SKINNING BIRDS. 47 



impervious to the preservative, which must, in 

 order to absorb oil, come in contact with it. 



Section V. : Other Methods of Preserv- 

 ing Skins — Skins may be temporarily preserved 

 by simply using black pepper, but the effect is 

 not lasting. The same is true of tannic acid, but 

 either of these, alum, or even common salt, will do 

 as a substitute for the preservative until the skins 

 can be got into the hands of a taxidermist, or until 

 the collector can procure the proper preservative. 

 I will here mention that the dermal preservative 

 costs only twenty-five cents per single pound, and 

 this quantity will preserve at least three times as 

 many skins as the same amount of arsenic. 



A good method by which large skins may be 

 temporarily preserved is by salting them. Simply 

 coat the inside of the skin with fine salt, turn it, 

 smooth the feathers and fold the wings neatly, 

 then pack in paper. The salt prevents the skin 

 from quite drying, and thus it can be moistened 

 much more readily, and made into a skin or 

 mounted. The advantage of packing large birds 

 in so small a capacity is obvious to any one. Two 

 collectors whom we have had out the past season 

 have sent in some thousand large skins in this 

 condition ; and these we shall endeavor to work up 



