86 SEAFOWL SHOOTING SKETCHES. 



galvanised iron, or brass wire (copper is too soft), and attach it 

 to a stout ash rod five or six feet long-. Then if you can net, all 

 you have to do is to make a net and attach it to the ring, leaving 

 it to bag a little. Any fisherman will shew you how to net in a 

 few minutes. Cloth might do, but it holds water; at a pinch 

 you could make use of it, punching it full of holes with a wad 

 punch. 



A folding rod for knocking out sticking cartridge cases, when 

 the extractor has torn off part of the base, or when there may be 

 some obstruction, such as mud or snow, in the gun barrels, is 

 sometimes of real service. Such rod can be made out of three 

 pieces of light flat iron rod loosely rivetted together after the 

 manner of a metal two-foot rule. 



Of course, I don't mean to say that every time one goes out 

 he has to carry all these things. If he did, sport would be a 

 burden indeed, unless kept aboard a boat. 



If you go in for preserving birds some newspapers and cotton 

 wool should be taken. It is no encumbrance to carry a little of 

 the latter always, as one never knows what may turn up, and 

 birds once stained, especially with the liquid from the eyes or 

 brains, are very difficult indeed to clean. 



I always skin my own birds, but seldom mount them, i.e., put 

 wires in and fix in an upright or other natural ( ?) position. I 

 prefer a skin to represent what it is, and not a grotesque effigy, 

 which is what most amateurs succeed in making myself included. 



However, if you want a few as trophies, you can fold the wings 

 across each other, and bring them up to a point behind, cross 

 the feet, spreading the webs and also the tail, and thus tack to a 

 board or wall until dry, when you can stitch the wings together, 

 tie the legs, and the bird will retain its attitude, looking very 

 effective either hung against a wall or used as a fire screen. In 

 the latter case the legs will require wiring and fixing to a board. 



To preserve skins use equal proportions of burnt alum and 

 saltpetre, and occasionally wash them with benzoline. Corrosive 

 sublimate and methylated spirits are better as a preservative, or 

 arsenic and soft soap, but I do not care to dabble in poison. Some 

 of my specimens are several years old, and have kept very well 

 so far. 



Feathers can be cleaned by washing with soap and warm water, 

 afterwards applying a mixture of Plaster of Paris and water, laid 

 on and allowed to dry, and then beaten off with a piece of wire 

 or stick. 



If badly shot or kept over long, a bird can still be preserved 

 by clearing the passage to the stomach with a pencil or a pen- 

 holder, and carefully dropping pure carbolic acid in till it reaches 

 to the root of the tongue. 



