Ommj) |laturalisf : 



A Penny Weekly Magazine of Natural History. 



No. 25. 



APRIL 17th, 1880. 



Vol. 1 



PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY." 



FITTING UP. 

 f\ GREAT deal depends upon the 

 7\ way in which your birds are fit 

 p, as if this part of the work is taste- 

 ifly done it will considerably improve 

 lie appearance of the birds themselves, 

 f you are going in for making a collec- 

 ion, the best plan is to tit them up 

 vith a pair only of one kind in one 

 >ox, or a case may be made to contain 

 ■ne family, say the Titmice, or the 

 Vagtails. If, on the other hand, it is 

 . large case to stand upon some side- 

 ward, merely as a set-off to the other 

 urniture, without any scientilic pre- 

 cisions whatever, a certain amount of 

 atitude is allowable, and you may put 

 n bnds of various orders, but take 

 Mr. Browne's advice, and do not make 

 your case ridiculous by placing a hawk 

 tearing its prey, and a lot of other 

 small birds perched around it, quite at 

 ease, and ignoring its existence. Such 

 a scene would be unnatural, and repul- 

 sive to the taste of every cultivated 

 mind. Cases may be made, either all 

 wood, or wood top and bottom, and 

 glass ends, but the best way is to get 

 to see two or three persons' collections.. 



i and select the style that suits you best. 

 You will also require some sand of 

 various sorts, that which comes from 

 the coast is generally very clean. 

 Some grasses, mosses, ferns, lichens, 

 fto., will also be wanted, as well as 

 snail shells, and sea-shells for sea- 

 birds, small crabs, sea- stars, sea-weed, 

 &c, a good stock of all these should be 

 laid in. If tin- birds require a tree, it 

 may be made by twisting tow around 

 wire, and after putting the various 

 branches together, coloring with glue- 

 water and umber, and afterwards glue 

 and throw on powdered lichen. If 

 the birds are ground birds an artificial 

 groundwork must be made. Put a 

 piece of wood where the bird will stand, 

 and then get some thick brown paper, 

 and having well-softened it with water, 

 paste it, and put it over the piece of 

 wood in the box bottom. Mould it 

 into rock shape, only take care it is not 

 hollow where the bird's feet have to 

 come. Pieces of "virgin" cork might 

 also be worked in with good effect, or 

 pieces of rough oak bark. When the 

 Avhole is dry it must be glued over, and 

 sand thrown upon it, when this is dry 

 it may either be left the color of the 



