June, 1886.] 

Practical Taxidermy. 
CHAPTER XIL—MAKING BIRD SKINS. 
From the Manuscript of F.W. Higgins, M. D.,Chemung, N. Y. 
Better general directions in taxidermy could 
hardly be given than those in the last number of 
the O. and O. There is one modificatien of the 
common rule for skinning birds, which is prac- 
tised by some, and may be worth mentioning. 

The method generally given is to make the in- 
cision from the breast bone to the tail and invert 
the skin. In this way there is danger of opening 
the abdomen and soiling the feathers, the back 
gets unaccountably mussy, and some steps of the 
operation seem like working in the dark. 
Some who are not adepts may, like myself, find 
it easier to cut farther forward. Part the feathers 
carefully and make the incision along the whole 
length of the keel. Separate the skin on both 
sides, then work with the handle of the scalpel 
or thumb nail down to one shoulder. Turn it 
out and cut off the wing. Use plenty of corn 
meal. Then work toward the neck; curve it up 
and cut it off. The other shoulder is then easily 
exposed. Hook up the bird and work toward the 
tail, cutting off the legs on the way. Pull out 
each leg, wing and the head separately, clean and 
poison. You will find you are right in the mid- 
dle of your bird and can see what you are about. 
In shaping up the specimen, one may put ina 
neck and a trifle in each shoulder. Then fill out 
the tail and each leg. Roll up a small body and 
fit the skin over it. Take a little pains with the 
ball stitches, not to include any feathers. 
In laying the birds out I have succeeded with a 
shingle covered with a layer of batting, brought 
up around the skin and lightly held by pins each 
side. 
List of Birds Observed in the Vicini- 
ty of Santa Barbara, Cal., During 
the Year 1885. 


READ BEFORE THE SANTA BARBARA SOCIETY 
OF NATURAL HISTORY, JAN. 26, 1886. 
BY CLARK P. STREATOR. PART III. 

(The nomenclature is that of the Smithsonian Check List, 
by R. Ridgway, 1881.) 
Ardea herodias, (Great Blue Heron). 
resident. Breeds. 
Common 
Herodias alba egretta, (American Egret). Win- 
ter resident. Not very common. 
Garzetta candidissima, (Snowy Heron). Winter 
resident. Common. 
AND OOLOGIST. 89 

Butorides virescens, (Green Heron). Migratory. 
Not very common. 
Nyctiardea grisea nevia, (Black-crowned Night 
Heron). Resident. The most common of all the 
herons; found in all parts of the city where there 
are large cypress trees for them to roost in. 
Botarus lentiginosus, (American Bittern). Win- 
ter resident. Not very common. 
Ardetta exilis, (Least Bittern). I have noticed 
a few of these birds passing north in spring. 
Plegadis guarauna, (White.faced Glossy Ibis). 
Migrant. Not very common. I have only no- 
ticed the bird in spring. 
Hematopus niger, (Black Oystercatcher). TI 
have never noticed this bird on the main land, 
but found them common on Santa Cruz Island, 
last March. 
Strepsilas interpres, (Turnstone). 
these birds last fall. 
very common. 
Oxyechus vociferus, (Killdeer). 
very common. 
Hygialites semipalmatus, (Semipalmated Plover). 
This spring is the first time I have ever noticed 
these birds. 
Mygialites cantianus nivosus, (Snowy Plover). 
Very common resident. Breeds. Found along 
the sea shore. 
Gallinago media wilsoni, (Wilson’s Snipe). Com- 
mon winter resident. 
Heteroscelus tneanus, (Wandering Tattler). I 
have noticed a number of these birds on the sea 
shore when they were migrating. 
Actodromas minutilla, (Least Sandpiper). Very 
common winter resident. 
Ereumetes pusillus occidentalis, (Western Sand- 
piper), Very common; associates with flocks of 
the former. 
Calidris arenaria, (Sanderling). 
ter resident. 
Totanus melanoleucus, (Greater Yellow-legs; 
Tell-tale), I never saw but a very few on the 
main land; but they were plenty on Santa Cruz 
Tsland. 
Rhyacophilus solitarius, (Solitary Sandpiper). 
Only occasionally seen. 
Numenius longirostris, (Long-billed Curlew). 
Rare. Only occasionally seen. 
Numenius hudsonicus, (Hudsonian Curlew). 
Large quantities of these birds pass northward in 
spring. 
Phalaropus fulicarius, (Red Phalarope). 
collected only one specimen of this bird. 
Recurvirostra americana, (American avocet). 
A rather common spring migrant. 
Himantopus mexicanus, (Black-necked Stilt). 
A rare spring migrant. 
I shot one of 
I do not think them to be 
Resident. Not 
Common win- 
IT have 
