Section I.: Ordinary Method.—The only instruments that I use in removing the skin of birds ordinarily is a simple knife of a peculiar form (seeFig. 3); but I like to have a pair of dissecting scissors by me to be used in cases given further on. I also have plenty of cotton, and either Indian meal or dermal preservative at hand to absorb blood and other juices.
Figure 3Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
To remove the skin from the bird, first see that the mouth is plugged with cotton, and if it is, note if this be dry, if not remove it and substitute fresh. It is also well to note if the bird be flexible, for if rigid it is extremely difficult to skin, and it is always best to wait until this peculiar rigidity of the muscles, which follows death in all vertebrate animals, shall have passed. Thisoccurs in warm weather in much less time than in cold, often in one or two hours, but in moderate temperature a bird had better lie for at least six hours after it has been killed. Take then a specimen in the proper condition, lay it on its back on a bench, on which clean paper has been spread, with its head from you, but slightly inclined to the left. Now part the feathers of the abdomen with the left hand, and, excepting in ducks and a few other species, a space, either naked or covered with down, will be seen extending from the lower or costal extremity of the sternum to the vent. Insert the point of the knife, which is held in the left hand, with the back downward, under the skin near the sternum, and, by sliding it downward, make an incision quite to the vent, taking care not to cut through the walls of the abdomen. This can readily be avoided in fresh birds, but not in specimens that have been softened by lying too long. The fingers of the right hand should be employed during this operation in holding apart the feathers. Now sprinkle meal or preservative in the incision, especially if blood or juices flow out, in order to absorb them and prevent them soiling the feathers. Next, with the thumb and finger of the right hand, peel down the skin on the left sideof the orifice, at the same time pressing the tibia on that side upward. This will disclose the second joint of the leg, or knee proper. Pass the knife under this joint, and, by cutting against the thumb, cut it completely off, a matter easily accomplished in small birds; rub a little absorbent on either side of the severed joint; then grasping the end of the tibia firmly between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand, draw it outward. At the same time, the skin of the leg should be pressed downward by the fingers of the right hand to prevent tearing. The leg is thus easily exposed, and should be, as a rule, skinned to the tarsal joint. With the thumb-nail, nip off the extreme tip of the tibial bone, and strip the flesh off the remainder of the bone by a downward pull; then give the whole a twist, and cut all the tendrils at once. Of course the flesh may be removed from the bone by scraping, etc., but the above is the best method, and in case of large birds, break the end of the tibia with pliers. Turn the bird end for end, and proceed the same with the other leg, but during both operations the bird should not be raised from the bench. Now peel away the skin about the tail, place the forefinger under its base, and cut downward through the caudal vertebraand muscles of the back quite to the skin, the finger being a guide to prevent going through this. Rub absorbent on the severed portion. Grasp the end of the vertebra protruding from the body, thus raising the bird from the bench; peel down front and back by pushing downward with the hand, rather coaxing the skin off than forcing or pulling it. Soon the wings will appear; sever these where the humerus joins the coracoid, cutting through the muscles from above downward in large specimens, thus more readily finding the joints. Rub on absorbent, and it may be well to remark that this must be done whenever a fresh cut is made. Then the body is laid on the bench, and the skin is held in one hand, or, in large specimens, allowed to rest on the lap or on the bench, but never to dangle. Keep on peeling over the neck by using the tips of as many fingers as can be brought into service and soon, the skull will appear. The next obstruction will be the ears; these should be pulled or, better, pinched out with the thumb and forefinger nails. Do not tear the ears, and special care should be exercised in this respect in owls. When the eyes are exposed, pass the knife between the lids and orbit, close to the former, taking care that the nyctatating membrane be removed from the skin, or it will be in the way when the eyelids are arranged in making the skin. Peel well down to the base of the bill, so that every portion of the skin may be covered with preservative. Push the point of the knife under the eyes, and remove them by a single motion, without breaking them. Cut off the back of the skull at the point shown in the line A,Fig. 4; turn the head over and make two cuts outward as seen at A. A.,Fig. 5, thus removing a triangular portion of the skull B,Fig. 4, to which the brain will usually adhere, but when it does not, remove it with the point of the knife. This leavesthe eye-cavities open from beneath. Draw out the wings by grasping the end of the humerus in the left hand, and press the skin back with the right, to the forearm; then with the thumb-nail, or back of the knife, separate the secondary quills which adhere to the larger bone from it, thus turning out the wing to the last joint or phalanges. Cover the skin well with preservative, especially the skull, wings, and base of tail; roll up balls of cotton of about the size of the entire eye removed, and place in the cavities in such a condition that the smooth side of the ball may come outward so that the eyelids may be arranged neatly over them. Nothing now remains but to turn the skin back to its former position. Turn the wings by gently pulling the primaries and the head, by forcing the skull upward until the bill can be grasped; then by pulling forward on this, and working the skin backward with one hand, the matter will be accomplished, when the feathers may be lightly smoothed and arranged. It must be borne in mind that the quicker and more lightly a skin is removed the better the specimen will look. By lightly, I mean that the skin should not be tightly grasped nor stretched by pulling. Some workmen will remove a skin from a birdwhich is nearly spoiled without starting a feather, while others may skin a specimen as quickly, but the plumage will be crushed and broken through rough usage. The time for removing the skin from a small bird should not exceed six minutes, and I have seen it taken off in half this time. Of course the beginner will be longer than this; and then the skin should be occasionally moistened, by using a damp sponge.
Figure 4Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Figure 5Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
Section II.: Exceptions to the Usual Method of Skinning.—In case of birds which are very soft on account of having been dead a long time, it may be advisable to open either beneath the wing, making a short incision along the side or above the wing, cutting along the feather tracks just above the scapularies; and some skin ducks through a hole in the back just above the rump. I do not, however, advise such practice, as a rule, as the skins are more difficult to make up, and the bird cannot be mounted quite as readily.
Woodpeckers with large heads and small necks, like the pileated and ivory-billed, and ducks having similar characteristics, as the wood, pintail, and a few other species; also flamingoes, sand-hill, and whooping cranes, cannot be skinned over the head in the usual manner, but the neck should be cutoff after the skin has been removed as far as possible, and then a slit should be cut in the back of the head, and the head be skinned through this orifice, but an abundance of absorbent should be used to prevent the feathers from becoming soiled.
Care should be exercised in skinning cuckoos, doves, thrushes, and some species of sparrows, as the skin is not only thin, but the feathers start in the rump and back very readily. Peel the skin off gently, and do not fold it abruptly backward in working on these parts, but hold it as nearly as possible in its original position. The skin of the wood duck, and sometimes that of the hooded merganser, adheres to the flesh of the breast, but it may be separated by working carefully with the back of the knife. In removing the skins of young birds in the down, like ducks and gallinaceous birds, do not attempt to skin the wings.
If a specimen is to be mounted with the wings spread, the secondaries should not be detached, but the knife should be forced down back of the primaries in order to break up the muscles; then as much of the flesh as possible should be removed, and a quantity of preservative pushed in beneath the skin. In larger birds a slit should be made on the under side of the wing, and the musclesremoved from the outside without detaching the secondaries; and also when a specimen is to be mounted, the eye cavities should be filled with clay well kneaded to the consistency of putty.
Section III.: Ascertaining the Sex of Birds.—Although the sex of many birds can be ascertained with tolerable certainty by the plumage, yet this is never an infallible guide, and to make perfectly sure of every case the internal organs should be examined. I always advise dissecting such plainly-marked birds as scarlet tanagers or red-winged blackbirds, and by practising this habit I was once fortunate enough to discover a female painted bunting in full male livery. The sex of birds can be readily ascertained in the following manner: Lay the bird’s body on its left side, with the head from you; then with a knife or scissors, cut through the ribs and abdominal walls on therightside; then raise the intestines, and the organs will appear.
In males, two bodies, the testicles, more or less spherical, will be seen lying just below the lungs on the upper portion of the kidneys (Fig. 6, 3, 3). These vary not only in color from white to black, but also in size, depending upon the season or age of the specimen. Thus, in an adult song sparrow,during the beginning of the breeding season, the testicles will be nearly or quite a half inch in diameter, whereas in autumn they will not exceed a number eight shot in size; and in nestlings of the same species they are not larger than a small pellet of dust-shot. At this early age, the sex of birds which have become somewhat soft is quite difficult to determine, and the same is true at any season if the specimens be badly shot up. There are other organs, however, in the male. For example, the sperm ducts are always present, appearing like two white lines; and in the breeding season the plexus of nerves and arteries about the vent becomes swollen, forming two prominent tubercles on either side (Fig. 6, 3, 3).
Figure 6Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
In the female the ovaries lie on the right side(Fig. 7, 2) in about the same position as is occupied by the testicles in the male. The ovaries vary in size from that of half the size of an egg to minute points, depending, as in the male, on the season of the year and age of the specimen. In very young birds the ovaries consist of a small white body which under a magnifying glass appears somewhat granular. In both male and female are two yellowish or whitish bodies, in the former sex lying above the testicles, but further forward, and consequently just in front of the kidneys; and in the female they occupy about the same position. In addition to the ovaries in the female, the oviduct is always present (Fig. 7, 3), large, swollen, and convoluted during the breeding season, but smaller and nearly straight at other times. In young specimens it appears as a small white line.
Figure 7Fig. 7.
Fig. 7.
The denuded breast and abdomen seen in birds during the breeding season, cannot always be depended upon as a mark of sex, as this occasionally occurs in males as well as in females.
Section IV.: Preserving Skins.—Taxidermists for many years have made use of arsenic in some form as a preservative; and in the first edition of my “Naturalists’ Guide,” I recommended the use of it dry, stating that I did not think it injurious if not actually eaten. I have, however, since had abundant cause to change my opinion in this respect, and now pronounce it a dangerous poison. Not one person in fifty can handle the requisite quantity of arsenic necessary to preserve specimens, for any length of time, without feeling the effects of it. For a long time I was poisoned by it, but attributed it to the noxious gases arising from birds that had been kept too long. It is possible that the poison from arsenic with which my system was filled might have been affected by these gases, causing it to develop itself, but I do not think that the gas itself is especially injurious, as I have never been poisoned since I discontinued the use of arsenic.
When I became convinced that arsenic was injuring my health, and that of others, I began to experiment upon other substances, and after trying a quantity of various things, have succeeded in manufacturing a nearly odorless compound which has the following advantages over arsenic: It thoroughly preserves the skins of birds, mammals, reptiles, and fishes from decay, and also prevents the attacks of dermestes or anthrenus, while the feathers of birds and hair of mammals are not as liable to be attacked by moths as when the skin is preserved with arsenic. This preservative when properly applied abstracts the oil from greasy skins, thus preventing them from becoming decayed through carbonization, as nearly always occurs in ducks’ skins after a few years. It is a deodorizer, all disagreeable smells leaving the skin to which it is applied; and above all it is not a poison. I used this dermal preservative, as we have named it, as an absorbent while skinning birds, especially small ones, as then the plumage is dusted with it necessarily, which insures more or less protection to the feathers from the attacks of moths.
To render my preservative, or indeed any other, effective, it must be thoroughly applied to the skin; all the portions, especially those to which any flesh adheres, must be well covered with it, and the fibre of the muscles should be broken up as much as possible. But a small portion, at best, of arsenic is soluble in either water or alcohol, and but a little in the juices of the skin, whereas in my dermal preservative at least three-fourths of that which comes in contact with a moist skin is absorbed, thus thoroughly preserving the specimen. In the case of a greasy skin, remove as much fat as possible by peeling it off or gently scraping until all the little cells which contain the oil are broken up and the skin appears; then coat the skin liberally with the preservative, when it will be found to absorb the oil. Allow this layer to remain a few minutes, then scrape it all off and coat again with a fresh supply. Continue to do this until all the oil that will flow out is absorbed, and then dust with a final coating.
There are two chemical processes carried on in preserving oily skins, one of which converts the oil into soap, and this is in turn absorbed and dried. Thus the preservative which has been scraped from the skin can be after a time used again, as it has lost but a small portion of its efficiency. It might be borne in mind, however, that all the fat cells possible must be broken up, asthe skin which surrounds these is, in a measure, impervious to the preservative, which must, in order to absorb oil, come in contact with it.
Section V.: Other Methods of Preserving Skins.—Skins may be temporarily preserved by simply using black pepper, but the effect is not lasting. The same is true of tannic acid, but either of these, alum, or even common salt, will do as a substitute for the preservative until the skins can be got into the hands of a taxidermist, or until the collector can procure the proper preservative. I will here mention that the dermal preservative costs only twenty-five cents per single pound, and this quantity will preserve at least three times as many skins as the same amount of arsenic.
A good method by which large skins may be temporarily preserved is by salting them. Simply coat the inside of the skin with fine salt, turn it, smooth the feathers and fold the wings neatly, then pack in paper. The salt prevents the skin from quite drying, and thus it can be moistened much more readily, and made into a skin or mounted. The advantage of packing large birds in so small a capacity is obvious to any one. Two collectors whom we have had out the past season have sent in some thousand large skins in thiscondition; and these we shall endeavor to work up within six months’ time, as salted skins become quite brittle if allowed to lie too long. They should be kept in a dry place, as salt absorbs moisture, which causes the skin to decay. They are also liable after the first year to be attacked by dermestes and anthrenus.
Birds which are in a bad condition through having been dead a long time may be sometimes skinned, in case of rare specimens, by using great care. Sprinkle the inside of the skin well with preservative, as this tends to set the feathers, being a stringent, keeping the skin as straight as possible, as folding it is liable to loosen the feathers. The intestines of birds may be removed and the cavity saltedwhen large birds are to be sent from a distance.
Section I.: Cleaning Feathers.—If a bird is bloody, the feathers may be washed either in turpentine or water. Saturate a rag or piece of cotton, and clean off the blood, which if dry may require some soaking. Try to keep the water from spreading as much as possible, but be sure that every particle of clotted blood is removed and the spot washed thoroughly. Then dry by covering the spot well with either plaster or dermal preservative, the latter being preferable as it never bleaches the plumage. This should be worked well into the feathers with a soft brush, aided by the fingers, applying a fresh supply constantly until all the moisture is absorbed; then dust with a soft duster. In case of grease-spots, if fresh, use the dermal preservative alone, but if old and yellow use benzine to start the grease, and then dry with preservative, when it will generally be found that all stains will be removed; but in some casestwo or three applications of benzine may be necessary. Small spots of dried blood may often be removed from dark feathers by simply scraping with the thumb-nail, aided by a moderately stiff brush, much after the manner in which a living bird removes foreign substances from its plumage. Do not leave clotted spots of blood in the plumage, as the feathers never lie well over them, and such places are liable to be attacked by insects, and even a spot of blood under the wing should, in my opinion, always be removed. Before any attempt is made either to make a bird into a skin or mount it, it should be thoroughly cleansed. Stains of dirt may be removed with alcohol, which dries more readily than water, but it will not start blood as well as turpentine or water.
Section II.: Making Skins of Small Birds.—The instruments for skin-making are a flat brush, a duster for cleansing, three or four pairs of tweezers of varying sizes (seeFig. 8), needles, curved or straight as preferred, silk thread for sewing, and soft cotton for winding, and metal forms madeof rolled tin or zinc (Fig. 9). Lay the skin on its back, and push the single bones left on the forearm into the skin, then fasten them by taking a stitch through the skin near the base of the wing; then, passing the thread around the bone, tie it firmly. Now with the same thread, uncut, sew the other bone in a similar manner, leaving the two connected by a piece of thread which is about as long as the natural width of the body of the bird, thus the wings are kept the same distance apart as they were formerly. Now take a piece of cotton and form it into a rough body as near as possible in size to the one removed, but having a tapering neck of about the length of nature. Now grasp this firmly in the tweezers, and place it, neck foremost, in the skin, taking care that the point of the tweezers enters the brain cavity of the skull, so that the cotton may fill it, and projecting downward, form the throat; now allow the tweezers to open, and slip them out. Open the eyelids,arranging them neatly over the rounded cotton beneath. See that the bones of the wing lie along the sides, as they are liable to become pushed forward in putting in the cotton. This can be remedied by raising the cotton gently. If the cotton body has been placed in the proper position the neck will be full, but not over stuffed, and of just the right length to form a skin that has the appearance and size of a freshly-killed bird lying on its back with the head straight. The bill should be horizontal with the bench on which the bird lies, and from which the specimen should not be raised while at work on it. Now roll the skin over and examine the back; see that the wing feathers, especially the scapularies, lie in regular rotation, and that they have not been pushed one above the other; and the same attention should be given to the tail. Note if the feathers of the back lie neatly over the scapularies, and these in turn, should be over the wing-coverts; in short, all should blend neatly, forming a smoothly rounded back. Now place the skin, back down, in the form, lifting, by placing the thumb and forefinger on either side of the shoulders, which is the proper way to handle a small skin, even when dry. In placing the skin in the form, care should beused that the cotton does not slip out of the skull, causing the head to fall down. See if the tip of the wings are of equal length; if not make them so by drawing one wing downward, and pushing the other up toward the head, but do not pull them out of place at the shoulders. Be careful that the wings are placed high enough on the back. This is easily ascertained, if the closed tips of the primaries lie perfectly flat on the bottom of the form with their inner edges nearly downward. Now smooth the feathers with a pair of tweezers, placing the feathers of the sides that come below the sparrow’s wing inside the wing; above this they will lie outside. Always bear in mind that although a skin can be made perfectly smooth by an expert in from eight to fifteen minutes, one who is not accustomed to the work will be obliged to occupy a much longer time, as a skin cannot be made too smooth. Arrange all spots and lines on the feathers as they occur in life, especially about the head or on the back; in fact, too much attention cannot be given to these details, before and after a skin is placed in the form, if one wishes to turn out a first-class specimen.
Figure 8Fig. 8.
Fig. 8.
Figure 9Fig. 9.
Fig. 9.
Now bind the skin with soft cotton thread, used on bobbins in the mills, beginning at the lowerportions of the wings, and winding the thread over the body and under the form, so that the threads lie about a quarter of an inch apart, ending with the throat. Now arrange all the feathers which may have become disarranged under the threads, and place the skin away to dry where there is no draft, for a slight breeze will be sure to blow some of the feathers out of place. (For the form of a skin, seeFig. 10.)
Figure 10Fig. 10.
Fig. 10.
Another method of making skins which may be practised to advantage is as follows: After the skin is ready to place in the form, wrap it closely in averythin layer of nice cotton batting, taking care that the feathers lie perfectly smooth, although these may be partially arranged through the cotton, which must be thin enough for the feathers to be seen through it. The skin is then laid aside to dry without placing in the form.
Skins should not be exposed to too great artificial heat, neither should they be left to dry during damp weather in a room without a fire. Small birds, like warblers, will set perfectly hard in forty-eight hours in a moderate temperature with dry air. Never allow a skin to freeze.
Section III.: Making Skins of Long-necked Birds.—Sandpipers, thin-necked woodpeckers, or any birds, the necks of which are liable to become broken, should have a wire placed in the neck to support and strengthen it. Proceed in sewing the wing-bones as directed in small skins; then make a body of cotton around the end of a wire that has about an inch of the end bent into the form of a hook, and then the body may be wrapped about the wire with some of the winding cotton. The neck-wire should project from the body for about the same length as the natural neck, or a little more. This neck-wire should also be wrapped with cotton to the size of the natural neck, but rather thicker where it joins the body. A small portion of this wire which has been sharpened, as hereafter to be directed, should project beyond the body. Now place the body in position inside of the skin, forcing the point of the wire into the skull, up into the base of the upper mandible as far as it will go. The heads of long-billed birds may be turned onone side, but in this case the bill will be placed to a greater or less angle. Sew up specimen as before; arrange and place in a long form and bind. The legs of such birds as yellow-legs may be stitched together at the tibial joint, then bent toward the sides, and the toes stitched to the skin.
In making skins of all birds where the back of the head is opened, the orifice should not be sewed up until after the wire has been inserted in the upper mandible, as it may be necessary to add more cotton through here to make the throat or back of the head as full as in life. Sew up this orifice by taking fine stitches in only the extreme edge of the skin, and the same caution must be exercised in sewing up accidental tears in the skin. Very tender skins may have tears mended by pasting tissue-paper neatly over the holes from the inside. In fact it is best to sew up tears from the inside, always using silk thread for the purpose.
Section IV.: Making Skins of Herons, Ibises, etc.—Proceed exactly as in long-necked birds, but to make a compact skin lay the bird breast down, and turn the head and neck on the back, and fasten the legs to the sides. I always wire the necks, and for additional security, to preventthem being straightened by careless or inexperienced persons, I stitch the bill to the skin of the back. In addition to sewing on the inside of the wing, stitch the wing firmly to the inside, by sewing over the outer primary into a pinch of skin on the side, thus the wing is fastened in two places.
Ducks’ skins may be made in a similar manner, but the feathers of the side must be broughtoverthe wings, and the webs of the feet may be spread with a wire, which must be removed, however, when the feet are dry, or it will rust; and galvanized or brass wire is the best for making skins.
Section V.: Hawks, Owls, Eagles, Vultures, etc.—The skins of these large birds are made in forms, but the wings must be stitched to the sides, as in herons, etc. The necks must be wired. In making the skins of all large birds it is best to use bodies made of excelsior or grass, rather than cotton, which does not make a firm enough body. See remarks under mounting for instructions for making bodies; but they do not need to be quite as solid for skins as in mounting; in fact, keep them as light as possible. Too much care cannot be taken in forming the eyelids of all birds, especially large ones. Have the cavity occupied by the eye round, with the cotton lying smoothly inside, and not projecting in a ragged manner.
Section VI.: Labelling Specimens.—A skin is of little value unless labelled with date, locality, and sex. Never lay a bird one side without a label is firmly attached to one foot or other part. The sex of birds is indicated by the astronomical signs of the planets; Mars (♂) and Venus (♀), the former being, as is obvious, the mark for males and the latter for females. To keep these in mind one has only to remember, that that of Mars is a conventionalized spear and shield, indications of his warlike profession, while that of Venus is supposed to represent a looking-glass, an article so indispensable to feminine taste. I use blank forms for labels, and the simpler the better; thus, below is one which I used during my last expedition to Florida:—
Explorations in Florida,By C. J. Maynard & Co.,9 Pemberton Square, Boston, Mass.Rosewood, Nov. 10, 1881.♂
Explorations in Florida,
By C. J. Maynard & Co.,
9 Pemberton Square, Boston, Mass.
Rosewood, Nov. 10, 1881.
Rosewood, Nov. 10, 1881.
♂
♂
The sex of either, male or female, is printed, but at least two-thirds as many males as females are needed; while any notes regarding the color of feet, bill, and iris of each specimen may be written on the back. The size given is the one used for specimens from the size of a humming-bird to that of a golden-winged woodpecker. The labels of ducks and herons may be attached to the beak by securing through the nostrils, as then they are more readily found.
It is well to keep in mind that in order to have any value as a scientific specimen, a bird must be labelled as near as possible with date, locality, and sex, but never guess at either. If you have a skin in your possession that you are not absolutely certain about, either label it with an interrogation mark filling the part of which you are in doubt, or do not label it at all. Thus if you are unable to determine the sex satisfactorily, say so by drawing a line through the sex mark and substituting a query (?).
Section VII.: Care of Skins, Cabinets, etc.—When skins are removed from the forms they should be dusted with a light feather-duster, striking them gently from the head downward so as not to ruffle the plumage. Although skins are well preserved from the attacks of demestes and anthrenus, which feed upon the skin, yet the feathers are always liable to be attacked by moths, while the skin on the feet or bills is also liable to be eaten. This may be prevented by washing the parts with a solution of bleached shelac dissolved in alcohol. By far the best way to insure absolute safety is to shut up the skins in insect-proof cabinets. Various methods have been tried to prevent the ingress of moths, etc., in cabinets, but the best and simplest is to have a door fitted to the outside of the drawers of an otherwise perfectly jointed cabinet. This door is provided with a bead which surrounds the outside and fits in a groove on the margin of the woodwork outside the drawers, while the whole door fits in a groove which extends quite across the bottom. Another method which we practise on our latest-made cabinets is to have each drawer moth-proof, by having a margin made all around it which fits into a groove, then all the drawers are covered by closing a flange on the sides.
Section VIII.: Measuring Specimens.—Specimens of all rare birds should be measured. With the beginner, it is best to measure every specimen. I measured some fifteen thousand birds before I made a single skin without so doing, and now I am careful to take the dimensions of all rare specimens. The dimensions of a bird are taken as follows, using dividers and a rule marked in hundredths of the inch: First measure the extremelength from the tip of bill to end of tail; then the extreme stretch of wing from tip to tip; then the length of one wing from the scapular joint to tip of longest quill; next, the length of tail from end of longest feather to its base at the insertion in the muscles; now the length of bill along culmen or chord of upper mandibles; and of tarsus from tarsal joint to base of toes. I have a blank sheet ruled, and fill it out as per sample (page 62).
CAMPEPHILUS PRINCIPALIS.
No.Sex.Locality.Date.Length.Stretch.Wing.Tail.Bill.Tarsus.Color ofRemarks.Eye.Bill.Feet.1936♂Gulf Hummock, Fla.Nov. 20, 188220.3531.009.306.352.751.80YellowIvory whiteGreenishPlumage, new1937♀””19.7530.009.006.252.651.60””””1938♂””21.0032.009.606.502.802.00””””
No.193619371938Sex.♂♀♂Locality.Gulf Hummock, Fla.””Date.Nov. 20, 1882””Length.20.3519.7521.00Stretch.31.0030.0032.00Wing.9.309.009.60Tail.6.356.256.50Bill.2.752.652.80Tarsus.1.801.602.00Color ofEye.Yellow””Bill.Ivory white””Feet.Greenish””Remarks.Plumage, new””
Section IX.: Making over Old Skins.—Sometimes it is desirable in case of rare birds to make over into presentable skins specimens which have been improperly prepared. Prepare a dampening box by placing a quantity of sand, dampened so as to just drip water, in any metal vessel having a tight-fitting cover. Then wrap the specimen to be made over in paper, lay it on the sand, and cover with a damp cloth folded several times. Place the cover on the vessel and set in a moderately warm place for about twenty-four hours if the specimen be small, longer if large. At the end of this time the skin will be quite pliable. Then remove the cotton and examine the inside of the skin carefully, and if there are any hard places caused by the skinbeing too thick, scrape them down with a blunt knife or, better, use our skin-rasp, and thus thin them down until the feathers above are as flexible as in any other portion. If there be grease on the feathers or inside of the skin after scraping, wash with benzine, and dry with preservative as described. When every portion of the specimen is perfectly pliable, and all superfluous dried flesh has been removed, sew up the rents, and make up as in fresh birds, but such skins generally require more careful binding. It is also often necessary to wire the neck of even small birds, especially inbadly shattered and decayed skins.
Section I.: Instruments.—The instruments necessary for mounting are cutting pliers (Fig. 12), or tin shears, straight-nosed pliers (Fig. 11), wire of various sizes, tweezers, and other implements used in skin-making; leg awls, for dried skins, and awls for boring stands; also stands of various kinds.
Figure 11Fig. 11.
Fig. 11.
Figure 12Fig. 12.
Fig. 12.
Section II.: Mounting from Fresh Specimens.—Be sure that a skin is perfectly clean in every way before attempting to mount, as it cannot be washed nearly as well afterwards. Remove all the bodies of skinned specimens well out of the way, and spread a clean sheet of paper where the skinning has been done, that there may be no danger of soiling the plumage. Make abody of fine grass, excelsior, or, better, the peculiar tough grass which grows in shady places, in sandy soil, is preferable, by winding with thread, moulding it so as to have it quite solid, shaping it in the hands until it assumes the exact length and breadth of the body removed, and as near its form as possible. Thus see that the back is fuller than the under side, and that there is a well-defined breast. Great care should be taken not to get this body larger than the natural one; if anything it should be smaller. With the pliers cut a piece of wire of the proper size, that is, of about half the diameter of the bird’s tarsus, and about three times the length of the body. In cutting all wires which are to be sharpened, the cut should be made diagonally across it, thus forming a point. Push this wire through the body so that it will emerge in the front much nearer the back than the breast, protruding so that it equals the length of the neck and tongue of body removed. Bend over the end remaining at the back, turn down about half of it and force it into the body (Fig. 13, c). This will hold firmly if the body has been made sufficiently solid. Wrap the wire with cotton by taking a strip and winding it gradually so that it assumes a tapering form with a portion of the wire protruding. Place this body in the skin and push the protruding wire into the upper mandible. Cut two wires of about half the size of that already used, and twice the length of the outstretched wing. Work these into the wings, beginning at the fleshy portion of the phalanges, so on into the body, taking care not to allow it to pierce through the skin anywhere. The wire should enter the body at the point where the end of the lower portion of the forearm touches it when the wing is folded naturally. Pass the wire through the body diagonally until it emerges so that it can be grasped with the pliers somewhere near the orifice, and firmly clenched. Next find the metacarpal bone, which has a hollow place in the centre (Fig. 14,f), and force the upper end of the wire through it so that about a quarter of inch shall protrude on the upper side of the wing, and bend this down by applying one jaw of the flat pliers on the side of the wing opposite. This will fasten the wing firmly, and the spurious wing will cover the wire, while that on the lower side will be concealed by the feathers. The wing should be outstretched when this is done.