44 
by white hunters from schooners, A party of 
from ten to twenty willcamp on some outlying 
island or in some cases go ona schooner and 
from these make cruises in a fleet. Each Bi- 
darka carries two or three men and they use 
shot guns bnt rely on the bow and arrow for 
the final struggle. 
During the writers three years experience in 
Alaska an average of four hundred sea otter 
per year were kiiled to his certain knowledge 
which is more than ove a day and of those kill 
ed south of Unga and west of the Peninsula he 
had no knowledge. 
As the animal only gives birth to one pup 
each year the reader can form his own conclu- 
sion as to how long it will be before the sea 
otter is a thing of the past. 
BERNARD J. BRETHERTON. 
TAXIDERMY. 
( continued from page 35 ) 
Detach skin from body by cutting across base 
of skull, so as to expose the brain. Clean skull 
thoroughly, by removing brain, eyes, and 
all fesh and membrane. Now grasp wing bone, 
and skin to elbow joint, removing all fiesh. The 
second bone of wing should be cleaned from the 
outside, excepting in small birds, the wings may 
be skinned to expose all flesh and cleaned from 
Do not detach secondaries from 
Wrap wing bones with tow, and make 
not quite as large as when in the flesh, then re- 
place in the skin. 
Clean skin at base of tail of all flesh and fat, 
be careful not to cut any quills of tail feathers. 
All fat must be removed from skin by rubbing 
the inside. 
bone. 
it thoroughly with fine dry warm saw dust. 
Every part of the skin inside, must now be poi- 
sioned with soap made thin by water, using a 
brush for the purpose, and some taxidermists 
liberally sprinkle powdered alum over the skin 
while it is stil] moist, or if the alum mixture is 
used as a substitute for soap, rub plenty of it 
into the skin while moist. If skin has become 
THE OREGON NATURALIST. 
dry, it may be dampened for that purpose. 
Chop some tow with a hatchet into short 
lengths, (the writer uses large taxidermists 
shears for chopping tow ) to fill the skull. Fill eye 
sockets with cotton, and if the skin has become 
dry soap it again, that the skull may be more 
easily replaced in skin, which may be accomp- 
lished by gently pulling the thread, previously 
left in the bill. 
See that eye-lids are in place, adjust the 
feathers, and if the bird is to be mounted at 
once, lay it aside while making the bedy, but ; 
to be the 
future, you will precure a small, round, smooth 
if intended for a skin mounted in 
piece of wood, adapted to the size of skin and 
One half of 
this stick is to be wound, not too tightly with 
in length as long as the bird. 
cotton until slightly larger than the neck of 
the natural body, insert this wound stick into 
the skin of neck unul the end, which should 
be sharpened, enters the brain cavity, allowing 
the other end to rest on the tail feathers. Take 
two small wads of cotton, roll between the 
hands so as to compress and make length of 
body, and place one on each side of stick to 
replace body removed. 
Fill out with small bits of cotton, using the 
stuffing forceps for that purpose, until the skin 
has its natural size and shape. It isa good 
plan to make the breast a little more plump 
than it was in life. This is to be don2 only 
when making skins and not when mounting a 
specimen. Sew the breast together, longer 
stitches may be taken than when mounting, 
cross the legs and tie to stick, which should not 
project beyond the end of tail. Tie a label, on 
which is recorded all data appertaining to the 
specimen, to the feet, and if the skin is all 
right wrap it in a thin layer of cotton, and drop 
head first, into a cone previously made from 
stiff paper, which may be hung up in some dry 
place for a few days, when it can be packed 
away. Keep in the box or drawer where skins 
are stored, a piece of camphor or napthaline, 
To make a hody for small birds, and birds us 
large as the eagie, except large cranes anil 
herons, take annealed wire ( wire that has 
been heated red hot and allowed to cool slowly 
