THE OOLOGIST. 



45- 



until it is thoroughly dampened. On 

 this lay the skeleton until time can be 

 found to complete the scraping process. 



Supposing the bones now to be all 

 nicely scraped and cleaned we will 

 proceed to bleach and mouut them, for 

 no skeleton is fit for a cabinet until 

 every bone is as white as chalk. The 

 best known method for bleaching is to 

 take an earthen dish pour in | gal. of 

 boiling water and to this add I lb. of 

 chloride of lime and i lb. of common 

 washing soda, allow this to stand in a 

 dark room until cold and then place 

 your skeleton in it being sure that 

 eveiw part is covered, after five or ten 

 minutes take it out and brush in cold 

 water. 



At first the bones will not look much 

 whiter than before but when Nature 

 has performed her part you will be 

 satisfied. As soon as the water has 

 dried off the skeleton is ready to mount 

 on a temporary perch. 



In the base of the perch drill a small 

 hole and in this fasten a wire of suffi- 

 cient size to firmly hold the skeleton 

 in place. With one hand hold the skele- 

 ton on the perch to just the height you 

 think it should come and fasten the 

 other end of the wire securely to the 

 back bone then bring the feet down on 

 the perch and pin them in place, bring 

 the Avings in shape and tie them, crook 

 the neck in the right position and set 

 the specimen in the sun to dry. 



In a few days you will find the bones 

 all firmly dried together and bleached 

 white as snow. 



Now it is ready to be fastened on its 

 stationary perch and be placed in the 

 cabinet. 



All small birds aud animals are 

 cleaned iu this way. It is a slow pro- 

 cess but Avhen you have your first 

 specimen nicely finished you are not 

 ready to stop. A fine skeleton is of 

 more scientific value than a dozen 

 skins. Let us study first bones and 

 muscles, then feathers. 



Kihk B. Mathks. 



A Collection of North Carolina Birds Eggs. 

 Thos. A. Smithwick. 



47. Prairie Warbler. (573. 



Seta. Walke, N.C., May 10, 189-2. 

 Nest of grass, reed leaves, bits of spider 

 webs, etc., lined with hair aud feathers, 

 placed 2i ft. up in forks of small maple 

 bush. 4 fresh eggs, ,70x.48, .67x49, .67 

 x.48, .66x.51. 



Set 1). Raleigh, N. C, June 10, 1892. 

 Nest 2 ft. up in sweet gum. 4 eggs, 

 jnedium embyros, .61x,49, .62x.48, .62x 

 .50, ,65x.49. 



48. Oven-bird. 674. 



Set a. Walke, N. C, May 19, 1892. 

 Nest of skeleton leaves, pine straw and 

 tine grass, lined with hair and fine 

 leaves, placed in shallow hole in the 

 ground on hill near swamp. 4 fresh 

 eggs, .75x.63, .74x.63, .73x.61, .74x.61. 



Set b. Weaverville, N, C , May 15, 

 1882. Nest oven shaped, of leaves and 

 grasses, on hillside. 4 fresh eggs, ,76x 

 .59, .78x.60, .78x.60, .77x.60. 



Set c. Weaverville, N. C, May 20, 



1891, Nest- at root of small sapling, 

 composed of grasses, leaves, etc. 4 

 eggs, incubation begun, .80x.61, .77x.62, 

 .77x.61, .76x:59. 



Set d. Weaverville, N. C, May 10, 



1892. Nest of leaves and lined with 

 fine grass. 3 fresh eggs, .81x.69, .78x 

 .59, .77x.59. 



49. Louisiana^ Water-Thrush. 676. 

 Seta. Walke, N. C. April 22, 1892. 



Nest of leaves taken from mud and 

 coarse grass, lined with finer grass, a 

 little moss and a lew very fine black 

 roots, imbedded in side of a mossy 

 bank, 1 ft. above small stream of water 

 in a swampv place. 3 fresh eggs, .78x 

 58, .77x.58. ?78x.60, .77x.59. 



Set b. Raleigh, N. C , May 27, 1892, 

 Nest 1 ft. high iu side of branch. 5 

 eggs, 78x.59, .79x.58, .77x.59, .82x.59, 

 .79x.58. 



50. Maryland Yellow Throat. 681. 

 Seta, Weaverville, N. C, June 1, 



1891. Nest in meadow, placed in 

 branch of goldenrod and composed of 

 leaves and grasses. 3 fresh eggs, .71x 

 .53, .67x.53, .66x.50. 



51. Yellow-breasted Chat. 683. 

 Seta. Raleigh, N. C. May 28, 1891. 



Nest 3 ft. high iu briars, of dead leaves, 

 lined with grass. 3 fresh eggs, .86x.63, 

 .87x.64, .88x.60. 

 Set b. Raleigh, N. C, June 6, 1892. 



