276 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XITI. 
In the case of all long-necked birds—including the ducks—the neck, into 
which no stick is put, should be bent round so that the head lies alongside 
one of the wings, and in the same way, with very long-legged birds, the legs 
should be bent upwards from the joints so that the feet rest upon the lower 
part of the belly. In this case be careful to wrap up the feet in brown 
paper, with a pad of it between them and the feathers, to prevent the 
grease, which will ooze out in drying, from soiling the feathers, 
Bird skins are best put up carefully in paper cones for drying, and then 
pinned on to a string across the verandah. Care must necessarily be taken 
in putting them up in the cones, for what appears a nice skin when finished 
will come out very differently after drying if put up carelessly, And, what 
is more, it will be a difficult job, even if possible, to get it into shape again 
after it is dry. 
The length of time it will take askin to dry thoroughly depends of 
course upon the climate and on the size of the specimen, but under ordi- 
nary circumstances it should not take more than a week, and often two or 
three days will suffice, When you think it should be dry, take it out of its 
cone to see that it isallin proper order; and, if so, it can be put away 
again either in its cone, or, if it has not to travel, in a suitably-sized tube 
made of brown paper, The latter is the more convenient for ready reference 
at any time, and such tubes can easily be made of various sizes in long lengths 
and cut as required to suit the length of each specimen. A size should be 
selected that is just large enough to allow the bird to slide in with a little 
gentle pressure and coaxing, and the name can be written on the outside for 
convenience, However packed, skins can best be stored in tin boxes with 
close-fitting lids, but in any case be sure you put with them plenty of cam- 
phor, naphthaline, or something to protect them from theatiacks of insects— 
the best being naphthaline, which can be had from any chemist made up in 
small balls the size of marbles—and do not forget that they require constant 
renewal owing to evaporation, . 
Preserving birds without skinning them. Although birds are best preserved 
by skinning, there is, fortunately for many of our members who cannot 
undertake the skinning themselves, and do not find it worth their while to 
keep a special skinner, an eminently simple process by which birds can be 
preserved whole and, with a little care, can be turned out as excellent 
specimens. The process is known as ‘carbolizing,’ and if it were more 
widely understood it would, Iam sure, be far more often availed cf by 
members who could pick up really valuable specimens, It cannot be applied 
with success to very large birds, and, although it may be resorted to in 
emergency, it cannot be recommended for anything lerger than a common 
mynah, I quote Mr. Hume’s instructions with regard to this carbolic process. 
“Tn carbolizing birds......three or four points have te be borne in mind 
in every case, First, when the bird dries and the flesh shrinks, the keel 
