196 



Correspondence. lADril 



L April 



of heavy paper : half a dozen of these cones formed a large package. 

 These, from day to day as fast as accumulated, were placed in a covered 

 wooden box reserved for the purpose in the freezer. About three months 

 later, on the second of January, 1895, the birds were taken out and found 

 to be in excellent condition. The weather outside was about zero, and it 

 kept them frozen, else only a few at a time could have been taken out; 

 and to get them in shape for skinning it was only necessary to place the 

 number one desired to prepare in any warm room, and they soon relaxed 

 without sweating or even dampening a feather. In talking with the 

 foreman of the freezing plant last fall he thought they might ' sweat ' 

 enough to wet and spoil the feathers, but the result proved the reverse, 

 for the long freeze had a drying effect, especially at the throat, whei-e the 

 cotton had absorbed all moisture and the skin in some of the smaller 

 specimens was almost rigid. The legs also of some of the smaller ones 

 were beginning to dry, but the toes were not too stiff to place in posi- 

 tion. It was necessary to be careful in skinning about shot holes, for 

 wherever the natural moisture had been drained away the skin had a 

 tendency to dry down upon the flesh below ; but after preparing the first 

 specimen all these difficulties were discovered and easily overcome in the 

 others. 



It occurred to me that many of the members of the A. O. U. and others 

 in the larger eastern cities where cold storage freezers are in operation, 

 might often save specimens which from pressure of business are often 

 left to spoil, in spite of ' good intentions' when they are shot. With good 

 collecting grounds on the coast a few hours' ride away, unexpected wind- 

 falls of good species might be properly packed, so that tail and wing 

 feathers are not crumpled, and shipped by express direct to the freezer; 

 then, the following winter, when time hangs leisurely, they can be taken 

 out and prepared with much better results, for each skin can be given all 

 the attention it requires. 



Frank S. Daggett. 

 Duluth, Minn. 



Apparatus for Preparing Birds' Eggs. 



To THE Editors of 'The Auk': — 



Dear Sirs, — Never having seen any description of the apparatus used 

 by me during the past season for preparing eggs for the cabinet, I am 

 persuaded that a brief article concerning it will not be without interest 

 to oologists. The accompanying cut will explain its mode of operation. 



