Oct. 33, 1891.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



267 



iniD, describe the laud. It is a gfntlj rolling country, 

 well watered, 10 per cent, jack oak ridgts and sandy, 

 poor goil, 40 per cent, open, p-irk-like timber — big trees 

 10 to 30in. m diamtter, post uak, hickory, black walnut, 

 sycamore and many other ki.nd>: no pine or c^dar; trees 

 full of acorns and hickory nuts and black walnuts; grape 

 vines full of fruit: tangles of rasphorry vines; plum 

 thickets occasionally. Tben there is 50 per cent, of bot- 

 toms along the creeks, meadows with grass 4ft. high, and 

 good water any where, all over the town site included, 

 notwithstanding the newspaper lies. And now comes 

 the best — lots of whitetail deer, lots of turkeys in every 

 creek bottom, quail everywhere, squirrt l:i,ph, my ! Fish 

 plenty, suntish, bass and channel cat, in ail the creeks 

 that have deep h<iles. Yoti can catch them with any- 

 thing for bait. I fished with a piece of qaaii, squirrel and 

 beef liver, and they bit all che fame. Wedn-^sday after- 

 noon I borrowed a shotgun and killed twelve quail. I 

 could have killed many more, buc my cartridges gave out. 

 Thursday I bought hJf a deer for $1.25 -about 40 lbs. 

 Thursday afternoon I saw a man wiin a buggy! o-'td of 

 young turkeys, 75 cents; squirrels, 10 cents; teal ducks, 

 10 cents. They sold rf adily. 



The hickory and black walnUt trees are loaded with 

 nuts. Woods are full of acorns and Indian hogs eating 

 them. The c mntry has a pleasant, homelike look. It 

 seems queer to eee no houses in it. I am told it is bad for 

 fever aud ague iii the summer. It ought to be, for such 

 a paradise ought to have some drawbacks to it, I saw an 

 Indian cornfi Id that v^^iil yield 60 bushels to the acre. 

 It bad not he.pn well tended. 



The town site was to be opened Monday noon, Sept, 28, 

 and meantime about 5,000 of us camped around it, mostly 

 on the south sidw of it, tluee qaarters of us without tents; 

 and I had a real good time. Sunshine, nice grass under 

 trees to camp on, lots of dry dead wood 9.nd something 

 new to look at everywhere. I have lived in the West so 

 long that I knew a great aiany of the people and could 

 get a saddle horse whenever I wanted one, so I rode 

 around for miles away from camp. I took no lind. Am 

 going to wait f r the opening of the Cherokee Rtrip and 

 then try for a picce that I want. One can find a quarter 

 with less timber and more open farm land there, 



Monday noon came at last and then we made another 

 rush for lots in Cha-jdier, With a roar like a mighty 

 tempest 5.000 people ran in on horseback and on foot to 

 grab for :i,400 lots: and, of course, some got left. I got 

 a lot, not one of the best, but gof)d enough for me; I am 

 a very ommon sort of man, I filed on it Wednesday. 

 The town has a good location, all reiiorts to the c mtrary 

 notwithsljanding, Water is good and plenty on the town 

 site. It is on a .slight elevation, but reasonably flat on 

 top, and is sure to be more healthy than if it were on a 

 level creek bottom. It is sure to be a good town and 

 may be more than that. 



There was no one seriou ly injured in either of the two 



rushes except one woman, Diiay , whose horse fell, 



and she got run over accidentally — she is going to get 

 well I heard, I saw a few tist lights, but they resulted in 

 nothing more than a black eye. 'No murder, no stealing, 

 except a few horses. 1 think"that the order can be attri- 

 buted to the good sense and executive ability of Judge 

 Allison and his corps of twenty-three U. S. deputy 

 marshals. Allison had lo act as dictator for a few days; 

 and I can say, as an impartial observer, that he did as well 

 as a man could do. He gave a few snap judgment" ; may 

 have hit it wrong in one or two instances, but he had a 

 lot to do and was kept v^ry busy. The G-jvernor (Mr. 

 Steele) and the other officials deserve great praise for the 

 smoothness with which this thing went off. 



I left fnr Guthrie Thursd ly and came borne Saturday, 

 I saw many good business openings in Chandler, and they 

 are there yet, I am a Kansas man and would hate to 

 leave here and go even to the Garden of Eden, so I came 

 home to my big windy plains where we raise wheat and 

 county seat fights; and was as glad to get home as I had 

 been to go away. If you want further information in 

 regard to the Sdc and Fox I will give it, but you had 

 better go to Guthrie and go to Chandler and see for your- 

 selves. W, J. Dixon, 



CiMARKOK, Kan, 



HOW TO COLLECT BIRDS. 



(GoncJuded from page $$8 ) 



HOW TO STUFF A BIRD SKIN,— There is far more art 

 in EtufiSag a bird t-kin properly than in getting the 

 skin off the bird, a skillful taxidermis being able to make 

 a go 3d specimen out of a skin which had been badly torn 

 or otherwise abuted, while an inexperienced operator will 

 naturally make a poor specimen out of one that has been 

 properly prep^sred for him. The most essential of all 

 things, in the way of material, is a good quality of raw 

 cotton, that with a long staple or fiber bt-ing necessary. 



The orbits (holes fiom which the eyeballs were re- 

 moved) shoidd first be filled, a smoothly* rounded, elastic 

 wad being inserted in each, with the smoothest and 

 roundest side outward. This is best done while the skin 

 is reversed and the first thing after the preservative is 

 applied. A moderately compact, elastic roll of cotton, 

 f ree fi'om irr-: gu!aritie.s and about the thickness of the 

 natural neck, is then inserted through the neck and 

 pushed forward until the end of it can be grasped by the 

 fingers or a pair of forceps within the mouth, where it 

 should be firmly held until the forceps are withdrawn, 

 when the anterior end within the mouth should be care- 

 fully pushed back so that when the bill is closed no part 

 of it is exposed. ^ While a pair of long forceps is usually 

 used for inserting the cotton through the neck, a far 

 handier toolfor the purpose is an ordinary knitting needle, 

 around which the cotton may be deftly twisted and 

 shaped, while the smooth needle can be much more easily 

 withdi-awn than can a pair i f forceps. This same needle 

 may also be used for shaping the eyelids, by pushing from 

 the' inside the wad of cotton which fills the orbit, and is 

 convenient for other purposes. 



The next step is to t;ike a wad of cotton and manipu- 

 late it into an oval, loose or fluffy ball, as near as pos- 

 sible the size and shape of the origin ai body. Insert one 

 end of this into the opi-ning of the skin beneath the end 

 of the neck roll, which snould be caa-efuUy raised and 

 held whUe the body stuffing is worked beneath it; then 

 taking hold of the edge of the incision, first on one side 



and then on the other, push the cotton into place, or else 

 by holding the cotton g:ently pull the skin over it. A 

 single btiich about the middle of the incision is sufficient 

 to close the opening, but even this is not necessary. 



Should the bird be of medium or large size, the leg 

 bones should be wrapped with cotton (or whatever mate- 

 rial has been used for stuffing), so as to give the thigh its 

 proper shape. 



All birds with long necks or fpuder skins should be. 

 stiffened by wrapping the neck stuffing as well as that of 

 the body around a wire or stick. If a wire, it should be 

 sharpened at both ends, the anterior end being forced 

 through the anterior portion of the head and the opposite 

 end through the root of the tail. If a stick is us^-d, the 

 anterior end may be blunt and fitted into the cavity of 

 the skull, or it may be sharpened and forced into the 

 bones of the palate or anterior portion of the head. All 

 water birds (especially ducks and small waders), as well 

 as doves, trogons, (JapHmulgidm, and other tender 

 skinned birds should be thus strengthened. 



Now comes one of the most important, and in some 

 respects the most difficult, parts of the whole operation — 

 the shaping or "making up" of the eptcimen. No matter 

 how faultlessly the bird has been skmned, or even stuffed, 

 if badly "made up" it will be a bad specimen, while on 

 the other hand many defects of either skinning or stuff- 

 ing may be hidden by careful manipulation at this im- 

 portant stage of the process. To do this properly proceed 

 as follows: 



Take a thin sheet of long-stapled raw cotton (the thinner 

 the better, if it only holds together and will stand the least 

 strain) of sufficient size to entirely inclose the bird when 

 wrapped around it. Lay this on the table in front of you, 

 with the fibers running toward and from you; lay the 

 bird carefully on this, on its back, with head to your left.'^ 

 Fluff up the long, loose feathers on each side until the 

 thumb and forefinger can be placed beneath them and 

 then gently press the aides beneath the wings together, 

 just as you would squeeze a wounded bird to kill it, only 

 the pressure need not be so strong. Then bring the wings 

 up against the tides in a natural position, allowing the 

 feathers of the sides to fall or lay over them, and adjust 

 the wing-tips beneath the b.ise of the tail. Liy the feet 

 in a natural position, spread the tail as much as may be 

 desired, and touch up the plumage wherever there is'any 

 disarrangement of the feathers. W hen the specimen has 

 been thus properly i leaped and smoothed take up one 

 ed^e of the cotton and lift or wrap gently over that side 

 of the bird and hold until the opposite edge is brought up 

 and lapped over it, drawing less where the circumference 

 is greater and more where it is smaller ^ — the main object 

 being to have the cotton envelope fit as exactly as possible 

 the contour previously given to the specimen. Care should 

 be taken to see that the feathers of the abdomen overlap 

 and cover the incision and that tlif y are held thus by the 

 cotton envelope. The cotton about the head may be 

 twisted around the point of the bill, so as to keep it closed, 

 but it is better to first close the bill by passing a slender 

 needle and thread through the nostrils and tying beneath 

 the lower mandible.* This had beat be done immediately 

 after the neck filling has been inserted. 



Different collpctors, however, have almost as many 

 methods of wrapping skins. One of the best, and perhaps 

 easier to follow, as well as more satisfactory in its results, 

 is the following, practiced by Mr, C. W. Eichmond, of 

 Washington, whose specimens are particularly admired 

 for their fine shape and smoothness. 



After the incision on the abdomen has been stitched 

 together,^ the feathers arranged and the legs crossed, the 

 skin is ready to be wrapped. For wrapping, physicia,ns' 

 absorbent cotton is the best. Take a strip of this about 

 three times as wide as the diameter of the bird's body, 

 and, finally arranging and smoothing the feathers on the 

 under parts, lay the sheet of cotton over the bird, which 

 should be held, on its back, in one hand, between the 

 thumb and forefinger to prevent the wings getting out of 

 place. One end of the cotton should be brought over the 

 head, and the biid then placed on the table or skinning 

 hoard, belly downward, resting on the cotton. Any ex- 

 cess of that portion of the cotton which has been brought 

 over the head may be removed, the plumage of the back 

 arranged, and the corners of the cotton sheet brought up 

 over each wing, taking care that they bind somewhat 

 firmly at the shoulders, so that the wings will be kept in 

 the proper position after the opposite edges of the cotton 

 have been lapped and blended together. The two poste- 

 rior corners of the cotton sheet should then be brought 

 together over the rump, to hold the tips of the wings in 

 place. Care should be taken to have the sheet of cotton 

 of uniform thickness, otherwise the skin wiU present, 

 after drying, irregularities of contour, corresponding to 

 the varying thickness of dift'erent parts of the wrapping. 

 It is very important to avoid drawing the cotton too \ight 

 and thus squeezing the skin too much, a very common 

 and very serious fault with many collectors, an under- 

 sized skin being far more objectionable than one which is 

 overstuffed, for the reason tliat the defect is practically 

 irremediable. 



After the bird has been wrapped the wings may be 

 properly adjusted, care being taken to have the tips even 

 with one another and not crossed or overlapped. In fact, 

 at this stage the skin may be so manipulated that any 

 desired degree of smoothness and regularity of shape may 

 be given it, practice being of course required before the 

 beginner can become really proficient. The finishing 

 touches should then be given, and the skin laid aside to 

 dry, the last thing being to see that the feet and tail are 

 properly adjusted. 



The proper wrapping of a specimen, as described above, 

 simple as it may seem, is one of the most difficult of all 

 things connected with the preparation of a bird skin, and 

 requires some patience as well as considerable practice. 

 Some experienced coUectora and taxidermists, though 



2 Many taxldermistfi, instead of passing the cotton along the 

 tbroat to tile mouih, push tbe end of icinio the cavity of the skull, 

 and fill the throat with bits of loose cotton passed through ttie 

 mouih. This Is a very good method, eapeciaily if the head is bent 

 so toat its axis epnst'S at moie or If^ss of an angle wilb that of the 

 body, spfccinn'n^ thn? prepared being f.ir easier to mount than 

 those wnich have been made with the axis of the head condnuons 

 with ttiat of the body, 



8 If iVe operator is left-handed the position should of course be 

 reversed. 



^ Tniek, short bills (such as t^ose of grosbealc;) cannot thus be 

 kept closerl, but th's may be Hone by stioliing a pin (not too largt ) 

 thi'onch the extreme anterior angle of the chm Into the under 

 surface of the upper mandible. 



* As mentioned before, it is not absolutely necessary to aew the 

 edges of the Incision tosether n fact, many good collectors dis- 

 pense -with this entirely. 



able to make first class sppcimens in their own way, 

 never become expert in it, and consequently do not adopt 

 this method. If the beginner can Jearn. however, to 

 make up his skins in this way he should do so, sir ce 

 there can be no question as to its advantagea, the most 

 important of which are that specimens dry much quicker 

 than when put away in a piper cylinder, hola their 

 shape better, and when dried are all ready for packing. 

 The only serious deftct in the danger of wrapping the 

 skin too tightly, thus making it "unaersized." allud'ecl to 

 above as a very common fault with those who have 

 adopted this method. Tni'i may be avoided by firtt tak- 

 ing the circumference of the bird before it is skinned by 

 means of a paper band or hoop just wide enough to hold 

 the wings up against the sides (as recommended pre- 

 viously), and then putting this hoop around thestuffedbird 

 before tne cotton is wrapped around it. 



Very large birds should never b" stuffed to their full 

 size, which would invulve unnecessary waste of space — a 

 very serious thing when traveling. -Just enough cotton, 

 tow or exui^lsior, or whatever is used for stuffing to keep 

 the opposite sides of the skin ] rum coming in contact 

 with each other is sufficient, the reck, however, and 

 the thighs being stuffed to nearly, if not quite, the natural 

 size. 



Large birds with very long necks or legs should also 

 have these members folded or doubled over to economize 

 space in i^acking. 



If the tail has peculiar markings which cannot be sat- 

 isfactorily seen unless it is spread, they can be easily dis- 

 played by the follow ing very simple process: The ba-e 

 of the tail having b -en properly cleaned by cutting ont 

 the wedge-shaped p:ece which proj cts into the ndt'd e 

 portion, removing the oil-gland, etc. (as described ue- 

 fore), pass a needle and thread fr im one side of the 

 base to the other, across the intervenins: angle, and then 

 tie the thread after id has been drawn tufficiently tight — 

 the tighter it is drawn of course the more the feathers 

 will be spread apart at the end. 



The primaries can be spread for a similar purpose by 

 passing a sufficiently small sharpened wire through their 

 stems, near ttie bise, and separating the individual quills 

 to the desired distance from one another. 



Birds with crests should have the head turned so that 

 while the bird lies upon its back one side of the head lies 

 upward, the feathers of the crest being erected and kept 

 in that position untit tne skin is dry. 



Determining the sex of specimens.— The sex of a speci- 

 men should never be guesstd from the charao'er of the 

 plumage, as is unfortunately very often dine, but always 

 by dibsectiun. Sometimes the generative organs have 

 been so injured by shot that this is impossible. Should 

 this be the case, the sex mark*^ should be wholly ignored 

 or else queried, as circumstances most justify. If the 

 organs hcive not been injured, the sex ot the specimen 

 may be a^certainedaftertikinning by making an incision 

 in the side near the vertebise and expo&ing the inside sur- 

 face of the "small of the back," Toe generative organs 

 will be found tightly bound to this region (nearly opposite 

 to the last rib.-) and separating it from the intebtines. 

 The testicles of the male wdl be observed as two sphe- 

 roidal or ellipsoidal whitish bodies, varying with the 

 season and species from the size of a pin's head to that 

 of a hazelnut. The ovaries of the female, consisting of 

 a flattened mass of spheres, variable in gize with the 

 season, will be found m the same region. 



A good magnifying glass is of great assistance in deter- 

 mining the sex of small birds, particularly the young, in 

 which the organs are but sliguily developed. 



Labeling specimens— Yhn labeling of a specimen is a 

 very important matter; in fact the label is part of the 

 specimen, whose value is in direct ratio to the concise- 

 ness of the data inscribed on its label. 



While tags have been recommended for temporary use, 

 a permanent label, attached to the specimen as soon as it 

 is prepared, is far better, and should, if practicable, be 

 used in preference. Tie your labels on securely, and do 

 not tie with e string longer than is necessary. "^Essential 

 data are precise lucality, date, sex, and name of the col- 

 lector, but other items of information may be added if 

 the collector sees fit. 



To tie the label to both legs (where they cross one 

 another), is possibly an advantage as making it less easy 

 to tear the label off; but this doubtful advantage is much 

 more than counterbalanct d by several disanvanlages, 

 which are unpleasantly realiz-'d when a meai-urement of 

 the tarsus has to be madeor when one is describing or mak- 

 ing a drawing of the specimen. It is r* commended, there- 

 fore, that th^ label be always titd to one leg only, prefer- 

 ably the right. 



Dicing shins. — Skins should be dried before they are 

 paclied tor snipment, otherwise they may mold. Tnis 

 may be done by exposing to the sua for a short time (a 

 longer time is of course required for larger specimens), or 

 keeping in a warm dry room for the neces,-hry length of 

 time. They should not be dried too quickly, however, as 

 this will cause them to become brittle, and, above all, 

 never attempt to d'y them by baking. 



Pi'otection against imects. — N o matter how well poisoned 

 with arsenic, stsins are ape to be attacked by insects, which 

 destroy or disfigure parts not protected by the poison, as 

 the bdl, feet, shaft-s of the quill and tail-feather.';, etc. In 

 order to prevent this, tlip parts liable to such injury should 

 be painted with an alcoholic solution of oil of bitter 

 almonds, oil of red cedar, or some equally pungent sub- 

 stance, and the box in which the spei imens are packed 

 should be tight as possible, and tobacco leaves, naphtha- 

 line, or camphor placed in with the sppoimens. An 

 alcoholic solution of coTOaive sublima'e is very effective, 

 but is also dangerous to the health, and its use is not to be 

 recommended unless other equally efficacious sub.stances 

 cmnot be obtained. An exceilpnt way to protect speci- 

 mens from destructive insects ia to wrap each one 'in a 

 piece of paper and gum together all the openings so that 

 insects cannot enter— a drop of oil of red cedar or oil of 

 bitter almonds, a few crystals of naphthaline, or some- 

 thing of the kind being inclosed with the skin, 



PACKING SPECIMENS FOE SHIPMENT, 



If specimens are not properly packed they cmnot be 

 expected to reach their destination in goud conditiem, hut 

 it IS very easy f o pick them in the right way if the follow- 

 ing ru'es are observed: 



(1) Never pack bird skins in the same box with geological 

 epecimenp, stone implements, deer heada, or other hard or 

 heavy objects. 



* The signs uwd to denote tbe sex are $ for male, ¥ for female 



