HINTS FOR ORNITHOLOGICAL TRAVELLERS. 
well, and is at the same time a preservative. We have received 
specimens which have been stuffed with fine grass, leaves, moss, 
lichens, fine lycopodiums, and ferns : in short, any thing dry , that 
keeps the skin slightly apart, will supply a temporary want, until 
opportunity occurs of procuring a more abundant or better material. 
Much of the value of collections consists in the observations that 
accompany them, and in the localities of the specimens being 
authentically recorded. This is best accomplished by a card or 
vellum ticket, attached to the leg of each, and it should be looped 
on, as it often slips if knotted. On this a number, the locality, the 
date, the sex, $ ?, the colour of the irides, or any remark that 
it will contain, should be written at once. The number should refer 
to a memorandum book, where, when possible, all extended remarks 
that can be collected should be inserted : locality and nature of the 
country; season of the year when taken; native name; supersti- 
tions regarding ; uses for food or dress ; proportional abundance as 
a species ; if migratory, and the seasons of appearance and dis- 
appearance ; nidification ; note ; food ; colour of soft parts ; in 
short, every obtainable information. It would be convenient to 
carry abroad a quantity of the labels, numbered and threaded, ready 
to loop on ; and so soon as the bird is killed, one should be attached, 
and the note made as a future guide for the memorandum book : it 
should never be delayed, as among the multiplicity of objects, con- 
fusion will now and then occur. To these remarks, sketches of the 
head or soft parts, and naked skins, wattles, &c., coloured from the 
objects before they have faded, are very valuable additions ; and, 
for this purpose, a small stock of water-colour drawing materials 
should accompany the collector’s other tools. These sketches 
require to be very slightly made, the tints being laid on pure and of 
the natural depth. Where a species is found feeding on some par- 
ticular insect, or fruit, or berry, and the collector is not an entomo- 
logist or botanist, it would be desirable to have a small quantity of 
these specimens. These may either be sent in spirits, or the flower 
of the plant dried, or a few specimens of the insect sent dried in a 
small pill or card, or what is better, tin box, each numbered with 
the number corresponding to the label on the specimen. A col- 
lection, accompanied by such memoranda, would be worth, in the 
market, double, if not triple to that of one indiscriminately made, 
even though the specimens were in finer preservation. 
9 
