ZI 8 Correspondence. aly 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Formaldehyde as an Aid in Collecting Ornithological Specimens. 
To THE Epitrors oF ‘ THE AUK’:— 
Dear Sirs:— At various times during my collecting experiences I have 
made experiments for the purpose of finding some preservative that would 
temporarily check decay in an ornithological specimen without having 
any injurious effect upon the skin of the bird or upon the hands of the 
operator while preparing the skin for his collection. Various compounds 
and combinations of arsenic, borax, carbolic acid, corrosive sublimate, etc., 
had been tried with but partial success and with more or less damage to 
the operator, the usual result having been some bad sores in any slight 
cuts or around the finger nails. Formic aldehyd gas (H COH) had at- 
tracted my attention in the journals of the day in connection with its dis- 
infecting and insecticidal properties, but I had not seen any commercial 
solution of it, and did not know where to find such an article. 
In August, 1897, while collecting sea birds on Monterey Bay, Califor- 
nia, specimens accumulated more rapidly than it was possible to handle 
them in that rather warm, damp climate, as had often happened on previ- 
ous occasions. During this visit I became slightly acquainted with a 
student from Stanford University who was collecting Zodphytes, etc., 
from the bay and discovered that he was using a weak aqueous solution of 
formic aldehyd to preserve his specimens, and also that this could be 
purchased under the proprietary name of ‘Formalin’ with a strength of 
40 %. 
After my return to San Francisco inquiry developed the fact that this 
solution could be procured at a much lower rate under the trade name of 
‘Formaldehyde,’ which at present writing is sold at 55 cents per pound 
bottle, — larger quantities being proportionately less. 
While examining this collection of Zodphytes the idea occurred to me 
of trying the effect of some of this solution upon my birds, as business 
demanded my presence elsewhere in a day or two and I was anxious to 
save all the specimens on hand. As the formaldehyde seemed to pre- 
serve the starfish and other more delicate forms with only acomparatively 
slight shrinkage it was reasonable to presume that a small amount in- 
jected into the abdomen of a bird would temporarily arrest decomposition 
of the viscera, and that probably the gas evaporating from the solution 
would permeate the flesh to a sufficient extent to preserve the bird for two 
or three days at least. 
My new acquaintance kindly supplied me with a little of his solution 
for experimental purposes. A small glass syringe was procured, a couple 
