8 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTORS 



a few seconds. This may be done in several ways. The sides of the body 

 in the areas just below and posterior to the shoulder joints may be compressed 

 and this has a rapid result, especially when combined with pressure on the 

 windpipe. Pressure on the breast bone, or on either side of the body just 

 posterior to the breast bone, has a similar result. Small birds can easily be 

 killed in this manner with one hand but in the case of really large birds it may 

 be necessary to hold them down on the ground or kneel on them, and if the 

 first method is used the wings should be raised above the back and pressure 

 applied from behind. When birds which have been shot are killed by 

 pressure they should be held with the head downwards, since if there are 

 internal injuries pressure may cause loss of blood from the bill which may 

 soil the plumage. 



Care must be taken when approaching and handling wounded birds which 

 can inflict injury. Owls and birds of prey fight defensively with their claws 

 and are capable of striking rapidly, especially if lying on their backs. The 

 legs should be firmly grasped to prevent this. It may be possible to kill a 

 grounded bird of this type, or one capable of inflicting a nasty bite, by care- 

 fully applying pressure to the breast bone with one foot before picking the 

 bird up. Herons and various other birds lunge viciously and usually aim 

 particularly at the eyes and head. Birds with wing-spurs, such as plovers 

 and screamers, should be handled with care. 



There are some birds, kingfishers and rollers for instance, which are 

 extremely difficult to kill by pressure. These, and the larger, more difficult 

 birds, can be killed extremely rapidly by the injection of a substance which is 

 at present used by veterinary practitioners to bring about rapid and painless 

 death. This is a Pentobarbitone solution which is sold under a variety of 

 names (see appendix 1). It is used by some field collectors but its usefulness 

 is offset by the need to carry, load, and use a hypodermic syringe in the field. 

 This might be overcome to some extent by using the type of syringe which 

 takes pre-filled cartridges. Anaesthetics such as chloroform and ether can 

 also be used, but tend to take longer to kill the birds and are also difficult to 

 carry in the field. 



Noting data 



As soon as the bird is killed it must be marked with a numbered tag or 

 label and the essential data must be noted on the spot (see also section 8 for 

 comprehensive information on labelling). Note the name of the locality, 

 and the time and date of collection. The fugitive colours (the so-called 

 "soft-part" colours) of legs and feet, bill, mouth lining, eyes, and any bare 

 skin or wattles should be noted immediately, since some of them may fade 

 or change extremely rapidly at death. If accurate weights are required they 

 should be taken as soon as possible after death, particularly when collecting 

 in hot dry climates. 



The above are essential but if possible also note briefly the type of vegeta- 

 tion, the particular part of the habitat that the bird appeared to be occupying 

 (especially in forest where birds may confine themselves to particular strata 

 of the vegetation), the altitude, and other surrounding factors; the bird's 

 behaviour, and whether or not it was associating with others. 



