85 



From dawn to 8 a.m. is the best time for all bird work. The 

 birds are less on the alert, as they do not expect to be troubled by 

 man at that early hour. Also man will not trouble you by undue 

 curiosity and discussing questions of trespass. Remember the 

 practical ornithologist is looked upon as a pariah. The keeper 

 thinks you want an interminable supply of game birds eggs, the 

 farmer looks upon you as a friend of his worst enemies, and 

 therefore a sworn enemy (in reality the birds are his best friends), 

 the policeman regards you as an easy prey and a possible con- 

 viction to help his chances of earning the regard of his superiors 

 as an energetic and efficient officer. 



Preservation. 



I refer you to Montague Brown, Taxidermy and Modelling, 

 Elliott Coues, Field and General Ornithology, and the B.M. 

 Handbook. I cannot profess to emulate the accuracy and fullness 

 of these writers. 



Plenty of napthaline should be kept with the birds, it won't 

 hurt the plumage and keeps out moth and mites. Good white 

 blotting paper is splendid to keep the bottoms of the drawers and 

 trays lined with, as it absorbs grease. 



A band of paper to keep the wings up is a good plan. It helps 

 the skin keep its shape. 



Deep drawers are best, with air-tight glass lids. In these 

 drawers you can put shallow trays of three-ply or cardboard for 

 the smaller species. Such trays are readily made with a cutting 

 gauge and glue pot and a supply of cigar box pins. Divisions are 

 desirable for the small birds, as it keeps them from rolling about. 

 The B.M. keep their birds in small oblong glass topped cardboard 

 boxes arranged in cabinet drawers, this plan is neat and good, but 

 rather expensive. 



Needless to say the same amount of dryness and warmth is 

 required for skins as for insects. 



Egg Blowing. 



Eggs should be side blown with a single hole of sufficient 

 dimensions, and care taken to extract the membrane round the 

 yolk. 



Recording. 



A diary is kept similar to the Entomological diary in which we 

 note habits, migratory movements, and all matters of the like 

 nature. This is entered as soon after the observations are made 

 as we can manage, stale records are unprofitable and inaccurate. 

 We aim here, as with the insects, at eliminating that uncertain 

 quantity the human memory as much as possible. 



All birds should be measured in the flesh. All measurements 

 should be by the metric system. We keep the following measure- 

 ments : — Culmen, wing, if necessary stating to which primary 

 measured, tip of bill to tail, tail, tarsus, middle toe and claw, 



