SCIENCE. 
61 
SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 1880. 
BIRD FURNITURE. 
BY DR. J. B. HOLDER, ASST. SUPT. AM. MUSEUM. 
It is fair to say that, hitherto, no serious effort has 
been directed toward the proper furnishing of museum 
cabinets. This is especially the case with reference 
to Ornithology. Excellent specimens, often rare, all 
most valuable, and many special pets, highly prized, 
are placed with such surroundings and accessories 
as to very much detract from the pleasing effect they 
are capable of producing. This is so patent that any 
intelligent observer must have noticed the incongruity, 
though the cause may not be clear to him. 
This subject will bear a very much fuller consider- 
ation than we can now give it. We will, however, 
present the results of a deliberate and careful study of 
certain desiderata in this connection. The trustees of 
the American Museum of Natural History in Central 
Park, New York, in view of the great value and 
scientific importance of the Prince Maximillian collec- 
tion of birds, owned by the museum, determined to 
have them mounted in a manner commensurate with 
their worth. 
A large collection of skins of North American birds 
presented by Mr. Elliott, was also placed in the hands 
of the taxidermist. To be in keeping with the excel- 
lent work sure to come from Mr. Bell, the matter of 
Fig. 1. 
perches and stands became of the first importance. 
In large museums specimens are frequently moved to 
allow of more varied views, or to give place to others 
near them : it is desirable to exhibit one bird facing, 
another sidewise, the next with its back in front ; this 
involves a change or removal of label. 
To simplify this, as the result of our experiments, 
we refer to the figure of the bird perch. The wood is 
of the plainest straight-grained mahogany, handsomely 
polished. Though somewhat more expensive, it is 
regarded economical to use such furniture, as in a 
large museum it is manifestly desirable to avoid any 
future overhauling, or what householders call “ spring 
cleaning.” The polished stands and perches only re- 
quire the occasional use of a feather duster. Birds 
once mounted in this manner require nothing further, 
and remain intact for all time. The base of the perch 
is hollowed, as indicated by dotted lines at “ A.” This 
is to allow labels or written notes to be concealed 
safely beneath for reference. 
The top of the base “B.B.” is, practically, a 
tablet, upon which the label rests and rotates. The 
upright or column presents an appearance of com- 
pleteness after the label is mounted; the bead just 
under which the label works forming the base, all 
below being out of sight. 
“ E ” represents a bit of tin which embraces the 
label in front on its upper edge, and lies behind and 
in contact with it. A slender copper wire is passed 
around the tin, and is then compressed into -the 
groove which surrounds the upright at “C.C.” 
This wire is twisted behind the upright, and left pro- 
jecting sufficiently to allow it to be held by the thumb- 
nail while rotating the label upon the tablet, “ B.B.” It 
will be readily seen that this movement is easily made, 
and constitutes the chief point of interest in the perch. 
We think also that the proportions of the perch, the 
manifest harmony of parts, the fitting relations of 
label and tablet, each designed for the other in due 
proportions, may be regarded as improvements more 
or less in advance of the old methods. 
Another group of birds than those that perch re- 
quire flat stands ; as ducks, walking birds, etc. 
Our second illustration exhibits a device, very 
simple, yet suitable. It is desirable to place the label 
upon the stand, so that it may be removed or its 
