PREPARING BIRD SKINS POR MOUNTING. 101 



Smooth the plumage, fill out the body with stuffing, 

 sew up the skin, cross the legs, tie them, and wrap the 

 skin closely, in split sheet-cotton or thin paper. 



In filling out a skin, a piece of the stuffing should be 

 made in a taper roll, and the small end pushed up into 

 the throat of the bird. Other pieces should be laid in 

 the body of the skin until it is full, previous to sewing it 

 up. This will prevent the neck of a bird from drawing 

 and drying in a long unnatural form. A drying-board 

 will be found useful when making skins at home or in 

 a permanent camp. 



It is made by gluing beveled pieces of thin, flat wood 

 of the same size, on a board, equal distances apart. 



DRYING-BO AKD. 



Pieces of heavy manilla paper are fitted between the cross- 

 boards, and glued in position so as to form semi-cylin- 

 drical gutters. In making drying-boards for large skins, 

 tin may be used in place of paper, and tacked in position. 



Skins prepared for scientific use, should have a small 

 tag attached to the legs, with the sex marked on one side, 

 and the number of the skin on the other. A duplicate 

 number should be entered in a note-book, where data can 

 be written for reference. 



When skins are placed in a cabinet, a large label should 

 be tied to each, giving the species, sex, locality, and date 

 of collection. 



