

PREPARING AND STUFFING ANIMALS. 
before or after skinning, and generally the same steps may be 
recommended for the feathers of birds. 
It sometimes happens that after death a viscous humour 
issues from the beak and nostrils, moistening and injuring the 
head feathers. It also happens that some of the birds of prey, 
and certain water-birds, will disgorge portions of the food 
which remains undigested in the crop, and this is calculated 
to damage their plumage. To prevent these accidents, the 
fowler, as soon as the bird falls, should either proceed to arrest 
the flow of blood, or leave it to congeal, and then proceed 
to stuff the beak with cotton, and tie the upper and lower 
mandibles together by means of a thread, the object being to 
prevent the plumage from being soiled by any evacuations 
whatever. After this, if the bird is a large,one, dispose of it 
in such a manner that the feathers are not disturbed; if, on 
the contrary, it is small or of middle size, and delicate plumage, 
slip it head foremost into a paper bag, or cornet, such as 
grocers use for small packages, and place it in the pockets or 
boxes in the bag. Birds taken in the snare require the same 
care; they are easily killed by pressing the sides of the breast 
opposite the heart, or even the throat, between the finger and 
thumb, and placing them in the paper-bag when dead. 
Birds taken by means of limed twigs generally have the plu- 
mage much soiled by the bird-lime, which it is necessary to re- 
move before it gets hard. It is removed by using a little fresh 
butter or olive-oil, rubbed on the feathers. When the lime and 
the butter are thoroughly mixed—which is indicated by the lime 
losing its adhesive power—scrape the feathers one by one with 
the edge of a scalpel, or knife, until every particle of the grease 
is removed, when it may be washed with water containing a 
strong solution of potash, and finally with pure water, drying 
them by dusting plaster of Paris over them. Soap lees or 
sulphuric ether are better adapted for washing feathers im- 
pregnated with fatty matter. 
One thing the naturalist fowler should not forget is to note 
the colour of the eyes of the animal, in order to replace them in 
the stuffed specimens; for all species confined in cages lose part 
of their natural colours in confinement, and present little of the 
freshness either of eye or plumage which distinguishes the wild 
animal. 
ReEpTILEs are chiefly to be sought for in May and June; in 
these months they have generally just changed their skin. They 
require less care than either of the preceding class of animals, 
332 


