COLLECTING AND PREPARING 
SCIENTIFIC SPECIMENS 
The Pacific Ocean Biological 
Survey Program, in addition to its 
extensive banding operations, col- 
lects and prepares birds for museum 
research- collections. To the un- 
initiated, a bird prepared as a 
scientific specimen is hardly im- 
pressive. The wings are folded 
close to the body and the body is 
slightly flattened to facilitate 
storage. The eyes are of cotton in- 
stead of the glass that commercial 
taxidermists use. 
However, to the biologist a 
properly labeled scientific specimen 
represents a wealth of knowledge. 
From the label he can learn the 
bird’s sex, breeding condition, soft 
part colors, (many of which change 
after death), wing and leg lengths, 
weight, molt, food habits and col- 
lecting locality. From the skin, he 
can describe the color, stage of 
molt, form of the bill and feet, all 
of which are invaluable in the 
study of bird classification and 
identification. Specimens often must 
be taken to ensure reliable iden- 
tification and in the Pacific 
specimens are also useful in the 
study of inter-island variations be- 
tween birds of the same species. 
Properly prepared, a scientific 
specimen will last indefinitely. 
Specimens and their labels thus 
provide a valuable record of past 
patterns of bird distribution. 
After collection, any blood or 
dirt on the plumage is washed off 
with cold water as soon as possible 
and a wad of cotton is stuffed into 
the throat in order to keep body 
fluids and blood from soiling the 
feathers. Feathers are often bent 
out of shape or broken if the bird 
must be carried any distance, and, 
to prevent this, it is placed head- 
first into a funnel made out of 
newspaper or a slick magazine 
sheet. 
Actual equipment needed for 
skinning varies according to indi- 
vidual tastes; however, it usually 
includes the following: a sharp 
knife or scalpel, scissors, wire or 
bone cutters, stiff wire, needles 
and thread, forceps, a tray con- 
taining either corn meal or saw- 
dust, and a 'supply of cotton or 
excelsior. 
