Nov. 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



169 



Practical Taxidermy. 



I!Y PRANK B. WEBSTER. 

 CHAPTER Iir.— SUPPLIES. 



Wc will iKxt direct our atlenlion to supplies, 

 or niiiterial.s required. TI1C3' are very simple and 

 tan be obtained almost anywhere; but time will 

 be saved and perhaps expense by getting them 

 from a reliable dealer in ta.xidermists' supplies. 

 We will first consider the poison, which is the 

 bugbear of the art. It is at present imiversally 

 considered by experts that it is absolutely neces- 

 sary to use arsenic in some form ; the two popu- 

 lar compounds being Arsenical Soap and Dry 

 Preservative. The soap is made as follows: 

 Arsenic, pulverized 3 lbs,; .salt of tartar 13 oz.; 

 camphor 5 oz.; lime in powder 4 oz.; white soap 

 3 lbs. Shave the soap into small pieces, put it 

 in an earthen pan over a slow fire ; add a little 

 water and while it dissolves stir with a wooden 

 spoon ; take it off, add the tartar and stir till it is 

 amalgamated ; add lime and arsenic slowly as it 

 grows solid; mix it well. Grind up the camphor 

 with a little alcohol, or dissolve it in the same; 

 ai.d this to the mixture when quite cold. It will 

 then be ready to put in jars. To use it : Take 

 a deep dish, put in about a gill of the soap, add 

 water and with a brush [a common shaving 

 brush is good,] work it until it is about like 

 cream. With this paint the inside of the skin. 

 Then immerse it in a bo.x of sawdust and .shake 

 at once. Enough of the sawdust will adhere to 

 absorb the moisture and prevent it from soiling 

 the feathers. If the soap in the dish dries before 

 you have occasion to use it again, all you will 

 have to do is to add water as before. If the skin 

 is very large apply plenty of the soap. 



The Preservative is either dry arsenic (pulver- 

 ized,) or arsenic and alum, equal bulk of each 

 well mixed. I prefer the latter for work in New 

 England, but parties who collect south have in 

 some instances stated that they prefer the former. 

 It is applied to the inside of the skin with a 

 rabbit's foot, immediately after skinning. I 

 would recommend to use the Preservative on all 

 birils smaller than a Yellow-shafted Flicker, and 

 the Soap on all larger. 



With careful usage, from what has come under 

 my observation, I do not think any danger need 

 be apprehended. I would always wash one's 

 hands after use, as the poison will occasionally 

 get into scratches and cause them to fester. It 

 acts like a sliver, and I have often scraped it out 

 with the point of my knife. 



For stuffing or filling, I use Excelsior, Tow and 

 .Jute. The first is fine wood shavings, such as are 



used by upholsterers. This I use for making the 

 body form. American tow is the best for filling 

 the necks and in about the body. .lute or very 

 fine tow I use for Canaries and smaller birds. 

 For the largest birds I sometimes cut tow and 

 excelsior together. 



Wire, to be suitable, .should be of the licst 

 quality and annealed soft, so as to be free from 

 all tendency to spring. It is sold by numbers, 

 the numbers corresponding with some standard 

 gauge. There are several. I have adopted that 

 of the Washburne & Mocn Manufacturing Com- 

 pany, commencing with number for the heaviest 

 — tlie numbers run up, number 30 being the finest 

 required by taxidermists. I have compiled the 

 following table of sizes used, from birds in my 

 possession at this writing, which will bo of use to 

 the beginner. There will be necessarily some 

 variation from it. A bird mounted with wings 

 spread, sometimes will require a size larger wire 

 for legs than if it was to be mounted with wings 

 closed ; also if to stand on one leg it should be a 

 size larger. 



No. 



No. 



Wood Duck 13 



Eider Duck 12 



Eagle Tto 9 



Canary 21 



Cat Bird ID 



Yellow-shafted Flicker... 18 



Woodcock 17 



Screech Owl 17 



Cooper's Hawk 14 



Night Heron 12 



Loon 10 



White Pelican 9 



Barred Owl IS 



Great-horned Owl 11 



Hummer 24 



Blue Bird 20 



Bhie Jay 19 



Purple Grackle 18 



Grouse 14 



Long-eared Owl 13 



Red-tailed Hawk 12 



Golden-eye Dnck 12 



Herring Gull 11 



Warbler 23 



Snipe 18 



Quail 17 



Dove 14 



Green Heron 15 



Sharp-shinned Hawk.... 14 



To straighten wire — sizes 16 and finer : Cut oft 

 a piece about twenty feet hmg, fasten one end to 

 any stationary object. With heavy pliers take 

 hold of the other end and pull steadily till you 

 feel it give. It will then be found perfectly 

 straight and can be cut into convenient 

 lengths, from six to twelve inches. The heavier 

 sizes should be cut as required, and with a small 

 hammer pounded straight on the anvil. To 

 sharpen the fine wire, hold an end on left fore- 

 finger with thumb, and with liie other hand 

 sharpen with tile, using the file only one way, 

 from you, at the same time with the thumb that 

 holds the wire keep twisting. This will cause an 

 even point, and with a little practice you can 

 sharpen half a dozen at a time. 



Plaster of Paris for drying: Selecl a coar.se 

 grade rather tlian the finest, as it will not adhere 

 so readily to the feathers. 



The rule for ordinary cleaning is as follows : 

 . Wash the soiled parts carefully with tepid water, 



