NATURALISTS’ ASSISTANT. 
bo 
Cc. A. Walker — Hints on Taxidermy (American Naturalist, vol. iii, 
1870). 
Lord Walsingham — Directions for Collecting Micro-Lepidoptera 
(American Naturalist, vol. vi, 1872). 
S. P. Woodward — Manual of the Mollusca. London, 1871. 
VERTEBRATES. 
Mammals and birds are most readily procured by shooting 
with a gun, using shot large enough to kill, but not so large 
as seriously to injure the specimen. ‘The size of the shot to 
be employed cannot, of course, be dogmatically prescribed, 
as it varies with the size of the animal, but in general terms 
“number 8” shot will be large enough for all birds under 
the size of a pigeon, while for birds of greater bulk, “‘ number 
5”, or larger, will be required. These remarks apply equally 
well to the smaller mammals ; for the larger ones a rifle may 
be necessary. It must be insisted on that the collector shoot 
at any part of the body rather than at the head. Some col- 
lectors use a bow and arrow or a blow gun for the smaller 
birds, and with slight practice become very expert. Traps 
and snares of various sorts are frequently employed and with 
the advantage of obtaining the specimen in an uninjured 
condition. ‘ Bird-lime’’ is also used to capture birds alive. 
The English method of making this substance is as fol- 
lows: the middle bark of the holly, mistletoe or distaff-thistle, 
is chopped up and boiled in water several hours. ‘The result- 
ing liquid is then strained and concentrated by evaporation 
until it assumes a gelatinous consistency, resembling moist 
putty. Doubtless the bark of several of our American trees 
