lanJom loteiS on latural Ibtort) 



Vol. 1. 



PROVIDENCE, APRIL 1, 1884. 



Entered at the Providence Post-Office as Second-Class Matter. 



No. IV. 



j|nnham !f otas on f atural fistarQ- 



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TAXIDERMY. 



Shall taxidermy be seclusive or not? 

 Does seclusion benefit any one in the pro- 

 fession ? Does giving away our pett}' 

 secrets harm us any? Most assuredly «o. 

 Let us look at the other sciences. Medi- 

 cine would never have reached its present 

 state, were the secrets kept now, as in 

 olden times. The arts also would not have 

 reached their present popularity, had the 

 public been kept ignorant. Taxidermy is 

 an art, and if the followers of it desire 

 popularit}', they must teach those about 

 them to appreciate it. There is not a good 

 taxidermist throughout the length and 

 breadth of this land who does not realize 

 the fact — aye, and keenly — that in gen- 

 eral a good job brings no more than a poor 

 one, and if he lias an}' competition, the 

 point of excellence counts for little, that of 

 price nearly all. 



We believe, to raise taxidermy among the 

 arts, we must help each other to excel, and 



with this object in view, unfurl our banner 

 and invite every one to join us, and if the}- 

 have anything worth knowing, that they 

 will not withhold it. 



Let us have an interchange of opinions 

 through the columns of this paper. The 

 Societv of American Taxidermists was 

 formed for this very purpose, and much 

 good has already come of it. But the 

 science needs more light, still ; it is now 

 but in its infancy. 



Poisons and How to Use Them on Birds. 



The best preservative known is arsenic. 

 It is used in several combinations, and also 

 pure. 



In general, each taxidermist is inclined to 

 adhere strictly to one preparation, and that 

 usuallj' the one first taught him, and he 

 uses it for nearly all cases. 



Pure arsenic, as it is usuall}' called, is 

 probably most used. The persons who use 

 it seem to be much troubled with sore 

 hands, the fingers beneath the nails fre- 

 quently festering and causing intense suf- 

 fering. 



Arsenic in effect, arrests decomposition, 

 and if the bird has been prepared while per- 

 fectly fresh, it ma}' be softened and mount- 

 ed without danger of loosening the feathers ; 

 but if the specimen was tender when skin- 

 ned, when the attempt is made to soften it, 

 it will often resume its decay from the point 

 where it was checked, and go to ruin. 



Arsenic and Alum, in the proportion of 

 three parts to two parts by weight, is the 

 best dry mixture. The astringent prop- 

 erty of the alum does fully as much good to 

 the specimen as the arsenic does. Besides 

 this, the alum also is a good preservative, 

 but alone is no hinderance to vermin. The 

 effect of the alum on the hands is to close 

 the pores, and its presence almost entirel}- 

 counteracts the evil effects of the poison, 

 so that the user of this mixture rarely ever 

 has sore hands. 



The benefit to the specimens is equally- 

 good, for even if a specimen is tender when 

 skinned, the alum does so much to toughen 



