56 MATERIALS FOR PREPARING SKINS. 



their applicability, are : — calcined magnesia (very good, but 

 too light — it floats in the air, and makes you cough) ; bicar- 

 bonate of magnesia; powdered chalk ("prepared chalk," creta 

 prcBparata of the drug shops is the best kind) ; fine wood- 

 ashes ; clean dry loam. No article, however powdery when 

 dry, that contains a glutinous principle, as for instance gum 

 arable or flour, is admissible, d. For wrapping, you want a 

 thin, pliable, strong paper ; water-closet paper is the very best ; 

 newspaper is pretty good. For making the cones or cylinders 

 in which birdskins may be set to dry, a stififer article is re- 

 quired ; writing paper answers perfectly. 



§33. Independent paragraph. Naturalists habitually carry 

 a pocket lens, much as other people do a watch. You will find 

 a magnifying glass very convenient in your search for the sex- 

 ual organs of small birds when obscure, as they frequently are, 

 out of the breeding season ; in picking lice from plumage, to 

 send to your entomological friend, who will very likely pro- 

 nounce them to be of a "new species ;" and for other purposes. 



§34. FiXTtTRES. "When travelling, your fixtures must ordi- 

 narily be limited to a collecting-chest ; you will have to skin 

 birds on the top of this, on the tail-board of a wagon, or on 

 your lap, as the case may be. The chest should be very sub- 

 stantial — iron-bound is best ; strong as to hinges and lock — 

 and have handles. A good size is 30X18X18 inches. Let it 

 be fitted with a set of trays ; the bottom one say four inches 

 deep ; the rest shallower ; the top one very shallow, and divi- 

 ded into compartments for your tools and materials, unless 

 you fix these on the under side of the lid. Start out with 

 all the trays full of cotton^or tow. At home, have a room to 

 yourself, if possible ; taxidermy makes a mess to which your 

 wife may object, and arsenic must not come in the way of chiL 

 dren. At any rate have your own table. I prefer plain deal 

 that may be scrubbed when required ; great cleanliness is indis- 

 pensable, especially when doing much work in hot weather, for 

 the place soon smells sour if neglected. I use no special re- 



