100 
THE NATUHALLSTS* C'OMPANIOX. 
How to Make a Skin. 
During the short collecting seuson, 
it is not always practicable to stuff 
and mount birds, especially when on a 
collecting trip, as one generally wishes 
to spend as much time as possible to 
capturing specimens. We therefore 
giA'e the follow'ing directions by which 
one can preserve the skins, and in the 
winter, when time is not so precious, 
the}^ can readily be mounted. After 
skinning the bird, as directed on page 
dd. No. 3 of the CoMrANioN, the skin is 
arranged in its natural position. 
Draw the leg bones out till exposed, 
Avind with cotton and draAv them back 
into their proper position. Fill the 
skull and cavities of the eyes with cot¬ 
ton; draw out the wing bones and fas¬ 
ten them about an inch or tAvo apart 
(or as near together as they Avere in 
the orriginal bird); this makes the 
Avings fall into their natural position 
Avhen the bird is stuffed. Now take a 
thin layer of cotton and place it along 
the back of the bird (inside the skin) 
and under the string b}' AA liich the 
Aving bones are fastened. This done, 
take a i)iece of cotton nnd rub it l)e- 
tAveen the hands until it tapers to a 
point at one end. Take the tapered 
end of the cotton and pass it up the 
throat of the bird and out of its beak; 
draw it up until the throat of the bird 
is filled out to its natural size. Noav 
fill the bod}' Avith more cotton, if nec¬ 
essary, and carefully sew up the open¬ 
ing. Take the bird by the beak and 
shake it slightly so as to loosen all 
plaster, etc., and to make the feathers 
fall into their natural position. Next 
(IraAv the feet down their fidl length 
and tie them together, ( hit off' the 
cotton AA'here it ])rotru(lcs from the 
beak and run a needle full of thread 
through the nostrils and tie it under 
the bill, thus holding it firmly together. 
Noav draAv the bird out to its natural 
length, place the Avings, feet and head 
in position and arrange the feathers 
properly. Get a sheet of stiff })aper 
(Avriting paper Avill ansAver) about 
four inches longer than the bird. 
Take the paper and roll it into a cylin¬ 
der, fasten with tAvo pins. The diam¬ 
eter of the cylinder should be the same 
as that of the bird before skinning. 
The filled skin Avill be larger. Dro}) 
the bird into the cylinder tAvo or three 
times to shape it, and then put it in 
until the beak protrudes froiu the open¬ 
ing, arrange it Avith the lorceps, and 
see that the Ajings are even and the 
feet in proper position. Leave it for 
tAveiity-four hours, then remove it and 
arrange any feathers that ma}' liaA'e 
been misplaced and replace it in the 
cylinder and leaA'e it until dry. When 
dry the head and neck Avill be t)erfect- 
ly stiff'. In the next issue we Avill 
give directions for relaxing and mount¬ 
ing these skins. 
Rev. W. M. Leauchany, Baldwins- 
ville, N. Y., has our sincere thanks for 
a copy of his excellent Avork on the 
land and fresh Avater shells of Ononda¬ 
ga County, N. Y., Avith a supplementa¬ 
ry list of New York species. Trice, loc. 
The coast of Alaska posses a remark¬ 
able icthyological curiosity in a candle 
hsh. It is about eight inches long, 
transparent and very pure Avhite fat. 
'khe Indians dry this fish, and then 
light it at the tail. It burns Avith a 
clear sjiarkling flame Avhich a Aviml can¬ 
not extinguish. The fish Avill biiiTi for 
a number of hours. 
