SOME HINTS ON NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS. 271 
this country sufficient to support such a publication as the eleven volumes of 
“ Stray Feathers” published during the years 1873—88. The great number 
and variety of species, of course, accounts for this to some extent. 
In spite, however, of the amount of time that has been,expended and the 
extent of the literature on the study of Indian birds, we are very far still 
from having anything like a complete knowledge of many species. Besides 
the birds themselves and the record of the geographical range and habits 
of each species, there are also their nests and eggs to study and collect, 
We can, therefore, best divide the subject under these various heads, 
There are not many who care to undertake a collection of birds’ skins for 
themselves, for they are difficult to prepare originally, they take up a con- 
siderable space, and they require constant care to keep them in good order, 
being specially liable to the attacks of insects. Our museum, however, 
contains a very fair collection of skins, available always for reference of 
members, and although there are many gaps amongst even the commoner 
species, with a little help from members in different parts of the country, 
this could easily be improved, Witha view to assisting in this, the list 
of species that are not represented in the collection, which accompanies 
the present copy of the journal, has been prepared, This will probably, 
for the present, prove of more genera! assistance, for easy reference of 
members who are in a position to contribute, than a catalogue of the 
specimens in the collection, and for the sake of convenience of collectors 
it has been drawn up into sections that represent, as far as possible, the main 
geographical divisions of the country, so far asconcerns the distribution and 
ranges of species. It is a formidable list at first sight, but with a little 
general help could, as I say, be easily reduced. 
As regards the actual collecting of specimens, there is not much that I need 
say, as local surrounding circumstances must chiefly guide the collector, 
But one most important item in the equipment of an ornithologist isa 
good pair of field-glasses: without them he will never get along well, and will 
waste a lot of time by failing to discriminate between the birds worth follow- 
ing and those which are not. One hint with regard to them—get a case made 
that will hold them at your focus, Then you have only to take them out and 
get them ‘on’ the bird, instead of having to vigorously screw them out and 
find the focus, during which operation it probably pops off behind the next 
bush, very likely to be seen no more. 
Nearly every one in this country is possessed of a gun, and it is on shooting 
his specimens that every collector will have to mainly rely. An ordinary 
12 or 16 bore gun can be made available for shooting even the smallest 
Species by means of a few specially loaded cartridges with reduced charges 
and suitable size of shot, In loading cases with reduced charges, they should 
be kept ihe same length as with full charges by filling up with clean sawdust 
between the powder and the shot, There must, of course, be a tight-fitting 
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