164 



SUBKIKGDOM VEETEBEATA. 



arrangement of any displaced feathers, place the bird in the paper ring, 

 and label. Upon the label should be written the scientific and the 

 local name ; the length in inches, from tip of beak to tip of tail, the 

 bird lying on its back with neck not stretched ; length of wing from 

 carpal joint to tip of longest quill ; and of tail from insertion to end ; 

 the sex ; kind of food found in the stomach ; locality ; date ; and 

 the name of the collector. To remove blood, wash freely with warm 

 water and dry immediately by dusting on finely powdered plaster of 

 Paris or chalk ; also sprinkle on the chalk ■ or plaster if fat annoys 

 while skinning. Oily stains may be removed from feathers by a solu- 

 tion of potash or soda (half a teaspoonf ul to a cup of water), and wash- 

 ing immediately after with pure water and drying with plaster. If 

 the feathers to be cleansed are colored, ox or sheep's gall, diluted one- 

 half with water, should be used instead of the potash or soda. Single 

 feathers, permanently bent, may be at once restored to their natural 

 position by simply holding them in a jet of steam issuing from the 

 spout of a tea-kettle. For study, unmounted specimens of birds or 

 animals are always preferred ; and as mounting is a distinct art from 

 simply preserving, and can be learned only from a teacher, no attempt 

 is made to give instructions in it. 



Eggs should never be washed, even to remove the filth of the 

 nest. A dentist's tooth-drill or a nail filed three-cornered may be used 

 for drilling a hole in the side. By inserting a small glass tube or 

 straw the contents may be blown out of the same hole, around 

 the tube. Blowing in a little water and shaking thoroughly will 

 often facilitate the process. If the embryo is partly developed, a 

 larger hole may be cut, and the contents removed with a hooked pin, 

 pulling out one limb at a time, and cutting it off. The operation of 

 blowing eggs should always be performed over water. Labels for 

 eggs should note particularly the date, locality, site chosen by the bird, 

 scientific and common name, and any facts of interest. 



