 give zest and pleasure of richest char- 

 acter to old age. " 



{"Any collectors who desire to know 

 the author of above circular, drop us 

 a line and we will send same prompt- 

 ly. He is especially anxious to secure 

 Southern Unios.] 



"The Village Bird-stuffer." 



"So you be a bird-stuffer be ye.'" 

 "Say you ought to have the bird I 

 see this morning. It was as big as a 

 robin and his back was the color of a 

 •patrige' and he had a blue head and a 

 yellow tail. Do you know what kind 

 of a bird it was.'" 



"A new species likely." (ironically) 

 "Do you know the names of all the 

 birds when you see 'em.'" Ike Smith 

 killed a funny bird the other day; Dick 

 Jones stuffed it for him. There's a 

 fellow you ought to know. He stuffs 

 birds out of sight. Just picked it up 

 too. He never had no one learn him. 

 He has a whole lot of birds. Say, did 

 you ever get a crane.' Dick Jones has 

 one that high. What's that bird you 

 got slung over your back.' Oh, a hen- 

 hawk! I saw one the other day five 

 times as big as that. There's a fish 

 eagle down around the 'crick.' His 

 wings are near that far accross." 

 (Indicating somewhere between twelve 

 to fifteen feet.) 



"What do you stuff your birds with.' 

 ' 'Tow, " • 'What's that? That yeller friz- 

 zely stuff like what's in our best parlor 

 chairs.' You have to take all the 

 meat out, don't ye.' That must be a 

 hard job. How do you keep 'em from 

 rotten? Arsenic; that aint what Dick 

 uses. Come on over and see Jones, 

 he has a whole lot of stuffed things." 

 We proceed over a hill to that white 

 house with them green blinds." As 

 we neared the gate we were received 

 by a liver and white rabbit hound that 

 came bounding and barking at us until 

 recalled by a voice behind the wood 

 pile. 



"Come 'ere Jack, gol darn ye." 

 "That's Dick now," said my hayseed 

 friend, and as Dick emerges from the 



