POISONING AND CLEANING. a 
more than yourself; the receptacle should be conspicuously la- 
belled “POISON!” Arsenic is a good friend of ours; besides 
preserving our birds, it keeps busybodies and meddlesome 
folks away from the scene of operations, by raising a whole- 
some suspicion of the taxidermist’s surroundings. It may be 
kept in the tin pots in which it is usually sold; but some shal- 
lower, broader receptacle is more convenient. A little drawer, 
say 6X6 inches, and an inch deep, to slip ttnder the edge of 
the table, or a similar compartment in a large drawer, will 
be found handy. A salt-spoon, or little wooden shovel whit- 
tled like one, is nice to use it with, though, in effect, I always 
shovel it up with the handle of a scalpel. As stated, there is 
no substitute for arsenic; but at a pinch you can make tempo- 
rary shift with the following, among other articles :—table salt, 
or saltpetre, or charcoal strewn plentifully ; strong solution of 
corrosive sublimate, brushed over the skin inside; creosote ; 
impure carbolic acid; these last two are quite efficacious, but 
they smell horribly for an indefinite period. <A bird threatening 
to decompose before you can get at it to skin, may be saved 
for a while by squirting weak carbolic acid or creosote down 
the throat and up the fundament; or by disembowelling, and 
filling the cavity with powdered charcoal. c. For cleansing: 
Gypsum* is an almost indispensable material for cleansing 
soiled plumage. The mode of using it is indicated beyond. 
It is most conveniently kept in a shallow tray, say a foot 
square, and an inch or two deep, which had better, further- 
more, slide under the table as a drawer; or form a compart- 
ment of a larger drawer. Heep gypsum and arsenic in different 
looking receptacles, not so much to keep from poisoning your- 
self, as to keep from not poisoning a birdskin. They look 
much alike, and skinning becomes such a mechanical process 
that you may get hold of the wrong article when your thoughts 
are wandering in the woods. Gypsum, like arsenic, has no 
worthy rival in its own field; some substitutes, in the order of 

* “Gypsum” is properly native hydrated sulphate of lime; the article referred to 
is “plaster of Paris” or gypsum heated up to 260° F. (by which the water of ecrys- 
tallization is driven off) and then finely pulverized. When mixed with water it 
soon solidifies, the original hydrate being again formed. 
