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United States Department of Agriculture Jviiiiu-iuiaiit of Agr" 



Bureau of Biological Survey 



Wildlife Research and Management Leaflet BS-29 



Washington, D. C. December 1935 



DIRECTIONS FOR PRESERV A TION AND CARE OF MATERIAL 

 COLLECTED FOR FOOD HABITS STUDIES 



Prepared in Section of Food Habits, Division of Wildlife Research 



Cc^tents 



Page : Page 



Introduction 1 ; Preservation of unknown material . . 4 



Collection of stomachs 2 : Collection of pellets, droppings. 



Recording data 2 : and other material 4 



Materials needed 3 : Shipping 4 



Preservatives 3 : 



Introduction 



In making studies of the food habits and food preferences of birds, mam- 

 mals, reptiles, and amphibians, an essential method of approach is through de- 

 tailed examination of stomach contents. By this means accurate identification 

 of food items is made possible, and likewise some idea of the importance of the 

 various foods can be ascertained through determination of percentages, by bulk, 

 for the items represented. To further these studies there is need for accurate 

 data to accompany stomachs collected and also for practical means of preserving 

 and caring for collections of food material. Many good food habits data have 

 been lost in the past for lack of information on stomach tags, or because of illegi- 

 bility of the entries. Oversight is sometimes responsible for this but more often 

 it is the result of using unsuitable materials in preparation of stomachs and 

 stomach tags. 



Proper methods of handling stomachs and other material collected for food 

 habits studies are given here to help students of the subject and cooperators of 

 the Biological Survey to avoid some of the mistakes that often necessitate the 

 discarding of valuable material- 



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