THE ART OF COLLECTING BIRDS. 7 



The mouth, nostrils, and vent should now be plugged 

 with cotton or tow. By blowing aside the feathers the shot- 

 holes may be detected ; if they bleed, or are in the abdo- 

 men or rump, a pinch of calcined plaster * should be placed 

 upon them ; this absorbs the blood, or any fluid that may 

 ooze out. When shot enters either the abdomen or rump, 

 it is apt to cut the intestines and set free the fluids con- 

 tained therein. If the blood has already soiled the feath- 

 ers, remove as much as is possible with a knife, then sprinkle 

 plaster on the spot, and rub the soiled feathers gently be- 

 tween the thumb and fingers ; this, if repeated, will gen- 

 erally remove any spots of blood, etc., if the operation is 

 performed before the blood becomes dry. When the blood 

 is dry, it is removed after the bird is skinned, as will be 

 hereafter described. 



Next make a note of the color of the eyes, feet, and bill 

 of the specimens, also note the color of the cere in birds of 

 prey, and the naked skin of the lores and about the bill of 

 the Herons, also about the heads of the Vultures. After 

 smoothing the feathers carefully, place the bird in a paper 

 cone,t head first, then pin or twist up the larger end, tak- 

 ing care not to injure the tail-feathers. The blood can be 

 washed from the feathers of all the swimmers, but the bird, 

 in this case, should be allowed to dry before packing in 

 paper. If grease or oily matter has oozed out upon the 

 feathers, the bird should not be washed, but the plaster 

 be used as before, only in larger quantities. 



All traces of blood should be instantly removed from 

 white feathers, as it is very apt to stain them if it remains 

 upon them long. The paper containing the bird should 



* This is burned plaster or gypsum, and is used by stucco-makers. 

 If it cannot be procured, the unburned plaster or common ground gypsum 

 used by farmers, or air-slacked lime, pulverized chalk, or ashes, — in fact, 

 anything that will absorb the blood, — will answer. 



t The leaves of an old pamphlet are about the right size for making 

 cones for small birds, and can be easily obtained. 



