ADVKNTURES OF THREE YOUNG NATURALISTS. 203 



and put it back in the nest, but it flew out again. The male and female 

 were flying about my head all the time. The young bird seemed fully grown 

 and could fly a little. 



August 2. Today when I looked in the nest I found it empty. The 

 young birds had flown. 



ADVENTURES OF THREE YOUNG NATURALISTS. 



BY 



U. R. Wild. 



( CONTINUED ) 



CHAPTER III. 

 FIRST LESSONS IN SKINNING, DISSECTING, ETC. 



Upon arriving in camp, our party found that Joe, a negro servant en- 

 gaged for the trip by Professor Hall at Key West to do the camp work 

 had dinner all ready. 



The boys did ample justice to the repast, as the bracing air of the piny 

 woods had given them a fine appetite, and the canned meats, vegetables, and 

 baked sweet potatoes disappeared like magic. The meal despatched, the Pro- 

 fessor led the way to one of the tents set apart for the purpose of storing 

 skins and preparing them and other specimens. 



It was provided Avith a table, the legs of which could be folded up for 

 convenience in transportation, some camp chairs, three chests furnished with 

 trays ready to receive bird skins. Two large cans of alcohol, cotton, cans of 

 dermal preservative, and other material for preparing specimens, completed 

 the contents of the tent. 



Professor Hall seated himself at the head of the table and spread out 

 the birds, captured that day, before him. 



" Twenty- five in all," said George. " How will you ever get through 

 with them before night, Professor Hall ? " 



" Let us see," was the answer. " It is now two o'clock, that gives me 

 four hours of day light, and if I do six in an hour, which I can readily ac- 

 complish, the task will be completed by night. Let us first glance at tke 

 species which we have obtained. How many do you make in all, Paul r " 



