r iij. i. JJftlLL. 



i' IL,. :^. i^LUW -lUfK, 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF 

 ORNITHOLOGICAL OBJECTS. 



No matter in what section of natural history the 

 student pursues his studies, it is imperative that he 

 should have specimens illustrating his peculiar line of 

 research, and which I would advise him, as far as 

 possible, to collect himself Yet, however many objects 

 he may collect, they are comparatively worthless if not 

 prepared and arranged in a scientific and orderly 

 manner. I intend, therefore, to devote the concluding 

 pages of this little work to the way in which the ornitho- 

 logical student — for I consider oology and ornithology 

 as inseparable — may best attain these results ; and as the 

 eggs of birds are easier to obtain than the birds them- 

 selves, and will probably be the most interesting to the 

 beginner, they first shall claim our attention. 



I need not dwell on the method of searching for eggs 

 and nests, for that can be found by experience anJ 

 surrounding circumstances alone ; but I will, in the first 

 place, briefly glance at the instruments used in emptying 

 the egg of its contents. It was formerly the custom tc 



