135 



THE OOLOGIST. 



the surplus.' Cotton or tow may now 

 be wound on this wire until there is suf- 

 ficient to wind with thread, and have 

 an artificial neck same size as the na- 

 tural. Give the neck wire a three-cor- 

 nered point, wind a little cotton on it 

 to prevent its piercing the skin until it 

 reaches the skull, then remove the cot- 

 ton, and run the wire out through the 

 top of the head. Next stuff skin natur- 

 al and sew up. The neck can be bent 

 to any natural curve. The mouth prop- 

 erly stuffed and tied shut. Wings, legs, 

 etc., arranged properly and slick, label 

 and place in dryer. 



For ducks, etc., I prefer a bed of cot- 

 cotton as a drying form. For hawks 

 and owls, I usually wind with strips of 

 cotton or thread or place in paper cone, 

 then bend the protruding neck wire in- 

 to a hook and suspend from the ceiling. 

 By this plan, very natural looking skins 

 'can be made of hawks and owls because 

 the feathers of neck and head can be 

 kept in proper position v'erv readily. 

 The foregoing is just an outline of some 

 of my original plans and contrivances 

 in skin preparing, and if requested, 

 shall be pleased to go into further de- 

 tails and answer inquiries. I shall be 

 pleased to draw out criticisms and dis- 

 cussions upon the subject of collecting, 

 for I feel convinced that there is great 

 room for much good to be done. I have 

 had sixteen years experience as a taxi- 

 dermist and can show several first pre- 

 mium tickets awarded me at different 

 Provincial Exhibitions in Ontario. Can 

 also refer doubting parties to the Blind 

 Iustitute at Brantford, Ont, and also 

 the Can. Geo. and Nat. History Survey 

 at Ottawa. Canada. In both of which 

 institutions rests, bird's and mammals 

 purchased from me. I mention the 

 above facts to show that I know some- 

 thing at least about the subject in ques- 

 tion. My aim is to arouse collectors to 

 endeavor to increase the value of col- 

 lections not entirely by increasing the 

 number of specimens, but to aim at 



preparing their specimens in a superior 

 manner. 



Some may be more easily satisfied 

 with the quality and condition of skins 

 than I am, but I am willing to leave my 

 opinions and plans to the verdict of the 

 most eminent professionals. 

 Though rough or smooth 



Let come what will, 

 May progress and improvement, 

 Be our motto still. 



John A. Morden, 

 Brent Creek, Mich. 



Collecting on an European Islet- 



There is a peculiar crispness in the 

 air at sunrise in northern latitude; at 

 least so I thought the 8th of June, 1889, 

 as I came on deck . The first rays of 

 day were lighting up the east, and the 

 air was quite chilly. 



We were making for a small triangu- 

 lar Hand laying some 50 miles from 

 the French coast, now about seven 

 miles away, hardly a puff of wind was 

 co ning from the west, and it seemed as 

 if we would never get there, so we had 

 some breakfast and got out a pair of 

 sweeps, and soon had our light yawl 

 bowling along. We anchored about 

 200 yards from shore, the noise we 

 made started up hundreds of Guilli- 

 mots and Herring Gulls, and while the 

 Guillimots was around us, the Gulls 

 circled and uttered their harsh cry. We 

 were much amused by the Common 

 Guillemots or Murres, on rapping on 

 the gunwale of the boat hundreds 

 would sail off their rocky perches, land 

 in the Avater and there swim around 

 many quite near the boat, on saying 

 "bang" they would disappear like a 

 shot coming up some 30 or 40 yards off. 

 The only diver I saw was a Red-throat- 

 ed Loon. 



We were soon pulling for shore, there 

 there was no place to beach our boat, 

 as the shore was one pile of rocks from 

 the size of a marble to that of a house. 



