12 THE ORNITHOLOGISTS’ AND OOLOGISTS’ SEMI-ANNUAL. 
the stains. Put on plenty of plaster or meal to absorb the moisture, 
pressing it down and scraping off with the scalpel. As it gets dryer, 
raise the feathers, sprinkling on the absorbent. and blowing on them 
gently to dry thoroughly. Dried blood can often be removed by 
scraping with the thumb-nail, holding a finger opposite the thumb for 
resistance. A bird will remove blood with its bill. 
A few words of caution are necessary. Recollect that arsenic is a 
DeEADLY Poison and exercise the utmost care, for the sake of others 
as well as yourself. Do not bulge out the eyes of your specimen. 
Make it look as natural as possible. Cotton is a springy substance 
and if you put in too much, it will give your bird skin a dropsical 
appearance. 
_ In forming a collection, the amateur should be satisfied with a pair, 
male and female, of each species; but where the plumage varies 
greatly with the seasons he may have specimens enough to show the 
variations. The professional Ornithologist needs large series of each 
species ; but such is not the case with the amateur. Thoroughly 
work up the birds of your locality before doing much exchanging. 
You will be much surprised to see what a large number of species 
you can gather in a district, easily collected over on foot. After 
you've learned to make a skin do not prostitute your knowledge to 
the making of “millinery skins.” That is a depth to which the true 
collector or Taxidermist never falls. If you cannot determine your 
specimens send them to the “Smithsonian,” or to the New York 
Central Park Museum. I believe the Ornithologists in those institu- 
tions will always help a beginner out. These instructions conform 
to my ornithological A/ma Mater, Dr. Coues’ exceilent “Field Orni- 
thology.” Where I depart from his instructions the method I’ve giv- 
en suits me better than his. We’re not all of a mind, Should the 
collector desire to mount his specimens he must get some good work 
on Taxidermy. This will give full instructions. 
Trusting I’ve made things so plain that ‘he who runs may read,” I 
am, 
Ornithologically and Oologically yours, 
J. A. SINGLEY. 
