28 
MANUAL OF TAXIDERMY. 
more formidable weapon than a boy’s catapult, 
yet the peculiar attributes which make up a good 
collector are mainly to be acquired. A quick 
eye to detect a flutter of a wing or the flit of a 
tail among waving foliage ; an ear ready to catch 
the slighest chirp heard amid the rustling leaves, 
and so skilled as to intrepret the simple grada- 
tions of sound which distinguish the different 
species ; a constant wide-awake alertness, so that 
nothing escapes the observation, and which gives 
such nice control over the muscles that the gun 
comes to the shoulder with a promptitude that 
combines thought with action ; and an unwearying 
patience and pluck which totally disregard minor 
obstacles, are some of the characteristics which 
must be possessed by the individual who wishes 
to bring together a good collection of birds by 
his own exertions. If one does not possess these 
traits, why, then study to acquire them ; for 
securing birds is as fine an art as is preserving 
them after they are obtained. 
Section IV.: Care of Specimens. — Just as 
soon as a bird is shot, examine it carefully by blow- 
ing aside the feathers in order to find the shot- 
holes ; if they bleed, remove the clotted blood with 
a small stick, or, better, the point of a penknife, 
