460 AMERICAN GAME FISHES. 



where dust and rain cannot get to them. The superfluous 

 dressing is then carefully rubbed off, by aid of a piece of 

 chamois leather held between the finger and thumb. A part 

 of an old kid glove will do admirably, if the chamois is not 

 convenient. 



Quite a large number of feathers, etc., require the aid of 

 the dyes, and I may as well at once give a few recipes for 

 staining wool, feathers, gut, etc. 



First, as to gut: The analine dyes are not suitable, unless 

 very largely diluted, because they are, in the majority of cases, 

 corrosive, and destructive of the silk fiber of the gut. 



Mist-color: This is produced as follows: Take a piece of 

 copperas about the size of a coffee-bean, and dissolve it in a 

 cup of boiling water. Now take a teaspoonful of logwood 

 chips and infuse them in a half-pint of water (boiling). When 

 the temperature of the infusion has lowered to about 100 

 degrees, immerse the gut and let it remain till it seems to 

 have well taken the dark wine-color of the infused logwood. 

 Then turn in the solution of copperas. The result will be, 

 the "misf'-color so carefully guarded as a secret by more 

 than one tackle- maker. The shade must of course be a mat- 

 ter of experiment, as in all dyeing. 



For feathers the Diamond Dyes, to be gotten at any drug- 

 store, are both convenient and effectual. The feathers need 

 thoroughly washing and rinsing, and to be dyed whilst wet. 

 The directions that are given for silk, on the packets, may 

 be applied to feathers in every particular. 



Hackles should be tied on sticks, and when dyed the sticks 

 should be whirled between the palms of the hands till the 

 feathers are dry. They then assume their original shape. 



Black is a difficult color to dye, and yet it is often indis- 

 pensable. I have got a good black by soaking the hackles 

 in acetate of iron (warm solution) and then boiling in an 

 infusion of madder and logwood. 



Dun hackles are also very difficult to get natural. White 



