28 MANUAL OF TAXIDERMY. 



more formidable weapon than a boy's catapult, 

 yet the peculiar attributes which make up a good 

 collector are mainly to be acquired. A quick 

 eye to detect a flutter of a wing or the flit of a 

 tail among waving foliage ; an ear ready to catch 

 the slighest chirp heard amid the rustling leaves, 

 and so skilled as to intrepret the simple grada- 

 tions of sound which distinguish the different 

 species ; a constant wide-awake alertness, so that 

 nothing escapes the observation, and which gives 

 such nice control over the muscles that the gun 

 comes to the shoulder with a promptitude that 

 combines thought with action ; and an unwearying 

 patience and pluck which totally disregard minor 

 obstacles, are some of the characteristics which 

 must be possessed by the individual who wishes 

 to bring together a good collection of birds by 

 his own exertions. If one does not possess these 

 traits, why, then study to acquire them; for 

 securing birds is as fine an art as is preserving 

 them after they are obtained. 



Section IV. : Care of Specimens. — Just as 

 soon as a bird is shot, examine it carefully by blow- 

 ing aside the feathers in order to find the shot- 

 holes ; if they bleed, remove the clotted blood with 

 a small stick, or, better, the point of a penknife, 



