fitly i, 1891 ] 



THE HUMMING BIRD. 



57 



with a corresponding number to that on the skin. 

 When dry,the skins, which will be stiff and hard, should 

 be rolled or folded up without cracking in as small 

 a compass as possible to be handy for carrying. 



Large Reptiles, which are too bulky to send in 

 spirit, require somewhat similar treatment to Mam- 

 mals, except that the skull cannot be removed in most 

 instances, but should be cleaned whilst the skin is 

 turned inside out and the tongue and eyes removed ; 

 the tail cannot be slipped, but must be skinned out. 

 Snakes are preserved in the skin by cutting along the 

 belly from the anus for a short distance towards the 

 head, the body cut right through, taking care not to 

 cut the skin, the two pieces skinned out, the skull 

 being left in, soaped and put to dry with a little 

 stuffing, and when dry the stuffing removed and the 

 skin rolled or folded up without breaking. Small 

 lizards, frogs, snakes, &c, and in some cases birds, 

 can also- be brought or sent in spirit, an incision 

 being made in the belly to allow the spirit to pene- 

 trate thoroughly ; some are also treated in this 

 manner for anatomical research, the viscera in this 

 case being left intact, only the skin being cut. 



For carrying the skins of birds on the pack-horse, 

 I can recommend the plan I adopted in Australia, 

 failing a better ; the two side packs were tin japanned 

 " uniform " cases, each twenty-eight inches long, 

 eighteen inches wide, and nine inches deep, these 

 were packed previously when starting with powder, 

 shot, and various articles of use in camp, and as they 

 were used so the boxes were filled up with the pre- 

 served skins, the heavy portion being placed so as to 

 be the lowest when on the horse, the two pack straps 

 were strapped round each and placed on the hooks 

 of the saddle, a top pack of blankets, tent, or skins 

 or other gear across the top, the side straps over the 

 ends of this, and the surcingle over all passing under 

 the side straps. The packs were always weighed, a 

 spring weighing machine taken for the purpose, that 

 the two side packs should be evenly balanced, to 

 prevent the horse having a sore back, which takes a 

 considerable time to heal in a hot climate. These 

 boxes are also available for waggon or boat, standing 

 a good lot of knocking about and keeping out wet, 

 but they should not be packed with anything damp ; 

 they make a first rate table if four forked sticks are 

 driven in the ground, two straight ones laid in the 

 forks and a box on these. I have seen some steel 

 cabin trunks with rounded corners which would be 

 admirable for these purposes. 



In packing bird skins for sending or bringing back 

 home, each skin should be separately wrapped up in 

 paper, keeping the feathers as smooth as possible, and 

 the large and small parcels fitted in together, as in 

 most instances the head and tail are small and the body 

 thick. When a town or city is reached and packing 

 cases can be procured, the birds can be unpacked 

 from the tin boxes and repacked in tin lined cases, 

 care being taken that they are thoroughly dry, and 

 soldered down plenty of Camphor or Napthaline being 

 placed among the parcels ; if the birds are mostly 

 small, these can be packed in old tin biscuit boxes, 

 the lids being soldered round, then they can be packed 

 n a wooden case for shipment, plain tin boxes could 

 be taken out nested, that is fitting one in the other, 



and a wooden box to contain the whole when filled 

 out with specimens any spare space being packed with 

 less destructible specimens ; please bear in mind that 

 it is not only to keep the specimens free fron damp 

 and rough usage, but also from rats, mice and beetle 

 that so much trouble, or rather care is taken with the 

 packing ; for I know of nothing so disheartening as to 

 find on the arrival home of the specimens that so 

 much trouble was taken with in the first instance, 

 that they are totally ruined through want of careful 

 packing, in some cases water has got in the specimen 

 quite spoilt, covered with mold, in others rats or mice 

 have formed their nest and brought up their young in 

 the body of some fine specimen, legs and bills gnawn 

 off, the contents of the case chaos ; for destructive- 

 ness next to the rat are various small beetles and 

 their larvae; these will eat up every particle of skin, all 

 that is left are the bones and feathers. 



In packing skins of Mammals for a long voyage 

 these should be opened out, beaten with a stick and 

 brushed with a stiff brush, folded up in as small a 

 compass as possible, dried and soldered down in tin 

 lined cases after being plentifully sprinkled with 

 paraffin ; horns and skulls do not require so much 

 care, wooden cases or crates being sufficient after 

 being brushed over with paraffin. 



Should any further particulars be required, I should 

 be pleased to render any assistance in my power 

 through the medium of our Editor. 



W. B. 



Obituary. 



On the 4th of May, at Dijon, Côtes d'Or, France, 

 Henry de La Cuisine, aged 64 years. Henry de La 

 Cuisine died rather suddenly. His last letter to me 

 is dated 16th April, 1891, and he was quite well at 

 that time. Since twenty years, he was one of my 

 best correspondents, and a good friend. He was a 

 very enthusiastic Naturalist, interested in all branches 

 of Natural History ; but more especially in Ento- 

 mology. He made a very fine Collection of Insects, 

 such as Carabus and Cyphus among Coleoptera ; 

 Ornithoptera,PapiIio and Morp ho, among Lepidoptera ; 

 Chrysis among Hymenoptera, &c. Lately he was very 

 interested in the 'Genus Acherontia (Sphingidœ). Of 

 these Moths he succeeded in procuring a large number 

 of specimens from all parts of the World. Besides his 

 love for Natural History, Henry de La Cuisine was a 

 splendid artist. No one had more facilities than him 

 for making a beautiful painting, in water colours at a 

 moment's notice, i remember having sent him a very 

 rare specimen of Morpho or Acherontia, which was 

 returned to me in the shape of a splendid water- 

 colour, three hours after having received the speci- 

 men. Henry de La Cuisine was a very learned man, 

 and at the same time quite modest. It is a great loss 

 for Science, and more for his friends. 



A. B. 



