100 MANNER OF COLLECTING ANIMALS, 
CHAP. VI. 
OF THE CHASE, AND MANNER OF COLLECTING ANIMALS, 
QuaADRUPEDS AND Birps.—It is hardly necessary to recom- 
mend a double-barrelled gun. One of the barrels should be 
loaded with small shot, or dross of lead for smail birds, and 
the other with large shot. These should have much less pow 
der than an ordinary charge, so as not to tear and injure the 
animals. Paper, cotton, or flax, and powdered dry earthen 
ashes should form part of the naturalist’s stores. 
When a bird is killed, a small quantity of dry dust is put on 
the wound. For this purpose, the feathers must be raised 
|| with a pin, or a gun-picker, close to the wound. The bill of 
_ the bird should have a small quantity of cotton or flax intro- 
_ duced into it to prevent the blood from flowing, and spoiling 
| the plumage. The feathers must be all adjusted, and the bird 
then placed on the ground to allow the blood to coagulate. 
Every specimen should be placed ina piece of paper of the 
form of a hollow cone, like the thumb bags used by grocers. 
The head should be introduced into this, the paper should 
then be closed around the bird, and packed in a box filled with 
| moss, dried grass, or leaves. 
Birds taken alive in nets and traps are to be preferred to 
others for stuffing, and also those caught by birdlime, which 
must be removed by spirits of wine. 
Birds should always be skinned the same day they are killed, 
_ or next day at farthest, particularly in summer, as there is a 
danger of putrefaction ensuing, by which the feathers will fall 
off. However, in winter there is no danger for some days; 
but in tropical climates they must be prepared soon after they 
are killed. The same observations apply generally to quad- 
rupeds. 
Bats and Owls are caught during the day, in the hollows of | 
aged trees, in the crevices of walls, and ruins of buildings. 
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