HINTS FOR ORNITHOLOGICAL TRAVELLERS. 
of species which are likely to be brought to a collector abroad, 
there will be many unfit for good skin preparations, the skull or 
sternum of which should be kept ; and where the species is abundant, 
two or three entire skeletons should be prepared. The sternum, or 
breast-bone, with the shoulder-bones and merry-thought attached, 
may always be separated from the carcase, after a bird is skinned, 
and will be highly valuable to comparative anatomists, provided the 
name of the species to which each specimen belongs be carefully 
recorded. This is easily done by clearing the flesh roughly off, and 
hanging up in the sun to dry, which is assisted, if the specimen, 
after clearing, can be steeped in water for twenty-four hours before 
hanging up. When hung up, the neck, legs, and wings, should be 
retained in the least possible space, both on account of economy in 
packing, and for safety to the specimen. Any of the soft parts 
that may be considered important, can only be sent in spirits, and 
should be put in immediately on being removed from the specimen. 
To transmit the specimens entire, two modes have presented them- 
selves to our experience, both of which answer well if common care 
is taken in putting them up. The first is sending the birds entire 
in spirits. In doing this, specimens may be put from time to time 
in a jar of moderate size, kept in a cool place, care being taken not 
to put in any which are tainted, even slightly, with decay; a small 
incision should be made in the belly to admit the spirits inside. 
When ready to be despatched, they should be removed to another 
jar, and fresh good spirit supplied. The specimens should be put in 
with the feathers on, so that they can be recognised afterwards, and 
too many should not be put together, the collector bearing in mind, 
that a certain quantity of spirit will only preserve a certain quantity 
of animal matter; and although, in any case, they might serve for 
skeletons, they would otherwise be quite useless for any examination 
of the soft parts. The top should he securely closed and pitched or 
painted over, to prevent escape of spirits during the transmission. 
Wax is dissolved by spirits, and is therefore objectionable as a 
closing medium. A thin sheet of Indian rubber is the best material 
for closing the mouths of spirit jars; next to that is a cork bun., 
covered with linseed poultice or douo-h and thon Q m n • ° 
Of leather tied over it If the iS a b,adder ° r P ' CCe 
or corrosive sublimate, it will “ e 'f' “ 
enemies Th* ™ , 1 tJie 11101 e secure from insect 
enemies. The second mode of sending specimens home entire, is by 
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