17 



with tow, cotton, or other light material, and replaced within 

 the skin. The hody may be slightly stuffed out with any light 

 material at hand, and the ahdominal incision slightly sewn up. 

 The hair should be well smoothed and cleaned, and any 

 external part of the skin destitute of hair, touched with the 

 preservative. A parchment or card label should be tied to one 

 of the legs, and the date when the animal was killed, locality, 

 native name, &c., recorded thereon. The skin may be carefully 

 laid by in some dry and airy place out of the reach of vermin 

 and insects, and there remain till thoroughly dry, when it may 

 be placed in a box or chest, care being still taken against the 

 access of insects, &c., the box should, therefore, be as air- 

 tight as possible, and some camphor or other drug obnoxious 

 to insects placed therein. 



Great care should be taken in all the above processes not 

 to stretch the skin, because it is generally impossible after- 

 wards to reduce it to its former size. The shrinking of a skin 

 is of little moment, as it can, when damped for stuffing, be 

 easily pulled out to its former size ; but stretching should be 

 carefully guarded against. 



BIEDS. 



In ornithology, members of the Mercantile Marine cannot 

 do better than take every opportunity of securing such land 

 birds as may alight on board their vessels while at sea, and 

 either preserve their skins or put them in spirit, previously 

 making a slight incision in the abdomen, carefully noting the 

 latitude and longitude, and the date. Any information that 

 can be obtained relative to the migrations of 'birds will be 

 useful. Instances of migratory flocks being seen on the wing 

 at sea would be worth recording; particularly noting the 

 latitude and longitude, the direction of the flight, and the 

 direction and force of the wind. If specimens can be shot 

 and preserved, the value of the observation will be, of course, 



