.54 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1770- 



drooping down, and somewhat extended from the side, in order to balance the 

 body. Birds when fighting afford endless variety of attitude and expression ; but 

 certainly never any so affecting as when grouped with, and feeding their young, 

 whose clamorous hunger, expressed by their gaping mouths and extended 

 pinions, occasion that anxious perplexity and tender joy of the mother bird, 

 so strongly marked by the spreading tail, the drooping wings, and peculiar 

 position of the head. 



With regard to the materials: for the liquid varnish, take raw turpentine 

 •2 lb. camphor 1 lb. spirit of turpentine 1 quart. Break the camphor into very 

 small pieces, and put the whole into a glass vessel open at top, place it on a sand 

 heat till thoroughly warmed, then increase the fire gradually till the ingredients 

 are perfectly dissolved and mixed, which will be done in about half an hour. 

 Great care must be taken that the materials do not catch fire: to prevent 

 accidents, it would be better, especially where the process is made in the house, 

 to place the glass vessel in another of any metal, two thirds filled with cold 

 water, which place over a gradual fire till it boils, keep it so, till the ingredients 

 are dissolved and incorporated ; then take the glass off" and let it stand to cool, 

 and the liquor will be fit for use. This varnish is the only liquid which he uses 

 in making preparations. 



For the dry compound, take, viz. corrosive sublimate -^ lb. saltpetre prepared 

 ^Ib. alum prepared -fib. flowers of sulphur 4- 'b. musk }- lb. black pepper 1 lb. 

 tobacco ground coarse 1 lb. Mix the whole well together, and keep it in a glass 

 vessel, stopped close and in a dry place. To prepare the alum, place it on an 

 iron plate over a fire, till it ceases boiling and becomes dry and hard; then take 

 it oflf, and when cool pulverize it. This method evaporates the aqueous parts of 

 the alum, and also renders it much less corrosive. The method of preparing 

 saltpetre is the same as that of alum ; only the plate on which it is done must 

 have an upright rim all round it, to prevent the salt running off" into the fire. 



With regard to dissecting the bird, &c. lay the bird on its back upon a table, 

 covered with several folds of some soft cloth ; separate the feathers of the breast 

 and belly very carefully, so that you may come at the skin, in which, about the 

 middle of the breast, make an incision just large enough to introduce the end of 

 a quill-barrel, which enter and blow strongly through, until the skin is entirely 

 detached from the flesh. Continue the incision down along the belly to the 

 anus, and contrary wise up to the craw; double back the skin on both sides, 

 carefully guarding the plumage with cotton to prevent its being soiled during the 

 operation, and take out the craw. This done, run a sharp smooth skewer cross- 

 ways through the breast, and lifting the bird up by it with the left hand, intro- 

 duce with the other, one point of a sharp strong pair of scissars close by the 

 edge of the breast-bone, and clip along by it, till the breast, together with the 



