TAXIDERMY. 1 9 



much less powder and shot than usual, not to in- 

 jure them, or tear any part from them. 



Before starting for the chace, it is necessary to 

 be furnished with several rolls of paper ; a large 

 handful of cotton or flax ; powdered dry earth, or 

 ashes. * 



When a bird is killed put a pinch of dry dust on 

 the fresh wound ; this is done by raising the fea- 

 thers with a long pin at the place of the wound. 

 Introduce a little cotton or flax in the beak of the 

 bird, to prevent the blood from coming out of this 

 opening, and keep it as clean as possible. Place 

 the wings and the feathers which have been dis- 

 turbed in their natural position ; rest the bird on 

 the ground to give the blood time to coagulate; 

 take a sheet of paper, in the form of a horn or hol- 

 low cone, into which you must introduce the head 

 with care, holding the bird by the claws and tail ; 

 then close the horn with precaution, and place it in 

 a box filled up with moss and dried leaves, (this is 

 necessary to prevent the bird from being shaken 

 about in the chace,) and put the box into the game 

 bag. 



The birds taken with a net, trap, or other snares, 

 are always preferable for mounting, but these me- 

 thods generally procure small ones only. We can 



* The French expression is, " terre Tranche ;" any earth 

 free from humidity and vegetable matter will do. 



