juNE it, 1904.^ 
4§1 
paws stretch out behind, the skin lying on its belly._ Try 
so to make your skin that when it has dried ' it will re- 
semble the dead animal. 
Just as you labeled your birds, with locality, date, sex, 
and name of collector, so you must label your mammals. 
A specimen without a label is absolutely valueless, and no 
man, under such circumstances, can afford to trust any- 
thing to his memory. In the case of both birds and mam- 
mals, you will do well to carry a note-book, and to take 
as full field memoranda as possible of the observations 
which you have made with regard to a particular speci- 
men when it comes into your hands. You will wish to 
say whether a certain mammal was secured on a mountain 
top or in a damp valley; where its burrow was, if you 
know, and generally to give all the, information connected 
with its life history and habits that you can possibly ac- 
quire. At the same time you must not make any guesses 
about these matters, and if you are only drawing conclu- 
sions you must say so. 
The best paper ever prepared on the preparation of 
skins of small mammals for use in study, was written by 
Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Chief of the Biological Survey, 
and published some years ago by the Government at 
Washington. It is as follows : 
Directions for Measurement. 
The tools necessary for measuring mammals are a pair 
of compasses or dividers, a steel rule graduated in milli- 
meters, and two large pins. Dividers with round points 
are better than those with triangular points. 
All measurements should give the distance in a straight 
line between the points indicated. They should be taken 
by means of dividers, or by driving pins into a board to 
mark the points between which the measurement is de- 
sired. They should never be made with a tape-line over 
the convexities or inequalities of the surface. 
The three most important measurements, and those 
which should always be taken in the flesh, are: (i) total 
length; (2) length of tail; (3) length of hind foot. _ 
(1) The total length is the distance between the tip of 
the nose and the end of the tail vertebrse. It is taken by 
laying the animal on a board, with its nose against a pin 
or upright post, and by straightening the back and tail by 
extending the hind legs with one hand while holding the 
head with the other; a pin is then driven into the board 
at the end of the vertebrae. (See Fig. 2.) 
(2) The length of tail is the length of the caudal ver- 
tebrae. It is taken by erecting the tail at right angle to 
si ill, with a mixture of powdered arsenic and alum in the 
proportion of four parts arsenic to one part alum), being 
particular to put an extra supply in the feet and tail. Put 
a wire in the body, letting it extend to the extreme tip 
of the tail, but be careful not to stretch the tail. Use an- 
nealed iron wire of as large size as will fit easily into the 
tip end of the tail. In rabbits, foxes, and wildcats puf 
wires in the legs also. 
Stuff the skin to nearly its natural size with cotton 
or tow (never use wool, feathers, or other animal sub- 
stances) ; sew it up along the belly, and place it flat on a. 
board to dry (belly down), with the fore legs extended m 
front and parallel to the body (i. e., not projecting out 
sideways), and the hind legs and tail directed backward. 
The accompanying cut (Fig. i) shows the appearance of 
a well made skin. 
Attach to each skin a label bearing the same number 
that is given the skull. On this label should be stated the 
sex, locality, date of capture (name of month should 
always be written in full), and name of collector. 
All skins should be thoroughly dry before they are 
packed for shipment. They should be carefully wrapped 
in cotton and packed in small wooden boxes. Cigar 
boxes do very well for the smaller species. 
Taxidermist. 
A Forest Tfagfedy. 
On Friday two lads who live near Cornwall saw two 
fine deer in the woods, and while they watched the ani- 
mals with no little interest they saw the life of one end in 
a tragedy. The animals were does, and one was much 
larger than the other. It was the larger one which came 
to an untimely end by accident. Years ago some wealthy 
people inclosed a section of mountain land with an iron 
fence. This fence is about seven feet high, and is sur- 
mounted with spikes. The presence of deer is not com- 
mon in Orange county, and the two lads watched them 
eagerly. Finally the pair started off and when they came 
to the high iron fence both attempted to jump it. The 
smaller deer was successful, and cleared the obstruction 
like a bird. The heavier deer failed. The unfortunate 
animal's hind legs caught on the spikes. She struggled 
hard and cried out in her agony as she hung on the fence. 
The lads who had been a witness of this unexpected 
mishap in the forest ran and told some men about it. 
I homas and Elmer Kent, who live on the mountain road 
near the landing, hurried to the scene. They found the 
Fig. 1. 
Fig. 3 
the back, and placing one point of the dividers on the 
backbone at the very root of the tail, the other at the 
tip end of the vertebrae. (See Fig. 3.) 
(3) The hind foot is measured by placing one point 
of the dividers against the end of the heel (calcaneum), 
the other at the tip of the longest claw, the foot being 
flattened for this purpose. (See Fig. 4.) 
Directions for the Preparation of Skins. 
Skin all mammals as soon as possible after death. 
Lay the animal on its back and make an incision along 
the middle of the belly from just behind the fore legs 
nearly to the vent. Be careful not to stretch the skin 
while removing it, and exercise great caution in skinning 
around the eyes and lips, which parts are easily cut. Skin 
as far down on the feet as possible, but leave in the bones 
of the legs. Remove the bone from the tail by pulling 
it between the fingers (in the larger species a split stick 
answers well). Take out the skull, being careful not t& 
cut or injure it in any way, and wash out the brains hj 
means of a syringe or jet of water. Remove the tongue, 
and cut off the thick flesh from the sides and base of the 
skull. Tie a tag to the skull bearing the same number 
that is attached to the skin, and dry in the shade. In 
damp weather it is sometimes necessary to use powdered 
borax to prevent the remaining flesh from decomposing. 
Never put arsenic or salt on a skull. 
Remove all fat and tags of flesh that adhere to the skin. 
In cleaning off blood or dirt that may have soiled the hair„ 
an old tooth-brush and a liberal supply of cornr-meal will 
be found serviceable. 
Poison all parts of the skin with dry arsenic (or^ better 
deer had been cruelly torn by the spikes and could not 
live. To end the animal's sufterirag, Elmer Kent killed it. 
The carcass was taken to the home of one of the men on 
a sleigh. Mr. Kent then notified Game Protector Kidd, 
who went to Cornwall and investigated the matter. Dr. 
Kidd said the doe was one of the finest and largest he had 
ever seen. Few people around Newburgh are aware, per- 
haps, that wild deer roam the woods so aear-by. They 
are occasionally seen, however, in the mountains around 
Cornwall, and a small doe was seen several times last 
summer near Roseton.— Newburgh (N. Y.) Journal. 
New York Zoologfical Park. 
In the Zoological Society's Park, in the Borough of 
the Bronx, New York already has the largest zoological- 
park in the world, and it is believed that a year or two 
hence it may justly be fairly called the finest and most 
completely equipped. During this season and the coming 
one more than half a million of dollars will be spent for 
improvements on the park, and the Board of Aldermen 
has recently appropriated $270,000 for immediate use. Be- 
fore very long the city's rapid transit system will be com- 
pleted to the southern boundaries of the park, and this 
will give the public direct access for a single fare of five 
cents. -This convenience of approach is certain to in- 
crease very greatly the attendance which has grown dur- 
ing the last year in an astonishing degree. Within a com- 
paratively short time the Lion house and the Antelope 
house have been completed, and the Bird house is fairly 
under way. It now becomes necessary to improve Baird 
Court, on which the Lion, Primate and Bird houses stand, 
and when this work has been completed, Baird Court will 
be the practical center of the park. 
Other improvements now in contemplation are a build- 
ing for large African quadrupeds, to cost $200,000; an- 
other restaurant to cost more than $50,000; aviaries <iost- 
ing $25,000; the completion of Baird Court With its aj^- 
proaches, $l2o,00o; a Deer house, $25,000, and other im- 
provements perhaps $100,000. The completion of all these 
buildings is a year or two distant, but we have seen how 
energetically the management of the park moves, and we 
may feel sure that if the money is available there will be 
no delay. 
But while the city authorities are altogether disposed 
to provide the funds for the necessary improvement of 
the park, it is the society itself which must furnish the 
collections which make the park attractive. This it has 
done, and is doing, yet often opportunities occur to secure 
rare animals which must be foregone for lack of money. 
The society has a goodly membership, but it ought to 
have twice as many members, since in this city and its 
neighborhood there are a great multitude of people inter- 
ested in the subjects to which the society is devoted, and 
perfectly well able to pay the annual membership fee of 
$10. _ The privileges of members in the way of free ad- 
missions, certain comforts within the park, the receipt of 
the publications of the society, and in other ways, are con- 
siderable. We shall be very glad to put any of our 
readers in the way of securing membership in this society. 
Oysters which "Bite** at Knife Blades. 
Chatham, Miramichi, N. B., Canada, May 20— Editor 
I'orest and Stream: I have nothing to say in opposition 
to Dr. Morns' objection to the oyster which is "stall-fed" 
m fresh and brackish waters, which, he truly says, are 
"pretty but no good" as to flavor. But there are other 
white-meated, plumped and delicious oysters of full, 
natural, and even improved flavor, which are taken on the 
Miramichi by fishing for them with a jacknife blade, al- 
though those who know how and where to get them to 
the best advantage go among them armed with a regular 
oyster-knife. 
When we tell visitors to the Miramichi that our oysters 
m a certain locality bite at the knife blade, are taken 
upon It by the basket full, and that they are the most 
pJump, white-fleshed and best flavored in this Province, 
they are at least skeptical, until they are induced to join 
an oyster party on one of our steam or other yachts on 
a trip to the lower bay of this beautiful river. 
Landing say at the southwest end of Bay du Vin (Baie 
aes Vents) Island, where there is a Sandy Hook on a 
small scale, the visitor finds hundreds of barrels of large 
oysters which have been spread out in the shallow water 
mside of the "Hook," where they are dry for a few 
minutes at low tide, but water-covered at other times. In 
this pure sak water they lie with open shells as soon aS 
the tide covers them, and the seeker after the fattest, best 
flavored, and most shapely oyster obtainable in New 
Brunswick may walk out among them with a pair of 
rubber boots on to keep his feet dry, and placing his 
knife-blade on the inside of one shell find the other closed 
quickly and tightly upon it, enabling him to lift the 
bivalve from its artificial bed. He has his choice of eat- 
ing it raw on the spot, or collecting as many as he 
may desire for more leisurely consumption. There is no 
danger of bacteria of any harmful kind, the fat which the 
oysters take on is genuine, natural, and flavor-improving. 
If Dr. Morris would come to Miramichi and "fish" for 
oysters with a knife-blade at Bay du Vin, he would, prob- 
ably, be as enthusiastic as we are over the artificially 
fattened oyster of the Miramichi, and know that the New 
York and other fresh-water processes were suggested by 
the conditions and practice at the Hook of Bay du Vin 
Island, with the substitution of fresh for salt water. 
D. G. Smith, 
Fishery Commissioner of New Brunswick, j 
Variation in Habits of the English Sparrow. 
Not only has the English sparrow changed his plumage 
here, as noted by Mr. Charles Hallock in a recent number 
of Forest AND Stream, but he has changed his character 
to a certain extent. He hops quicker, chirps oftener, and 
flies faster. And he is vastly more aggressive. All the 
result of climatic influence, of course. Another thing 
to be noted about the pervasive importation is this: He 
has taken to building in trees. This is easily explained. 
Since the metamorphosis of New York began, there have 
been practically no places left for nests, the architects be- 
ing wise in their generation. But if they thought to inter- 
rupt the propagation of P. domesticus, they reckoned 
without their host. It will be a cold day when that astute 
bird cannot adapt himself to circumstances. And as It 
has been in regard to nest building, so it will be in re- 
gard to food. The inevitable disappearance of the horse 
from our streets will not mean starvation for our 
feathered English friend. Food he will get somewhere, 
depend upon it. Lately I happened to be at a remote sea- 
side resort, and saw him flying about. What does he live 
upon here ? I asked myself a little wonderingly. Presently 
the question was answered when I saw him eating fish 
on the shore. F. M. 
New York, June 4. 
Relics of the Seneca Indians. 
A farmer's plow recently uncovered in Mt. Morris, 
Livingston county, N. Y., the grave of a Seneca Indian. 
It consisted of a stone box, the sides of which were flat 
slabs set on end, and was covered with another large 
flagstone. Human bones in a very much decayed condi- 
tion were found in the kist, and one of the most perfect 
implements was a highly polished white ivory-like tusk 
of unknown use. 
Near Squawkie Hill, where these relics were found, 
was the place where the Senecas used to hold their annual 
festivals and religious ceremonies, of which the green 
corn dance and the offering of the white dog were im- 
portant. It is said to be about lOO years since the last 
of these celebrations was held. 
All communications for Forest and Stream must he 
directed to Forest and Stream Pub. Co., New York, i&, 
receive attention. We have no other oMcff^ 
