204 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Oct. 1, 18&1. 



plements; the cotton, needle and tliread; labels or tags: 

 pencil, cleaning sponge and brush; cup of clean water, 

 etc. , are to be placed in convenient positions on the table, 

 room for the specinaen and the hands of the operator 

 being of course reserved. A basin of water and towel, 

 for cleaning and drying the hands^ shoald also be within 

 reach. 



When everything is ready a label or tag should be 

 securely fastened to one leg of the specimen, and the 

 locality and date, as well as a number, inscribed on it, 

 the same data being written in the collector's field cata- 

 logue after the corresponding number. No measure- 

 ments are necessary, since all measurements of scientific 

 value are best taken from the dried skin, though in the 

 case of very large birds (and smaller ones also, if the col- 

 lector has plenty of time) the total length and the spread 

 of the fully outstretched wings may be taken and for 

 convenience may be written with the length first and the 

 spread last with a multiplication sign between, thus, 

 36.x 84. 50, the measurements being best taken in inches 

 and decimals. Then if there are any noteworty features 

 as to color of the soft parts they should be carefully 

 noted, this being a very important matter and one sadly 

 neglected by collectors. If the collector can provide 

 himself with a small box of good water colors and suit- 

 able brushes, together with some pads of drawing paper, 

 rough sketches of bills, feet, etc., may be made and the 

 colors exactly produced. If not thus provided, or even 

 as an additional aid if he is, a set of named colors on 

 paper should be at hand to help him in naming the differ- 

 ent hues. 



The girth of the bird may then be taken by means of a 

 band of stiff paper passed round the middle of the body 

 over the wings and pinned in the form of a ring. It is 

 then slipped off toward the feet, and after the skin is 

 prepared is replaced, the stuffing inserted being enough 

 to keep it from falling off. The exact circumference of 

 the original bix-d can thus be readily maintained. In 

 fact the ring may be slipped on before the stuffing is com- 

 menced and enough cotton inserted to fill out the shoul- 

 ders within the paper. 



After these preliminaries, relax the wings and legs by 

 pulling and stretching; then make an incision through 

 the skin only, from the lower portion of the breastbone 

 to the anus. Should the intestines protrude in small 

 specimens, they had better be extracted, great care being 

 taken not to soil the feathers or to mutilate the sexual 

 organs, thereby rendering it difficult or perhaps impossi- 

 ble to determine the sex. Now. proceed carefully to 

 separate the skin on one side from the subjacent parts 

 untU you reach the knee, and expose the thigh, when, 

 taking the leg in one hand, push or thrust the knee up on 

 the abdomen and loosen the skin around it until you can 

 place the scissors or knife underneath and separate the 

 joint with the accompanying muscles. Apply a quantity 

 of corn meal to the space between the skin and the car- 

 cass to prevent adhesion and to keep the feathers clean. 

 Repeat this operation for the other leg. Loosen the skin 

 about the base of the tail and cut through the vertebras 

 at the last joint, taking care not to sever the bases of the 

 quills, and invert the skin, loosening it carefully from 

 the body. On reaching the wings loosen the skin from 

 around the first bone and cut through the middle of it, 

 or, better, separate it from the body through the joint. 

 Continue the inversion of the skin by drawing it over the 

 neck until the skull is exposed. Arrived at this point, 

 detach the delicate membrane of the ear from its cavity 

 in the skuU, if possible, without cutting or tearing it; 

 then, by means of thumb nails, loosen the skin from 

 other parts of the head until you come to the eyes, where 

 extreme care is necessary in cutting through the white 

 nictitating membrane to avoid lacerating the ball. Scoop 

 out the eyes, and, by making one cut on each side of the 

 head, through the small bone connecting the base of the 

 lower jaw with the skull, another across the roof of the 

 mouth behind the base of the upper mandible, and be- 

 tween the jaws of the lower, and a fourth (horizontally) 

 through the skull behind the orbits and parallel to the 

 roof of the mouth, you will have freed the skull from all 

 the accompanying brain and muscle. Should anything 

 still adhere it may be removed separately. In making 

 the first two cuts care must be taken not to injure or 

 sever the zygoma, a small bone extending from the base 

 of the upjper mandible to the base of the lower jaw bone. 

 Clean off every particle of muscle and fat from the skin 

 of the neck, and invert the skin of the head to the very 

 base of the bill. 



Then skin the wing down to the wrist joint, detaching 

 the roots of the larger feathers (secondary and prhuary 

 quills) with the thumb and finger nails; remove the mus- 

 cle from the bones, leaving all of the latter.* The legs 

 should then be skinned down to the lower joint of the 

 thigh (the heel, or tibio-tarsal joint), and the flesh removed 

 from the bone. Remove all the muscle and fat, includ- 

 ing the oil gland, from about the base of the tail, great 

 care being taken not to cut the roots of the feathers, which 

 would cause them to drop out. 



During every stage of the process of skinning the fol- 

 lowing very important thing should be specially remem- 

 bered: (1) Always handle the skin, when detaching it 

 from the body, as close as possible to the point of adhe- 

 sion, to prevent stretching, a stretched skin being far 

 worse than one full of holes or rents: (2) always keep the 

 fingers between the feathers and the flesh, to prevent 

 soiling the plumage; (3) apply plenty of corn meal or other 

 suitable absorbent whenever a bloody or fatty place is ex- 

 posed. 



Certain kinds of birds require deviation from the above 

 rules in some particulars. Most woodpeckers and ducks, 

 for instance, have the head so much larger than the neck, 

 that it is quite impossible to skin over the head by the 

 ordinary method. In such case the neck should be cut off 

 before the skull is reached, and the skin turned "right 

 side out;" then make an incision from the top of the 

 occiput down to the base of the skull and skin the head 

 through this opening. Of course the incision should be 

 sewed together after the skinning is completed, or at least 

 after the specimen has been stuffed. Pigeons, cuckoos 

 and some ducks, as well as other birds, have the skin 

 very tender, and adhering so cloFely to the rump and 

 lower part of the back (sometimes the breast also), that its 

 separation is a matter of very great difficulty. Such 

 birds should be kept until they are fully relaxed before 



*Many prefer to clean the wwg by an entirely different method, 

 an incision Taeing made on the nnder side along the bone. ft.nd the 

 flesh removed i hrough the opening thus made. This Is the better 

 way with l9.rge birds, 



work on them is commenced, and the operation of skin- 

 ning should be done with great caxe. 



In warm weather or in hot countries very large birds 

 (as herons, cranes, hawks, etc.) should have an incision 

 made below the heel (tibio-tarsal) joint and the tendons 

 cut off; then, by making another incision on the sole of 

 the foot the tendons can be drawn out. The space made 

 by the removal of the tendons should be filled with 

 arsenic. This will prevent fermentation of the juices in 

 the leg and generation of gases, which so often cause the 

 skin to "bhster" or separate, thus entirely ruining the 

 specimen for motmting. 



Birds having a pure white and very compact plumage 

 on the lower parts should be skinned through an incision 

 made under one wing, along the side, or on the back, 

 which will be found very ea-^y after a little practice. 



[TO BE CONCLUDED.] 



Those California Song Bieds.— I see by your last 

 number that the Californians think of stocking their 

 State with singing birds. Now isn't it probable that nature 

 understood her business when she made that region 

 and omitted to scatter song birds through it? During 

 certain seasons every spear of grass, every weed dries 

 up for want of water, and every insect dies for want of 

 grass and weeds; and how under such conditions little 

 birds can live I can't imagine. Tht y require water very 

 often, and Californians expect too much if they suppose 

 the little musicians are going to entertain them with no 

 grain, grass seeds or insects to live on and not a drop of 

 water to wet their whistle with. It may be that certain 

 kinds of birds would thrive and rest contented in Cali- 

 fornia if turned out in the vicinity of lakes or rivers, but 

 I think they will lose their labor if they turn them out 

 elsewhere.— DiDYMUS (Summit, N. J., Sept. 35). [But 

 what about the new order.of things created by irrigation?] 



Western New York Natdralists' Association.— 

 Mr. E. B. Peck, of Clifton Springs, together with several 

 others, for some time past have been interested in form- 

 ing a society of naturalists, and on Sept. 16 a meeting 

 held in Phelps resulted in the formation of a society to 

 be called the Western New York Naturalists' Association. 

 The membership is restricted to persons residing in the 

 counties of Wayne, Ontario. Steuben, Allegany, Living- 

 ston, Monroe, Wyoming, Geneste, Orleans, Niagara, 

 Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua. The active member- 

 ship is limited to fifty, with an unlimited associate mem- 

 bership. Corresponding and honorary memberships were 

 also aruanged for. The initiation fee was fixed at 50 

 cents, with annual dues of 25 cents. The next annual 

 meeting will be held at Brockport, Oct. 6, 1892.— O. S. B. 



The full texts of the game laws of all the States, Terri- 

 tories and British Provinces are given in the Book of the 

 Game Laws. 



A GROUSE HUNT IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



"TT^EEP a sharp lookout in the trees, and if you see 

 JV. one, don't wait for him to fly. All's fair in love 

 and pai'tridge hunting, I say. If the rascals will hide in 

 trees, why shoot them on their own terms. That's my 

 doctrine, and I never saw a man who hunted pa'tridges 

 much that didn't come to it." 



So spake mine host, Sam Trescott, of the village 

 "hotel" in Groton, New Hampshire. We were out on 

 the hills for a day's hunt after ruffed grouse. It was late 

 in the fall, and the birds were in their prime. A flock 

 had been flushed and we were now following them up. 

 Sam had been giving me some advice as to how to shoot 

 the wily birds, and closed with the remarks quoted above. 

 There was some force in his logic, but though I had noth- 

 ing which I felt moved to urge in its disproof at that 

 particular time, still 



A man convinced against his will 

 Is of the same opinion still, 



and besides I never could see a skulking grouse in a tree. 

 There was some comfort in that reflection. So I let Sam 

 lead the way, inwardly hoping, however, that we might 

 find some of the birds at least on the ground, where they 

 could be located by my setter Don. 



The timber through which we were passing was chiefly 

 hard wood, yet s© many leaves still clung to the limbs of 

 the trees as to make it difficult to see through them. 

 With a kind of instinct of direction, however, which I 

 have frequently noticed in native grouse hunters, my 

 companion led the way unerringly for forty or fifty rods 

 into the woods. "They ought to be right about here," he 

 saidinalow voicetm-ning to me. Just then with a mock- 

 ing whirr of wings a bird got out of a big ash tree right 

 over our heads. Neither of us had the hammers of our 

 guns raised, and if any theoretical grouse shooter chooses 

 to tell me that a man can cock his gun and get in a shot 

 at one of these birds flushing from a tree before it is out 

 of range f must respectfully invite him to go to the Val- 

 halla of prevaricators. It cannot be done. It looks easy 

 enough on paper, but just try it yourself and see. You 

 will find yourself in the condition of the young man who 

 remarked that it was easy enough to write Psalms like 

 David's. He was invited to try it, and— tried it. That 

 was as far as he got. 



It is not to be wondered at then, that grouse number 

 one got away from us without so much as the smell of 

 powder drifting in his wake. "Confound it!" cried Sam, 

 "why wasn't I 'tending to business? That's always the 

 way. If a fellow takes his eyes out of the trees for a 

 minute, there is sure to be a bird sitting right over his 

 head." 



"Well, I am going to be prepared for another such an 

 emergency," I replied, raising the hammers of my gun. 

 "Give me as good a shot as that again, and I don't believe 

 I should care to see the bird in the tree." 



Meanvphile Don had bet-n ranging at his own sweet 

 will, and it was only when, of a sudden, T missed the 

 patter of his feet in the leaves, that it occurred to me he 

 might possibly be making game. 



"Where's Don?" I asked. 



"Don't care where he is," replied Sam, never relaxing 

 a muBole of his straining neck, "Thoee birds are where 

 he oan't do anything fojr us." 



"I am not so sure of that," I replied. "Suppose you 

 continue your astronomical observations here tor a few 

 minutes, and I will find out." The last I had seen of Don. 

 he was ranging off to the left, so I turned in that direc- 

 tion, and had haidly gone 40yds., when, coming to the 

 crest of a little rise in the ground, I saw my faithful 

 setter on a dead point just across a little glade. J? earing, 

 if I called to Sam, the buds would flush wild, and know- 

 ing how intently my companion was occupied with his 

 own aft'fiirs jubt at present, I resolved to move forward at 

 once and take my chances. I could not ti 11 how long the 

 dog had been holding his game, but thought if there were 

 any birds there they must be getting pretty restless by 

 this time. 



A few steps carried me to the center of the glade. 

 Then came the sudden storm and tbundtr of wings which 

 so often depiives the grous-e shooter at once of the power 

 of thought and action. Two t-plendid birds got up on the 

 wing at the same moment. They were both of them 

 within xiOyds. ot me, and for the fraction of an in.ntant 

 the same bne of vision photographed them on my brain. 

 Tl=ien one swung to the right and attemptt d to cross the 

 glade, while the other kept straight on. All this hap- 

 pened before my gun could reach my shouider. But the 

 instant it did so I swung on to the bird ciossing me, with 

 a kind of instinct for the more exposed shot. The report 

 of my right barrt 1 rang sharply through the woods. The 

 smoke hid everything for a momtnt. Then I heard a 

 bounce on the leaves and the rapid throb of wing-". Don 

 came bounding across me, and the next thing I knew the 

 biid lay in my hand, the little tpark of its life just 

 quelched, but the body warm and throbbing yet with 

 vigorous vitality. It was a young cock, and a plump, 

 handsome specimen. 



I had barely dropped it into my game pocket when I 

 heard Sam's gun go off. Then I could easily distinguish 

 the flutter which a wounded bird makes as it drops from 

 branch to branch, ineffectually beating them with its 

 wings. A moment later I hear Sam's excited sbout, 

 "Hello, there! Bring the dog here, quick! There's a 

 wounded bird and I can't catch it," 



Don and I responded on the run. We found Sam scur- 

 rying abcut in ttie bushes in a great state of excitement. 

 "The confounded bird was away in the top of a tree, and 

 I only broke one wing," he panted. "Here, Dun — here !" 

 and he put the dog on the scent of the wounded and run- 

 ning bird. A long arid rapid chase it led us; for d. wounded 

 grouse will run like an ostrich. Djn soon grasped the 

 situation, and ceased trailing in his usual cautious man- 

 ner. He hurried along hotly on the scent, we at his hf els; 

 and at length we drove the bird into a dense hemlock 

 thicket, where the dog caught it and brought it to hand, 

 still alive. 



Sam leading the way, we now turned off to the left, and 

 soon came out in a large clearing. Here, by the side of a 

 clear and cold brook, we lay down to eat the lunch which 

 we had put in our pockets and enjoy an hour's rett and 

 smoke. Then we began to work our way around the east 

 flank of the hill. Tue vall«y was broken into alternate 

 pastm'e and woodland. There were scarcely any evi- 

 dences of cultivation. Half-wild sheep and young cattle 

 tenanted the narrow strips of pasture, and as we crossed 

 the fields they huddled timidly and suspiciously together 

 or fled with swiftness of the wind. 



Now, for the first time, we began to find birds plentiful. 

 But the cover was chiefly underbrush, and so thick as to 

 make bhooting d'fficulo and uncertain. We found no 

 more broods, but the birds lay tcattered, giving us singles 

 and doubles in a way which pleased me much better than 

 looking for shots in the trees. Don gave us eight or ten 

 splendid points, and we succeeded in bagging four more 

 birds between us. I was surprised to find Sam quite sn 

 adept at snap shooting, in his own pecul ar way. He 

 firea invariably with gun below the elbow, and \rO ex- 

 tremely quick was he in this kind of shooting that the 

 biid was scarcely off the ground before he firfd at and 

 either hit or missed it. It would hardly do for me to 

 speak of this kind of work as "random shooting," inas- 

 much as Sam bagged tbree birds to my one. There must 

 be considerable method in this kind of madness. 



We reached the hotel shortly after 4 o'clock, not wish- 

 ing to get 60 tired that we could not go out again on the 

 morrow. A good supper refreshed us completely, and 

 after an evening smoke and chat with the usual habitues 

 of the public room of a country hotel, I turned in and 

 slept soundly all night. 



Our beautiful day, however, turned out to be a 

 " weather-breeder," and next morning I woke up to find 

 it raining dismallv. This, of course, put a veto on all- 

 plans for sport, and I spent the day in the house reading, 

 playing an occasional game of checkers with mine hoj-t, 

 and listening to some choice music which one of the 

 latter's children ground out of a cylinder organ, with the 

 assistance of a long roll or perforated paper. The most 

 tantalizing of all the selections rendered, as I remember 

 now, was "Johnny, Get Your Gun." 



The next day I was up eaiiy. Five o'clock found me 

 scanning the sky. The rain had ceased, although there 

 was still a thin curtain of clouds between the sun and the 

 earth. Breakfaht was ready at half-past 5 o'clock, and 

 by 6 o'clock mine host had harnessed his team and we 

 were t ft". This day our course lay down the river, on 

 both sides of which there were said to be plenty of birds. 



Before we made our first stop the thin, silvery mist of 

 clouds began to break away, and the sun broke forth in 

 royal splendor, soon drying the wet grass and twigs. 

 About four miles down the ralley we came to a very 

 beautiful piece of woodland, consibting mainly of white 

 and golden birches Intermingled with spruce. A friend 

 of Sam Trescott's dwelt near by, and we hitched our team 

 under his shed and started for the gently rising slope 

 above the river. Climbing an old m"8R covered rail fence, 

 we were soon amcng the aisles of bircl'es, their white 

 triinks shimmering like the beautiful bodies of naiads or 

 wood nymphs. Here was sn ideal place to shoot, if we 

 could only find the b rds. We moved forward slowly and 

 cautiouslj , with Don ranging in front. 



It was not long: before ibe eager dog began to show 

 signs of birds, We had struck inio a half -obi it era ted 

 wood rosid, on one side of which there was aiunning 

 th'cl'el of thimble b"rry bufehep, tl orn Hpples and sum; ck. 

 Along this 6tr pD»n began to creep with that cailke 

 tread, whirh indicated that h^ expfcted to find biids 

 clo-e at hand. We cocked our gurts and hteppf d expect- 

 antly forward abreast in the wood road. Siill the dog 

 foreWe to drop to a point* He led us down into a hol- 

 low, where a> tiny plaream wap flowiag bctobs a decayed 



