A FEW SUGGESTIONS. 171 



the green flies and beetles. Skins, when dry and packed away in 

 your trunk, must also be protected from ants, and the best way is 

 to carry along three or four deep tin plates which will fit into one 

 another for convenience in packing. Fill these with water, put a 

 stone in each, and place your trunk on these stones. 



In regard to your skinning outfit : that will depend upon your 

 taste, but I recommend simplicity. I took a pair of small short- 

 bladed, sharp-pointed scissors, a pair of tweezers, a pocket-knife, and 

 a knitting-needle, and found this amply sufficient. A tool-handle, 

 containing gimlets, screw-driver, small chisel, etc., was also very 

 useful. 



For materials : I was once in favor of plaster of paris in skinning, 

 but I now prefer Indian-corn meal. Take it tied up in shot-bags. 

 It is not heavy, will not spill out, and packs well in your trunk. 

 When you are skinning, spread out a sheet of paj)er, and when you 

 are through pour back the meal that is left. It can be used re- 

 peatedly. 



Take cotton batting with you, the kind that is sold in our dry- 

 goods stores done up in tissue paper. You can roll it up in an old 

 towel, and by wrapping it tightly with a strong string can compress 

 it until its size is many times reduced, and it packs away well. 

 Cotton is foimd all over Colombia, and I thought that I was doing 

 something unnecessary when I carried some with me ; but in Gua- 

 duas my supply gave out, and when I sent for some it was brought 

 to me in little wads about the size of a Avalnut, and I found that I 

 could no more stuff a bird w^itli it than I could with a set of build- 

 ing blocks. However, it was owing to this that I became acquainted 

 with what I consider a splendid material for stuffing large and 

 medium-sized birds, — I refer to oakum as used for calking vessels. 

 This is inelastic and retains the shape given to it, and a bird's body 

 can be modeled exactly after the one of flesh just removed. Some 

 birds have wide projecting shoulders, with a deep depression be- 

 tween the furculum and the neck, and it is just this shape that is 

 difficult to stuff with cotton, but can be fitted like a glove with 



