April, 1886.] 
gent public the decision as to which party 
is to be held responsible for the destruc- 
tion of our birds. 
‘The principal argument against the 
taxidermist, preferred by the scientist, is 
that the former se//s the birds he collects. 
We fail to see what connection this has 
with the subject of protection. If a man 
collects and sells a hundred birds why is 
he any worse than his neighbor who slays 
an equal number, and keeps them in his 
cabinet? 
The amateur student of bird-life has 
come under the ban of displeasure. To 
collect under the false pretense of science 
is to be deprecated, but we would lke to 
ash what in the opinion of the committee 
constitutes a “pseudo-scientist.” When 
the love of nature draws one forth in pur- 
suit of a congenial and profitable study of 
our birds, we are of the opinion that it 
should be as allowable by law as any ex- 
ploration recorded in our scientific jour- 
nals. We have had the privilege of exam- 
ining many collections of these unknown 
workers in ornithology, and in arrange- 
ment and records they will compare most 
favorably with those of the scéevtist. 
We do not wish to be understood as 
opposed to the workings of the committee, 
on the contrary we are in accordance with 
their views in the main, but there are other 
interests beside those represented by the 
American Ornithologist’s Union, and the 
OrnrrHoLocist and Oo Loaist, representing 
the greater portion of working naturalists, 
we felt constrained to speak in their_be- 
half, and from the tenure of letters re- 
ceived from many of that class, we know 
they do not conflict with the desires of 
the Union, but when the glaring truth is 
visible—that many are to be debarred that 
a few may have the greater privilege—then 
we considered it our duty to present a 
few facts for consideration, and to make 
good our promise to ‘‘meet the issues of 
the day without fear or favor.” 
AND OOLOGIST. 
57 
Practical Taxidermy. 

BY FRANK B. WEBSTER. 

CHAPTER VIIT.—MAKING SKINS. 
During the collecting season, which is of short 
duration, and when on collecting trips it is not 
always practical to stuff specimens, both on ac- 
count of the time required and convenience in 
transportation. In addition, many who can stuff 
birds, will buy skins when they would-not stuffed 
specimens, preferring to have a hand in the fin- 
ishing. : 

It does not require the same talent to make a 
good skin that it does to stuff one. Many of our 
best collectors make skins that are much sought 
after, who could barely stuff a bird that would 
be passable, and some expert taxidermists fail in 
making fair skins. Every sportsman should ac- 
quire the art and we would be spared from the 
every day expression, “I would give anything if 
I could have saved such a bird, I shot on last 
trip.” 
Taking the specimen, if a bird, follow the di- 
rections as given in chapter iv, till it is ready to 
stuff. Draw the leg bones out till exposed, wind 
them with cotton, and by taking the feet pull 
them back into place. With stuffers fill the skull 
with cotton, taking a piece of cotton about the 
length of the bird. (This is for birds from the 
size of pigeons to the smallest.) Twist one end 
small and with the stuffers pass the small end 
into the skin through the neck, out of the beak, 

Fa | 
by drawing on the end that protrudes, the neck 
can be shortened as desired. Next fill the body 
with more cotton if necessary and sew up the 
opening. The skin can now be dried in three 
ways. First, fix a paper cylinder. Take a sheet 
of stiff paper and roll it into a cylinder, fasten it 
with two pins. The diameter of the cylinder 
should be the same as that of the bird before 
skinning. The filled skin will be larger. Drop 
it into the cylinder head first, pass it through two 
or three times to shake it; then put it in till the 
beak protrudes at the opening; arrange it with 
