366 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
number of Millipedes moving about among the fallen leaves, and more so. 
at their peculiar method of hurrying off when disturbed... This they did 
by turning on their backs, and retreating with an undulating and wavy 
motion without at all using their feet. This so attracted my attention that 
I repeated the observation with these Millipedes on more than a dozen 
occasions, and in every instance their action was the same. — A. Duncan 
(Johannesburg). 
PRESERVATION OF ZOOLOGICAL SPECIMENS. 
It was with great pleasure that I read in ‘ The Zoologist ’ you are about 
to open the pages of that magazine to notes on taxidermy, and I also 
perused Mr. Oxley Grabham’s remarks with the greatest interest. I hope 
the new venture will meet with the support which it thoroughly deserves, 
and I am looking forward very much to the contributions of other 
taxidermists. . 
All large works on this subject are expensive, and as far as I know 
there is no periodical which devotes any attention to this most fascinating 
art. I know well how disappointing it is to a beginner to have his 
attempts at stuffing severely criticised by some professional who sees faults 
which the tyro perhaps fondly imagined did not exist. I can fully endorse 
Mr. Grabham’s statement to the effect that one must have any amount of 
‘patience, and be devoted to the study of whatever branch or branches of 
taxidermy he desires to pursue. I am devoted to stuffing, and attempt 
everything which falls into my hands, from caterpillars to fish. This last 
is the most difficult of any subject in which to attain even moderate 
proficiency. I now imagine (in error, perhaps) that I have mastered the 
faults and peculiarities of the beginner as far as the birds are concerned, 
though there are still some birds which are extremely difficult to skin, let 
alone stuff, in a workmanlike manner. for instance, the novice may 
perhaps endeavour to skin a Cuckoo or Woodcock, and fail miserably in 
the attempt. Even a good professional will admit that these two birds, as 
well as a few other species, require extra care in the skinning; they are 
generally very fat, and their skins are as delicate to handle as wet blotting- 
paper. 
Decidedly the bird for the beginner is the Starling, being not too large, 
and having a fairly tough skin. It is indeed too true, as Mr. Grabham 
remarks, how often one sees birds placed in impossible positions, legs and 
beaks painted the wrong colour; and this is done not only by amateurs, but, 
alas, by a few professionals, who certainly ought to know everything about 
the creatures they set up. After a bird has been skinned, the question 
naturally arises as to the kind of preservative which must be used. There 
are so many different sorts, their name is almost legion. Most, I think, are 
