52 



THE COLLECTOR'S MONTHLY. 



more towards spoiling the beauty of a 

 collection of insects than many suppose. 

 The instructions for collecting botanical 

 specimens in the December number of the 

 monthly are line. Let me say I always 

 dip my specimens in a solution of either 

 corrosive sublimate or strychinine before 

 pressing to avoid insects. If these hints 

 are of any value and notes of my experi- 

 ence will be of value 1 will give you more 

 in the future. Geouge H. Be'bkV. 



Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 



[For the Collectors' Monthly.] 

 Wafer-birds of Iowa. 



About sundown we started for the lake, 

 2 miles south of our house which is 

 called Lard or Rush lake, but neither 

 uame is rightly applied for there is neith- 

 er Lard or rushes in the lake. We could 

 hear the roar of wings as the birds were 

 flying over and around the lake, here is 

 a few Canada geese, yonder conies four 

 stately cranes, away out there is hun- 

 dreds of Brandt. Now as we come nearer 

 a> louder noise of wings is heard. What 

 is it, 0, there is the cause, a red tail 

 hawk comes over the tall reeds, before 

 him is thousands of coots making a 

 hideous noise; presently the hawk is gone 

 and the coots are quiet again. Now we 

 take the canoe and start out, first 

 we meet a pair of wood ducks, these 

 are quickly bagged, but the report which 

 echoes over the water startles thousands 

 of birds, six mallards start Out the grass 

 a few rods from our boat, then we began 

 a regular slaughter with our G shooters, 

 after emptying our guns we start for our 

 game for if not we will soon loose them 

 in the marsh grass, now we look at our 

 catch, 2 brandt, 5 mallard, 8 teal, 4 wid- 

 geon, 2 shovelers, 1 pintail and 3 snipes, 

 now as it is getting dark we light our 

 lantern, and get out our fishing tackle, 

 The pickrel are large and lively, pretty 



soon we have a fine fish, I noticed that 

 their was one fine albino rusty gracklein 

 a Hock, but I was hot near enough to get 

 it. We got home at 10.35 p. m. 



Henry G. Hall. 

 Newell, Iowa. 



How to Keep a Gun from Kust- 

 fiig. 



My experience informs me that the ker- 

 nel of a Pecan nut placed in a piece of 

 cloth and rubbed briskly over the steel 

 parts of a gun will remove rust and keep 

 it off. It keeps the gun continually oil- 

 ed> and there isnot stickiness oroffensive 

 odors as given off by other so called rust 

 preventatives. Another feature is the 

 small cost. One nut will clean an entile 

 gun thoroughly. Hoping to hear from 

 other collectors am yours. 



E. R. — Giddings, Texas. 



[For the Collectors Monthly.] 

 Mr. C. II. Prince, 



Dauielsonville, Conn. 

 Dear Sir: — Seeing what others say in 

 the August number of your "Monthly" in 

 regard to F. M. Kinne, Knoxville, Iowa, 

 has caused me to feel it my duty to relate 

 my experience with him. Last fall I sent 

 him a list of eggs in sets, in exchange for 

 drills, blowpipes and datas, bu,t as he did 

 not send them I kindly notified him of 

 the fact, but there was no attention paid 

 to my card, I waited several days longer 

 and then notified him again, with the 

 same effect. Thinking I had been impos- 

 ed upon by a fraud 1 wrote him again 

 and threatened to advertise him if I did 

 not hear from him before the first of Jan- 

 uary. This brought au answer in the 

 shape of about half of the goods I had 

 ordered, also a letter saying my order 

 had been overlooked on the order book. 

 What 1 want to know is this, if my order 

 was overlooked why did he not look iti 

 up when I. first wrote him? 

 Yours Truly, 



W. E. Drexnam. 



