52 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [ANNO 1770. 



vided with a quantity of cotton or fine tow, with which to stop the shot holes, 

 and also the throat of the bird, to prevent the blood from fouling the feathers, 

 which infallibly spoils them. If the birds are not quite killed by the shot, they 

 should be immediately dispatched by pressing the thumb nail hard on the wind- 

 pipe; and care should always be taken to confine the wings as soon as possible, 

 to prevent their fluttering. The birds when dead are to be carried by the legs, 

 and not be crammed into nets or held by the neck, in which last position the 

 weight of the body would stretch it beyond the natural proportion. When they 

 are brought home, they should be hung up by the legs, and the stop of cotton 

 taken carefully out of the throat, and a small stick put across between the bill, 

 to keep it open, that the blood and slime may be discharged by the mouth 

 without damaging the plumage. It is also necessary to observe the proper seasons 

 when the birds are in the best condition for preservation, and when not: during 

 the time of incubation, the breasts and bellies are without feathers, and the skin 

 of those parts is extremely tender; again, while birds are moulting or casting 

 their feathers, they are not fit for preservation, the quills are full of blood, and 

 the plumage not of its proper colours. The best seasons are in the Spring and 

 Autumn ; but, if we meet with rare birds, we must not lose the opportunity at 

 any season, but do as well as we can. Young birds are not proper for preserva- 

 tion till the 2d year, because they do not, till then, acquire their proportions 

 and colours, which may occasion their being mistaken for other species; neither 

 is it always possible in the first year, to distinguish the sex of birds, which is very 

 easy afterwards when they arrive at maturity; however, by grouping young birds 

 in their nests, we may preserve them at any time, and when managed in that 

 way they certainly add greatly to a collection. 



This naturally leads Mr. K. to what, in his opinion, is by much the most in- 

 genious and entertaining part of this kind of study, viz. the attitudes and actions 

 of birds; all the rest is merely mechanical, but this admits of fancy, taste, and 

 judgment. Without a proper attention to this, however sound your preserva- 

 tion, however vivid the plumage may be, birds are still nothing but mere dead 

 birds; but by a skilful management of attitudes and actions, you, as it were, 

 animate them, they seem alive, moving and acting. Though this part certainly 

 depends in a great degree on taste and judgment, yet an accurate observer of 

 nature will derive much information from noticing the appearance of living birds, 

 in the attitudes and actions which he wishes to express in his preservations; the 

 most picturesque attitude should be fixed on, and propriety observed in chusing 

 such as are most expressive of the particular qualities of each bird, as strength 

 and courage in eagles and hawks, &c. In grouping birds of these kinds with 

 their prey, regard should be had to the particular part at which they begin to 

 devour it; some begin at the breast, some at the head, some at the back, and 



