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| 
Mr Salt, while in Abyssinia, packed his bird-skins between 
sheets of paper, in the same manner as a hortus siccus, or herb- 
arium, and they reached this country in perfect safety, and | 
_ made excellent specimens when set up. In-warm climates, | 
_ the boxes should be well closed, and the seams filled with 
warm pitch, on the outside, to prevent the intrusion of insects ; 
and the inside shouid be supplied with camphor, musk, or | 
_ tobacco-dust, which will prevent the attacks of the smaller 
| insects. 
Till practice has given facility to the operator, it will assist 
in keeping the feathers clean, if, as he opens the skin of the 
breast, he pins pieces of paper or linen cloth on the outside ; 
but, after a few trials, this will be unnecessary. 
Some of the marine fowls are so fat, that there is much 
_ trouble in separating it from the skin, and, in warm weather 
I s , 
_ great attention will be required to prevent it from running on 
the feathers. As much as possible should be scraped off, in 
| the first place, with a blunt table-knife or palate-knife, and a | 
quantity of powdered chalk applied, to absorb what remains, — 
which, when saturated with the oily matter, should be scraped 
off, and a fresh supply used; after which, a much larger pro- 
_ portion of the preserving powder should be applied, than in 
other birds which are not fat. 
When shooting on the seacoast, if the Ornithologist is not _ 
provided with these requisites for absorbing the oil, which 
flows quickly from any wounds of the skin, he will find dry 
| sand a tolerable substitute. 
If, however, after every precaution, the oily matter should 
get on the feathers, the sooner it is removed the better, as, in 
| birds where the plumage is white, if it is allowed to become 
p § 
hardened, it will produce a very disagreeable appearance ; 
and, besides, render that part particularly liable to the attack of 
insects. There are several effectual methods of removing | 
' the greasy stains; the first, safest, and best, is, by taking a 
quantity of diluted ox-gall—or where it cannot be commanded, 
| sheep’s-gall, or that of any other animal—mix it with about 
double the quantity of water, and apply it with a sponge 
| to the place which the fatty matter has touched, when it 
will immediately remove it. The next is by using a solution 
of salt of tartar, or potash, or soda. This must be made 
