136 HINTS ON TAXIDERMY. 
far the prettiest shape. Tanks can be purchased, generally, 
at the bird or plant stores of large cities; the prices range 
from six dollars upwards. Sometimes a stand for the tank 
is made in connection with it, or of a similar material. It is 
well to remember in selecting a stand, the enormous weight 
which it will have to bear when the tank is filled with stones 
and water.— To be continued. 

HINTS ON TAXIDERMY. 
BY C. A. WALKER. 

Equ t for the travelling collector.—The travelling- 
collector should equip himself with a double-barrelled gun 
(and a rifle when large animals are sought for), ammunition, 
including shot for small birds and mammals (numbers 2, 6, 
8, and 10,—the latter should never be omitted) ; dissecting 
instruments, scissors, needles and thread, preservative drugs 
and preparations, and alcohol about 80 per cent. in strength ; 
tin cans of various sizes for containing alcoholic specimens, 
since glass bottles and jars are liable to be broken during 
transportation; cotton and tow for stuffing the skins of 
birds and mammals; fishing lines and hooks, casting net, à 
seine for catching fishes in small streams, the two ends of 
which should be secured to long wooden handles, which is 
held in the hands of two persons upon opposite banks; in 
this position it can be drawn both up and down the.stream. 
He should also carry with him a geological hammer and steel 
chisels for collecting fossils and rock specimens, and small 
pocket vials and cork-lined boxes for insects. 
atives. — Common powdered arsenic should be em- 
ployed for skins to be mounted at once, instead of arsenical 
soap, as it has a tendency to dry them quickly. It may be _ 
oca dry, or mixed with alcohol until it is of the consist- —— 




