~Smithsonian Institution SJibraries Alexander Wetmore 1946 dzth Secretary Lee) 5 3 ee. + ayy < mis ote Xi af Oe bits eee weit eS Sel / Practical Taxidermy, AND HOME DECORATION ; TOGETHER WITH GENERAL INFORMATION FOR SPORTSMEN, 1536 JOSEPH H. BATTY, TAXIDERM\ST FOR THE HAYDEN EXPEDITION, AND OTHER GOVERNMENT SURVEYS AND MANY OF THE LEADING COLLEGES AND MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED STATES. AUTHOR OF “HOW TO HUNT AND TRAP,” ETO., ETC. 125 ILLUSTRATIONS. NEW YORK: ORANGE JUDD: COMPANY, 52 AND 54 LAFAYETTE PLACE, 1890. Entered. according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by the ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washinyton. TO PROF. Bs HORSFORD, MY EARLY INSTRUCTOR IN TAXIDERMY, AND SYMPATHETIC FRIEND IN BOYHOOD, THIS BOOK IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED. THE AUTHOR. in +; ! "9 » CONTENTS. PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. PPO PACE hifi nc oc ew ait cian crs ne cletuis wis anlete DAIS Soto aisin swrsisiciia'esiotwa eicleve 2 IbHiishers, “ANHOUNCCINCNt: 564% soci. bibs ce ce wc.c's ceivcesectideceesleees 8 CHAPTER I. GOEL ITs cprai aieyafaral ane ao sft e'e'd oie aie’ vice ala/aselemine's sins bee ca save caren ware 15 CHAPTER II. Camping... ..c.060 56 Meta sdriniowi ovat ne sie Sine sees Gerace oe ametoinye dedse on CHAPTER III. BP eae PUUNN aor etalein ins aol minicin le viele oral «in: o/ainaye'e sivis visle's eviels ena evie’s cisinm'sieis.e 30 CHAPTER LY. ER DMO ne sco c os Salcicie's icone sins sin\s conics siewiwisisie cleiin isle a's sigs melas esas 33 CHAPTER V Guns and Cases for Collecting... 1.02... sec seew cee Bs carats Maneieclers scale 42 CHAPTER VI. Care OF oGILHS..\.sre's sie seule Dakss evacatauaate os set sacs Sales TRE a eimotars as 50 CHAPTER VII. Collecting Animals... os csc ee ce siaeccicnsiclesencscnsesecscesicecocee 53 CHAPTER VIII. Preparing Animals’ Skins for Mounting.......6 secsssecseescescees 59 CHAPTER IX. To Preserve a Buck’s Heaa for Mounting............... evi farala cc aielaiacete 65 CHAPTER X. Momntine AmIMalse. 6c ss ccts'ssioce ecw s Slatidccresteerncs inlays oe tiveloeice 76 CHAPTER XI. Preparing and Mounting Skeletons............ Srcictstatniteretnaie state senna OO CHAPTER XII. Collecting Birds...... Brain citetsiaeesa se se ceiaaios eideverents Gales Geta cts wee CHAPTER XIII. Preparing Bird Skins for Mounting........... aelatevete sere RE ASS ONS OrC 99 CHAPTER XIV. Mounting Birds with Closed Wings........... sefaicrelare ra/ealatavescayal voters 102 CHAPTER XV. Mounting Birds with Spread Wings............... SUnrsialat sreiatorate i aoe LOG CHAPTER XVI. Mounting Diy Bird) Sisittsic ccc ccc occas secs es wi cielctaels, Sos bregiciepelelate 109 CHAPTER XVII. Medallion Heads..... aEAte aaraiie tale cca eevs aiuto ais 6).070's Satins Seiad ame eeueeres 112 CHAPTER XVIII. Mounting Specimens on Shields............. aisle iavewwats Sie Seats sw vvedld CHAPTER XIX. ; Dressing Bird Skins......... sic Sanenancere Sein loiereree ahora nisie sare erate ere 2 VII Vill CONTENTS. CHAPTER XX. Collecting and Preparing Birds’ Eggs......... a cuwe Cawe eves cveemhact ee CHAPTER XXI. Collecting, Preparing, and Preserving Reptiles......... (aeons Por CHAPTER XXII. Fish, and How to Mount Them. :... 2.2... .ccecccccccccccscesccncoce 127 . CHAPTER XXIII. Crustaceans and Other Marine Animals. ...........0.. oavehens scab 135 CHAPTER XXIV. Collecting and Hatching Chrysalids.—Collecting, Preserving, Mount- ing, and Arranging Moths, Butterflies, and Insects...............- 139 CHAPTER XXY. Grouping......... inp vind biti eiele wie Sele eee ou kick sBibae Soe caw tke wiemae 147 CHAPTER XXYVI. Care of Specimens, Chests, Cabinets, Cases, and Stands............. 151 CHAPTER XXVII. Makin Gases io voce sso sé Se capuphe eens os eames hens Saree eee ee 154 CHAPTER XXVIII. Hints on Making Rock-work.... joc. icicle sos ncs cee ened cs coin cewene esas 157 CHAPTER XXIX. Papering and Tinting Cases............-.-..00- SO PRE ee eS 160 CHAPTER XXX. Modelling, Castine, and Carvani is i.0. i < cnc cc aeeceense f 1 Mm il TW | | 7 Ww | kil CAMP STOVE, PACKED, CAMP STOVE, UNPACKED of the contents of the crania. ‘The necessary preserva- tives are: dry arsenic for birds, and saltpetre, salt, and alum, for mammals, though in warm weather, diluted car- bolic acid is quick in action and should be used to prevent decomposition. Ordinarily, a mixture of two parts alum and one part salt, is all that is necessary for mammals, Other materials are, plaster for drying the plumage of soil- ed birds, corn-meal to facilitate skinning, cotton, tow, ex- celsior, sea-grass, or moss, for stuffing, and sheet-cotton to split and use for wrappers. A light, flat-topped trunk, OUTFITTING. 21 containing thin wooden trays, will hold the outfit and many small specimens. For special trips where transpor- tation is available, a light chest, bound with thin iron, is preferable. When camping for a season, a camp-stove is really nec- essary, and affords great comfort. One can be secured with full variety of utensils, weighing but 25 lbs., and costing but a moderate sum. Guns, ammunition, and traps, should be selected accord- ing to the game tobe sought for. BS { usually carried. With 4 bs . BS this gun the naturalist = & gq i Le) y 46 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. many. I used one during an entire season in Minnesota. One of the publishers of this volume tells me that he has hunted with a Remington for four seasons in the Eastern States, on the prairies and among the Rocky Mountains, and that he would not exchange it for any other make. It is specially well adapted for ight work. The Im- p-oved Parker Shot Guns are highly regarded by some sportsmen, and I would recommend them in preference to guns of foreign manufacture. The Fox Patent Breech- loader Shot Gun, with recent improvements, is meeting with favor. It is a well shaped piece, and shoots hard and close. The new Colt’s Breech-loading Shot Gun has recently come into the market, and will, it is claimed, be still more popular, owing to its cheapness. The blow-pipe is of great service for collecting warblers and other small birds. It should be made by encasing a long glass tube in wood, to prevent breaking. ‘The or- dinary glass tubes used by glass-blowers, make good blow- pipes, which should have a diameter of one-half inch, and be not less than six feet long. To encase a pipe with wood, take two strips of straight- grained pine, and plane or ‘‘ gouge” out a half-round groove the full length of each. Glue them together and wire firmly over the glass pipe. When the glue is dry, remove the wires, and plane the wood round until it has a diameter of an inch and a half; if smaller, it will sag, and not do good shooting. Putty balls should be used, and blown with a quick puff which is easily acquired by practice. The putty is thickened with whiting until the pellets will roll hard, but they should not be dry enough to crumble. With this novel gun, I have killed as many as fifty-six beautiful warblers in less than a day, and spoiled but few specimens in killing. The blow-gun can be used in any place where a shot-gun would be objectionable. To protect guns in travelling, or in camp, from hard 4} GUNS AND CASES FOR COLLECTING. knocks, dampness, and dust, good serviceable covers are necessary. Guns that can be easily taken apart, like most *aHA00 -NOD SVANVO modern shot-guns, should be cased in as small space and convenient manner as possible. There are many arrange- It is ments, but the Victoria gun-case excels all others. 48 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. made of heavy leather or canvas, and is so well balanced, when packed, that it is readily carried. For rifles and shot-guns, which have not detachable barrels, long cases are necessary. ‘They are made in great variety of leather and canvas. Those of leather afford the best protection and are most serviceable, but they are too bulky for camp use. The canvas covers are cheap and convenient. They will protect from dust and dampness, are easily used on the saddle, and can be folded and packed in saddle- bags when the gun is in use. A strong leather handle facilitates carrying, and they will afford better protection in rainy weathei than the fringed Indian buckskin cover. Ammunition requires greater care than the gun. A wet or corroded cartridge that fails to explode, may often lead to loss of life or severe wounds from enraged animals. A gun can be cleaned and oiled in a few ||| minutes, but a wet cartridge Lindl = is both useless and danger- AMI i Wii | ous. Many hunters carry their rifle cartridges over the dusty plains in narrow belts, and shoot them reck- lessly when coated with dirt, grinding the rifling out of the guns, and ruining them for long range shooting. Compact ammunition cases are now made for both shot- gun and rifle, which hold cartridges, shells, ammunition and loading apparatus. An ammunition case of sole-leather is the best, and carries a rifle’s outfit securely and conveniently. The shot-gun ammunition case is generally adopted by SS See Li Ada ianeat UN a AMMUNITIGN CASE FOR RIFLE. GUNS AND CASES FOR COLLECTING. 49 sportsmen, and the compact manner in which it can be packed, makes it highly desirable for camp use. With a case of this description, one can always have plenty of dry cartridges in convenient position. After returning from a hunt, cartridges that lave been used can be reloaded and returned, and the full quota of the case AMMUNITION CASE FOR SHOT GUN, maintained. In making up ammunition, primers are preferable to caps, inasmuch as they are less susceptible to dampness, and will not miss fire if properly seated. 50 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. CR Asi it BR OV a. CARE OF GUNS. A good gun is indispensable to the collector’s success, and should have the best of care, particularly in remote districts. Some let their guns lie around camp like an axe, but the keen hunter early learns to care for and pro- tect his weapon. A gun, like a watch, is useful if kept in good order, but worthless if neglected. It should be clean when in camp. Use in rainy weather should be avoided, and it should not be kept over night when wet without cleaning. A rifle needs even greater care than a shot-gun, and should not be carried all day in wet weather without the barrel being wiped out, or a shot fired. How- ever slight the rust at first in the rifling, it will gradually increase until the gun becomes leaded, and shoots wild. Some writers assert that water should never be used in cleaning a gun, whereas it is the only fit fluid to remove burnt powder and lead. Others recommend kerosene, which, though effective in cutting dirt and rust, also eats the metal, and is ruinous to rifling. The oil of porpoises, seals, sea-birds, bears, skunks, wood-chucks, and the larger land birds, is good for guns, though refined sperm oil is generally used when friction occurs, and heavy pe- troleum oils to prevent rust. To clean a breech-loading shot-gun, remove the barrels from the stock, and swab them out with a damp rag, twisted tightly around the wiper. Dry them thoroughly, and work the oil over their entire surface by rubbing with a woollen rag. The dust may be removed from the stock and about the ham- mers with a stiff brush, and the whole should be oiled. The inside of the locks need to be cleaned and oiled but once or twice a year. The barrels of a muzzle-loader should be washed out in hot water, thoroughly dried, slightly heated, and oiled. CARE OF GUNS. 51 In the field, every precaution should be taken to pre- vent accidents. I have carried two sizes of coarse shot in my body for six years, hence the following precautionary advice : Central fire guns, with rebounding locks, are less liable to be discharged in handling than those whose hammers rest on the plungers or caps. Pin-fire guns are inconvenient, and even dangerous. Guns not having re- bounding locks should be carried at half-cock when loaded, to prevent any discharge from a blow on the ham- mers. When hunting in company, in cover, never shoot reck- lessly. Better let a thousand birds pass than shoot in the direction of a companion. In carrying a gun, see GUN-SLING FOR SADDLE, that it is never pointed at a fellow hunter. Do not draw your weapon after you through a fence, or over fallen trees and rocks. When alone, carry at a trail, or over the shoulder. In climbing hills in winter, examine the muzzle of your gun, and see that it is not filled with snow ; also beware of sand when lying in holes about the sea-shore. When in the saddle in an open country, carry a gun before you in a broad sling slipped over the pom- mel of the saddle. When mounted in cover, sling your gun from the saddle with two straps, underneath the left leg, and over the stirrup strap. I have carried two guns 52 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. a double shot-gun and a heavy Ballard rifle, daily for six months, when mounted, over some of the roughest trails of the Rocky Mountains, without accident or injury to the weapons. When encamped, have a rack or slings for your guns, and never throw them about, particularly if loaded. When driving, place your weapons, if cased, in the bot- tom of the wagon, wrapped in soft coverings. If they re not cased, carry them between the knees, or. let them rest between two persons across the middle of the seat. When in a boat, have racks for them, forward of the middle seat, or place their butts against a shoulder, where they will not slip, with the muzzle pointing for- ward, and over the gunwale. In a yacht, guns may be slung over the trunk, or placed in the back of the bunks. No matter where you are hunting, there is no excuse for the careless handling of guns, thereby perilling your own life, and the lives of others. COLLECTING ANIMALS. 53 CorieAn de sCenihe Ve EE. COLLECTING ANIMALS, erent species of ani- mals in North Amer- ica. Great experi- ence is required in trapping and shoot- ing many of them, and much time and labor are often required to find them. A set of steel traps will serve the collector well and ene 54 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. able him to take many nocturnal animals that seldom venture out during the day. In making a large collec- tion the zodlogist will have to visit many localities. On the low lands of the West he will find mice, shrews, gophers, prairie-dogs, badgers, foxes, skunks, etc.; in the wood: lands, white-tailed deer, bears, panthers, wol- verenes, hares, rabbits, beavers, raccoons, and other ani- mals. In the timber on the higher mountains, the mar- ten, lynx, wild-cat, mule-deer, mountain-rat, squirreis, and weasels abound, while in the beautiful green pastures above the timber line, twelve thousand feet above the sea, black-tailed deer, mountain-sheep, and hares are found. Still higher, in the rocky alpine peaks, the loud, sharp, startling whistle of the marmot, and the faint squeak of the little chief hare are heard. For collecting everything, except the larger animals, a breech-loading shot-gun is the best, and cartridges should be loaded with various sizes of shot, so that the gun can be quickly and properly brought into play for any game sighted. For shooting long distances, a few of Hley’s wire cartridges should be put into shells, with heavy charges of powder. The cartridges should be numbered on the wads, so that their contents can be determined at aglance. | : Ne | tN SOR yn > Es ° q Lac) i) yy : 5 = = VEZ Levi. pit aye | iy | Al ii y ne em H) < M\) NY AN \ \ \ => SS i oe Sy Fo ected al ee wr Cher hs pone | fat i 41 le PREPARING ANIMAL SKINS FOR MOUNTING. 63 with alum, salt, and saltpetre. Dry the skin as quickly as possible in the open air, without exposing it to the sun. The skins of all large animals may be prepared in this manner, except those with small heads, without antlers or horns; then, the incision:in the back of the neck is omitted, and the neck-skin is turned inside out and drawn over the head. Before large animal skins become dry enough to crack, they should be given a heavy coat of arsenical soap, and folded in as small a space as possible to facilitate trans- portation. Elk antlers are “‘ elephants” at camp, in a wagon, or on a mule’s back, and no little pluck is required in transporting them through a hunting campaign. In travelling, they should be lashed on the bows of a wagon, on the bow of a boat, or ou the top of a pack-mule’s load. In the latter case, the mule should be led, forif it once begins ‘‘ bucking,” trouble, and plenty of it, follows. I have seen a good mule killed by ‘‘ snagging ” himself on the antlers of an elk swung over his back. The skins of small animals should have but one incis- ion, that made from the middle of the thorax, down the belly to the vent, and should be removed in the same manner as those of larger animals. The skulls are left attached to the skins by the lips, which are split from the inside. The leg-bones should be left hanging to the feet. The flesh sides should be primed with pulverized alum, salt, and arsenic, the skulls filled with stuffing, the leg- boner wrapped with the same, and the skins returned in natural position, and filled out. The smallest of skins are usually sewn together down the belly, and covered with wrappers of thin paper or sheet cotton. Some skins are much more difficult to prepare than others. Those of the bear, porcupine, seal, etc., should be thoroughly cleaned of fat by scraping with a dull knife. The tails of most animals are easily drawn when started from the base with a knife. The thumb-nail will strip the 64 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. tail of any animal up to the size of a squirrel. For draw- ing the tails of large animals, wood-clamps are necessary. The clamp consists of two strips of board, fastened to- gether with a hinge at the extremities, shutting evenly, and having rounded ends for handles. Holes of gradu- ated sizes are made in the same manner as semi-circular holes, in each half of the tail-clamp, which, when open, can be closed around, to fit any sized tail, and it can be easily stripped. The tails of the porcupine, beaver, otter, and muskrat, resist all force, and must be split from the under side, carefully skinned, and well primed with preservatives. Tails that are drawn should have preservatives in- serted with a wire or piece of cane through their entire length. Unmounted skins need much care to prevent the attacks of insects, especially from the Skin Beetles (Dermestes), the collector’s worst enemies; these scent the skins from afar, and fly directly to them at night. There is a large Dermestes on the Northern plains which has a remarkably keen scent, and is almost as numerous as mosquitoes on the salt marshes of the East. I have had them strike the scent of a bag of ducks I had killed on the Milk River, and, when on wing, turn short about and come straight for their blood. As far as the eye could reach, a line of them was seen pressing onward against a strong wind, toward the dead birds, which they soon covered, and attacked with unwonted voracity. The common Eastern species is at work during nearly the entire year, though it does the most mischief in the months of May and June. Beat your skins often with a rattan, and the beetles will fall on the ground, when they can be destroyed before their eggs are deposited. A related beetle (Anthrenus) causes great destruction to carpets, is known by the absurd name of ‘‘ Buffalo Moth.” PRESERVING A BUCK’S HEAD FOR MOUNTING. 65 CHAPTER IX. TO PRESERVE A BUCK’S HEAD FOR MOUNTING. Make a cut across the top of the head, from the edge of one horn tothe other. Then run the knife from the mid- dle of the head and from the incision made, down the back of the neck to the shoulders. Cut the skin around, anda little below the neck, until it is free from the shoulders, and continue to flay up to the ears. Sever them at the base, and skin to the bur of the antlers. Cut the pelt away from around the horns, and remove it tothe eyes. Sever the skin from the eyes, being careful not to cut it at the cavities near them, and flay down over the muzzle. Skin the ears part way down. Trim away most of the flesh on the under side of the lips, and rub the whole flesh side of the hide with powdered alum and saltpetre. Tf no other preservative is at hand, use salt. Turn the flesh side to the open air, and dry as soon as possible. Theskin will shrivel up like an old boot-leg, but it will be in a good state of preservation for mounting. Enlarge the hole in the occipital bone, remove the brains, clean the skull, and prime it with any preservative. Never cut a deer-skin down the front of the neck, as it makes an ugly-looking seam to mar the beauty of a head. Should a deer be wounded or killed, it is not nec- essary to behead the victim, in order to bleed him. If shot through the lungs or near the heart, bleeding is not required, as the blood will settle in the thorax, and can readily be discharged when the deer is dressed. Any animal’s head can be preserved m the manner de- scribed, but the cut across the top of the head should not be made in the case of females, not having horns. 66 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. MOUNTING HEADS, ANTLERS, AND HORNS. The heads of the various wild ruminants, and those of the larger canivorous animals, when well mounted, make showy and life-like ornaments. yen the heads of do- mestic animals, such as the bullock, goat, sheep, dog, etc., can be made attractive for halls, dining, and club-rooms. To succeed well, a knowledge of their anatomy and char- acteristics is necessary, and great care should be taken in modelling. The average sportsman can preserve and mount a head with fair effect, after a few trials ; but good mounting of large animals requires considerable practice and experi- MQLDS FOR CASTING HEADS. ence. I employ two methods for mounting heads. The first is on a cast : ‘Remove the skin as in the preceding chapter; clean it of all loose flesh over acurrier’s board or smooth piece of wood with a convex surface. The fleshy parts of the lips and the flesh about the ears must be carefully removed with a small knife. When cleaned, place in pickle over night, or until wanted. I have suc. _ cessfully kept skins two years in the pickle described eise. where. Itcleans the skin and coat, partially tans the hide and prevents the hair from falling out. Next, holding the Ven a iS LY > ee 4 ie oh ath Py, MOUNTING HEADS, ANTLERS, AND HORNS. 69 horns, saw off the top of the skull, from the top of the eye- holes back to the upper part of the hole in the occipital bone ; clean it well, and it is ready to fasten on the cast. In order to have a perfect cast, take a mold of plaster from a shaved head ; though, with sufficient ingenuity, a head can be modelled from plaster. The mold should be in four pieces as seen in the illustration. See also page 167. When making a cast, the molds should be well greased, tied tightly together, and run full of thinly-mixed plaster. A piece of board, with a wire put through it to run down into the snout, should be thrust into the plaster, until it bears against the front, and rests on the top of the mold. Some heavy weight should be laid on the wood, in order to keep it from rising until the plaster is ‘‘ set.” In five or ten minutes’ time, the cast will be hard, and can be readily re- moved. It is better, however, to let the mold remain about an hour before removing the cast, which should be well heated and dried. The first cast should have the top sawed off just above the eyes, in order to make space for, and to fit the portion of the skull holding the antlers. The eye-holes should be scooped out so that the glass eyes can be set in clay or ce- ment. All imperfections on the cast should be corrected, and it may then be used like a natural skull, thereby ob- viating the necessity of sawing and excavating the eye- holes, should a number of casts be made. If a head has a long neck, the board can be pieced as required ; a base- board can be screwed on to fasten the skin to, and to give the neck the proper form. If the head has but a short piece of the neck skin at- NECK BOARD, 20 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. tached, the board in the cast will be long enough, and should have a long base-board for the neck, as shown in the illustration. The horns should next be fastened to the skull in this wise : With a brace and long bit, bore two holes into the top of the skull, about two inches apart, and so ar- ranged as to be di- rectly over the wood in the cast. Countersink the holes to receive the heads of the screws, which should be BASE-BOARD FOR LONG long and run deep BASE-BOARD FOR ee into? the: qwood tame ete the cast, thereby holding the horns firmly in position. Perfect the anatomy by modelling with potter’s clay, where the skull bone joins the cast, and the head is ready for covering. The skin should be well moistened on the flesh side with arsenical soap, and drawn over the cast; and the neck- - board should be fastened in a vise, with the cast and horns upright, to facilitate sewing. Waxed hemp-twine and a heavy three-sided, post-mortem needle is best adapted for sewing up theskin. Gather the skin around each antler ; draw it tightly about the base of the horns, by slightly puckering, and tie fast. ‘Take a stitch through the two points of skin at the base of each antler, and tie firmly. Sew with the two strings from each horn to the middle, by cross-stitching from the under side; then tie tightly together, cutting one string, and leaving the other to continue the seam down the back of theneck. Close the MOUNTING HEADS, ANTLERS, AND HORNS. 71 neck half-way down, push clay under the skin about the _ horns, and model in natural form. Fasten the eye-holes over the cavities in the cast, by driving three-quarter inch wire-tacks through the skin, at the inner corners of the eyes, into the cast at the small holes below the eye- cavities. Model about the eyes by inserting clay through the eye-holes of the skin. Tuck the skin about the mouth un- derneath, between the cast and skin, in order to keep the muzzle from drying and shrinking, and to pre- vent the skin from being worn off in the process of mounting, through constant rub- bing on the bench. Finish the seam down the neck, draw the skin tightly, and nail it to the middle of the top of the base-board. Remove the head from the vise to the bench, draw down the neck- skin tightly, and nail it to the sides of the ‘ base-board. This will CAST READY FOR COVERING. prevent the neck from being forced out of natural shape in stuffing. Now commence stuffing, by forcing, with a crammer, small bunches of excelsior under the skin, be- tween the nails, upon each side of the neck-board. The crammer is made of round iron or steel, diameter */,-inch, length, 18 inches. One end is flattened, notched, 12 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. and turned a little one side, like a tack-lifter ; the other end is driven inte a large wooden handle. Crammers of yarious sizes will be found useful in all kinds of work. Continue to stuff the neck until it is hard and has the desired shape. Draw down the skin tightly with pliers, and nail it firmly all around the edge of the base-board. Put a large screw-hook in the top of the base-board, to hang up the head and facilitate the work about the muzzle. Turn down the skin covering the under jaw, crowd a littie clay under it, around the edges, and nail in position with round nails, which pierce the plaster without cracking. Pull down the nose-skin, fill out the nostrils slightly with clay, also the lip, and turn in the dark skin of the lip over the clay, so that the line where the hair com- mences will form the outline of the sides of the mouth. It will be found necessary to make a nar- row fold at each corner of the mouth, in order that the skin may lie naturally. Secure it with wire tacks. Drive a@ small nail part way into the center of the nose, to hold the muzzle in position when drying. Model the nose, insert the eyes, and perfect the anatomy around them by modelling. Crowd the ears full of clay at their bottoms, and sew pasteboard on their insides, to hold them in position, until dry. Model them in pricked position, connect, and draw them slightly together with a needle and thread, and dress down the whole coat with a fine metal comb. Coat the hair well with thin flour paste, applied smoothly with a stiff brush, and hang up to dry. When thoroughly dried, remove the pasteboard from the ears, comb out the hair and brush it clean. The paste will come from the hair in small scales, carrying END OF CRAMMER. MOUNTING HEADS, ANTLERS, AND HORNS. i3 dirt with it, and leaving the coat smooth and glossy. Draw the nail from the nose, perfect the nostrils with putty, also the under parts of the eyelids, which will give them the appearance of resting close on the eyes, as in life. Paint them neatly with cassel earth, also the muz- zle, and when dry give the same a coat of varnish. Clean the horns with a damp brush and cloth, and varnish them when dry. The head can be fastened on a shield, by running long screws through it from the back into the base-board of the neck. The screw-hook should be removed from the neck-board to the shield. The second method of preparing heads, is what may be called mounting heads on the skulls. To do this, prepare the skins as in previous method. Clean the skull and dry well. Fill the brain cavity with plaster, and insert an iron rod, bent double, inside the skull. When the plaster is well set, perfect the anatomy of the skull by modelling with the same. Make a base neck-board as in the first method, running the iron through it and clinching it in position in a groove, with wire staples, that it may not prevent the shield from fit- ting closely. Bend the iron to the desired curve, and complete as in first method. When mounting large heads, such as those of the buffalo, elk, moosé, caribou, and ox, two irons are placed in the skull, with the neck-board fastened and clinched between them. ‘To prevent the head from being too heavy, the anatomy of the skull is built out with pads of excelsior and perfected with clay or cement. Owing to the great size and awkward proportions of elk antlers, they can be separated in order to facilitate packing, by cleaving the skull lengthwise. Where, how- ever, transportion is available, the skulls should be kept perfect, as separating necessitates much after trouble and extra labor for the taxidermist. The solid portion of the skull is small and frail for holding fastenings with which A V4 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. the heavy antlers, once separated, are brought together. When a skull is cleaved, a thin-bladed, sharp, regularly and closely set saw should be employed, making as few shavings as possible, to the end that the parts may come together evenly, when the head is mounted. To fasten a divided elk head together, prop the antlers in natural position, and bind with annealed wire. Twist ANTLERS PROPERLY MOUNTED. one piece tightly round the back of the skull, a second, around it and through the apertures back of the eye-holes, and a third piece around the nose, just forward of the grinders ; the head is then fastened temporarily. Drill horizontally through the skull with a */,-inch bit, start- ing about 3 inches below the burr of the antler. Fasten with a snugly-fitting bolt, having a square head, and a washer under the nut. Put a smaller bolt in the same MOUNTING HEADS, ANTLERS, AND HORNS. 73 manner through the skull, between the tusks and grind- ers, and screw up tightly. Wire the under-jaw firmly in position, and run the cavities of the skull full of plaster. This will make the whole solid and strong. A neck- board can then be mortised and bolted in the occipital bone, which, in large heads, is preferable to irons. If antlers are mounted only, the skull should be cut down so that the horns may have the proper position when fastened on a shield. They are best secured by long screws, and the skull braced by cement. Pieces of black- walnut should be fitted closely around the burr of the horns, and glued to the shield, when they can be carved to any design. The skull can be wholly concealed by com- position work, and ornamented with Grecian leaves, imi- tation of natural leaves, or any design of wood-work. The outer edge of shields should be carved ogee pattern, and the faces may be ornamented with light raised composi- tion work, or chased and inlaid with black or gold. Horns of mountain sheep, goats, cattle, etc., having a porous bone filling, often come loose from the skull when dry. They may be fastened to the skulls, by pouring a little thin plaster in them, and quickly replacing them on the skulls. Large, curved horns are usually mounted on heads carved in full, as they are awkward in shape when mounted on shields. ‘To finish off any carved work in walnut, give a coat of shellac, dissolved in pure alcohol, and, when dry, rub off lightly, using chamois skin, moist- ened with kerosene. 76 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. CHAPTER X. MOUNTING ANIMALS. Taxidermists have various methods of their own fot mounting animals; whatever mode, however, they may pursue, the exclusive use of soft stuffing is an error. Mammals can be well mounted in but two ways. One is to form a body complete, and place the skin over it ; the other plan is to model the head and neck, make the legs and insert them separately, fastening each one to the artificial back-bone, and then build out the body until the anatomy is perfected. Seals are mounted in this manner. The first method is usually employed in mounting large, thick-legged animals, such as the bear, panther, wolver- ene, raccoon, lion, tiger, jaguar, etc. In mounting short- haired animals by this method, the seams down the legs should be made in the neatest manner, or they will disfigure the speci- Se Be) Sens. , Ber moumane @bene by first making the body complete, proceed as follows : Pour the skull full of plaster, insert a stout iron 10d, bent double, inside the skull, and when the plaster is set, it will be immovable. Next make an artificial back-bone of one and a half-inch pine plank, shaped as in the il- lustration. Bend the neck-iron double, and clinch to the side of the board with wire staples, ailowing the proper length for the neck. Then, with small annealed wire, fasten the leg-bones to the leg-irons, bending them at the joints to the desired shape. Build out the anatomy of the legs and quarters by winding pads of excelsior, or tow, with string. Substitute the main cords of the hind legs run- ning from the hocks with wires haying a covering of cot- vig COMMON OR HARBOR SEALS, MOUNTING ANIMALS. "9 ton or jute. Drill holes into the projecting bones of the hocks, and fasten the wires by inserting the ends. Give them the proper curve, and lash the other ends to the legs. Coat with thick glue, to give an even surface, body, and strength. When the legs are formed, bend the pro- jecting irons in this manner. (See illustration, a.) Fasten them in position on the board, by drilling sets of double holes for the irons to lay between, and clinch wire staples over them, one set of staples holding both irons. Reverse the bending of the irons to the hind legs, and POSITION OF IRONS IN A LARGE ANIMAL, fasten them as described. When leg-bones are not with the skin, the latter should be placed on the floor, doubled lengthwise, or as near natural as possible, and wires bent from the skin, to give the proper length and bend of legs. Wood, shaped according to these wires, may then be used in place of the bones. An artificial skull can be carved of wood, in full, or set with teeth of bone, or the solid tips of deer horns. Should you wish to reserve a skull, mold one of cement, or, what is much more substantial, take impressions of the teeth and jaws in plaster, smoke the molds with a > 806 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. candle, and run them full of tin, slightly alloyed with lead. Fasten the castings on a wooden skull, file the teeth, and burnish them. When finishing an animal, a mouth made in this manner may be painted and var- nished to look as natural as life, with flake-white, Chinese vermillion, cassel earth, and white varnish. In mounting animals, with long tails, such as those in the genera Felis, Canis, Vulpes, etc., after the head and legs are secured, a support for the tail is made by fasten- ing a wire, having jute wound tightly around it, to the board. In preparing short-tailed animals, such as bear and mountain-sheep, the tail-wire is made long and run into the body. . Next, the whole anatomy of the body is made by bind- ing on pads of excelsior. The dummy is then fastened on a stand with washers and nuts, or by bending the irons under, plugging the holes tightly around them, and fastening with the wires as described. The paws take considerable room, and space should be allowed for them. The skin is next cleanly curried, coated with arsenical soap, and laid on the body. The skin should be drawn together at those points where it would be liable to fall short, were the body too large. If a good fit is made, commence sewing up the legs, cross-stitching from the inside. In process of sewing, any imperfections in the an- atomy can be corrected by cramming stuffing under the skin. ‘The feet should be modelled wholly in cement, and nailed in position, and the lower parts of the legs may be modelled in clay over the excelsior, if necessary. In mounting short-haired animals, it is best to model the legs in clay or cement, and imbed it well in the material of the body. When the last seam has been closed, the whole coat should be combed out with a fine metal comb. Now comes the modelling of the head, which is the most difficult part. An expert can model any common animal’s head from memory, but casts taken from ani- MOUNTING ANIMALS. 81 mais in the flesh will be found very useful for beginners. It is not necessary to have a cast from a whole head. Take impressions, in plaster, of one eye, the nose and lips, and from these, clay casts may be made, in a few seconds, which will serve as models. The anatomy of the head should be first ‘‘ roughed out” over the skull with plaster or cement. The skin should then be tacked in position, with the eyes straight. The under jaw is modelled first, and the skin covering it held in position by stitching across the inside of the mouth. Small wire tacks may also be used in favorable places ; when a wooden skull is used, the tacks may be ' employed altogether. The nose should be well filled with clay or cement ; a mixture of plaster and glue is very substantial, but it hardens so quickly that it can only be used by experienced hands. The skin of the lips should be turned in under, it being full to the natural thickness. The upper lip is next formed into shape, and worked down to a natural position. The features are gradually worked out, the eyes set, the ears erected by sewing on pieces of pasteboard, the hair on the head combed and brushed smooth. The animal is then ready for drying. When dry, any shrinkage in the eyelids, nose, or lips, should be filled out by modelling with white-lead, thick- ened with Paris white. The eyes, lps, and claws should be painted naturally, and varnished. When mounting an animal with the mouth closed, a crude wooden skull will answer if the head is properly modelled. ‘To finish a head with mouth open, as for ex- ample in the case of the peccaries, wedge the jaws apart, and draw back the lips to show the teeth. When the head is dry, remove the wedge, model the throat in cement, and cast, model, or carve a tongue, with two sharp wires in its base for thrusting securely down the throat. Model about the bottom and under the tongue, connecting it naturally. Paint usually with vermilion, flake-white, and cassel 82 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. earth, and, when dry, varnish to give a moist and natural appearance. The second method of mounting animals is generally preferred when the skins are green, and removed as de- scribed in the Chapter on preparing animal skins for ‘mounting. The neck-iron is fastened in the skull, the legs made, and the board used as in the first method. The head is pushed up the neck-skin, and the iron fastened to the board, and the legs made. In mounting some of the larger ruminants, like the giraffe, elk, caribou, and deer, it 1s necessary to insert the leg-irons slightly into the bones at the joints, to prevent them from being too promi- nent. ‘The legs are worked down the skin in position, © MANNER OF WIRING SMALL ANIMALS. and fastened to the board as described. ‘The body is then filled out by using crammers, and the animal completed as described in the first method. In mounting small mammals, the artificial back-bone, or board, is not used. ‘The neck-wire is employed as back-bone. It should be a few sizes larger than the leg- wires, sharpened at one end, and turned double. The long end is run through one nostril cavity, out of the hole in the occipital bone, the short end filling the other nos- tril cavity, and being drawn in tightly. In heads of some animals it is necessary to clinch the neck-wires through “SHIUMVOORA \\ ') Ny Ht MOUNTING ANIMALS. 85 the skulls. Where the leg-bones would naturally join the spinal column, two rings are twisted in the neck- wire, through which the leg-wires are run, and twisted firmly around the neck-wire, meeting or overlapping be- tween the rings. When the skull is attached to the skin, as is usually the case in small animals, 1t is roughly modelled with potter’s clay before the skin is turned over © it. Owing to the connection of the skin and skull, the head is easily modelled, and the eyes are readily set. The body is bent in position, and filled out, prior to being mounted on a stand. - An experienced taxidermist can do fine mounting by casting an animal in parts, of plaster, and putting a flat skin over the cast. In perfecting the anatomy of large animals, it is often necessary to sew through the legs, and to run bent wires into the body at different points. No rules can be given for this kind of work. The learner must rely upon his own judgment in bringing out muscles, and perfecting the general form. Animals mouths may be ‘‘ done” open in wax, and shaded in dry colors, rubbed in, and the whole varnished. Skins of all animals should be soft and pliable before mounted. Dry skins should be well immersed in pickle, and be thoroughly cleaned. During cold weather, well- cured skins may be placed in pure cold water a day or two to soften, as it softens them much quicker than pickle will. All skins need to be well tanned in a brine of alum, salt, and saltpetre, to set and clean the hair before they are mounted. 86 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. CHAPTER XI. PREPARING AND MOUNTING SKELETONS. Cleaning bones is unpleasant labor, and collectors do not engage in it with the same enthusiasm which they feel in preparing other specimens. Zodlogists, however, who know the scientific value of a good skeleton, will work eagerly and industriously, when a rare mammal’s frame is to be had for the cleaning. The amount of labor required to prepare a skeleton, is over ten-fold that of mounting the skin, though, when once cleaned and artificially artic- ulated, in a scientific way, it becomes the most valuable part of the animal. When travelling by pack-train, and canoe, I have often had my patience tried with the care of skeletons, and the great majority of hunters and collectors cannot be inter- ested in skeletology. In the air of the plains, an animal’s frame will dry un- tainted, if trimmed closely with a knife ; but in the Kast, or, in the mountains of the West, skeletons should be thoroughly cleaned at once, or they soon become offensive. The frames of various animals are so different in sub- stance and articulation, that no general rule can be given for preparing them. Wire and cement are used in artifici- ally articulating small skeletons, and heavy irons, pins, and bolts, are employed in mounting large ones. ~ In cleaning the frame of any animal, watch the bones, particularly when separated. At an unguarded moment, dogs, cats, rodents, and birds, will destroy or carry them off, and careless companions will break or lose them. In caring for old skeletons, watch the teeth and claws, to see that they do not fall from the skulls or tender pelts. PREPARING AND MOUNTING SKELETONS. 87 To clean a large skeleton, carefully unjoint the first cervical vertebra from the occipital bone. Remove the brains without disfiguring the occipital orifice, and clean off all flesh, without injuring the two small bones at the root of the tongue, and the gristle about the passages of the @ nose. Sever the shoulders from the trunk, by drawing the knife between the scapulars and thorax. Unjoint the hams from the hip- bone. Clean the legs by splitting the flesh to the bone on one side, and remove it in as large pieces as possible, inasmuch as it will leave the bone easier than when removed in small flakes. Un- joint the cervical i vertebrsee from the SKELETON OF THE HADROSAURUS. ” thorax, and clean both by constant trimming with a knife. Great care should be exercised in cleaning the chest, so that the small gristly elastic ends of the ribs are not cut. Skeletons can be most substantially prepared with- out boiling, or the use of lime, though more labor may be required. When preparing a fresh skeleton, vigorously rub the bones with sawdust. It will remove small parti- cles of flesh, and isa good dryer. It is necessary to sep- 88 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. arate the bones of a large skeleton, to clean them, and the larger bones should be exposed to the sun, then stripped and carefully scraped. The spinal column requires more labor in cleaning, than the rest of the skeleton, on account of its inconven- ient shape and the work of removing the tough tissues which connect the vertebre. The quickest and best way to prepare a skeleton, is to sink it in the sea, if practicable, in a small-meshed net bag, with a buoy to indicate its location. ‘The thousands of small marine animals will clean out every cavity more rapidly 4nd thoroughly than man can do the work. The Bay of Fundy is one of the most favorable places in the world for preparing skeletons. - I have completed the cleaning of very large seals in its waters, by sinking them for a period of twenty-four hours only. So numerous and voracious are the marine animals, that the frame of a large fish will be bared in a single night. Portions of a skeleton may also be buried in an ant-hill, and the occupants will soon clean the bones. If the skeletol- ogist is preparing his collections where marine animals or ants cannot be utilized, and he wishes to accomplish his work quickly, he will have to resort to boiling. The bones should be cleaned with a knife, and then boiled until every particle of flesh leaves them. During the process, the water should be frequently changed, so that the grease will not settle in and discolor the skeleton. The bones should be slowly boiled at first, and for several hours, before the flesh begins to leave them. They should occasionally be taken from the pot, and loose particles re- moved, in order to hasten the work. Boiling frequently causes the caps of the larger bones to come off, and weak- ens the skeleton generally. Bones may be bleached by placing them in a lime-bath and exposing tothe sun. I do not recommend the use of lime, as it eats the enamel of the bones. Cold water and PREPARING AND MOUNTING SKELETONS. 89 a hot summer’s sun will bleach sufficiently, and frost will assist In winter. Small skeletons may be cleaned by placing them in water, and removing the decomposed flesh with a stiff brush. ‘The best way to prepare them, however, is with the help of marine animals, ants, and dermestes, as de- scribed above. Large skeletons are generally mounted on a galvanized iron frame, articulated with brass wires. No general rule can be given which will apply to mounting all skele- tons, as they vary greatly in size and form. To mount a large skeleton of a ruminant, string the vertebre on a metal rod running into the occipital orifice through the top of the skull. Fasten with a nut, and support the whole by two upright rods connecting with the artificial spinal cord between the forelegs and hindlegs. The scapulars, leg, and other bones, must be attached in their proper positions, by drill- ing small holes through the bones, and connecting them in various Fastening Ways. ‘The taxidermist must use pasrentne a his, Own udowent,in-drilling “and "i Bexzs. fastening, placing the wires where they will hold best and be the least observed. A bow-drill is most useful in making holes, and the bits should be sharp, and taper inwards, back from the cutting edges, so that when used they will cut free and easy. To securely fasten small bones, drill and draw them into position by a piece of polished annealed wire through the holes, turning each end with round-nosed pliers, in two or more rings, until the wire is sufficiently taken up. Wires proportionate to the size of the bones must be used. Pliers of various size to turn them are also necessary. 90 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. The joints of legs may be fastened by making a saw- kerf in the middle of the extremities of each bone, to re- ceive a strip of heavy sheet brass, with a hole in each end for the reception of pins. See illustration on the pre- ceding page. It is often necessary in mounting small skeletons to weave and twist very small wire about the ribs, in order to hold them in natural position. Whenever it is impor- tant to secure a bone in position, wire is generally used, except in fastening caps and very small bones, in which case cement is preferable. COLLECTING BIRDS. 91 CHAPT HR’ X11: COLLECTING BIRDS. The experience of ornithologists usually makes them careful hunters and good shots, yet, a few remarks on collecting may be of value to amateurs, particularly if thrown among a variety of species with which they are not acquainted. In general hunting for North American birds, No. 4 shot is heavy enough for the largest, if a gun is used that does not exceed ten pounds in weight, and No. 10 in bore. Nos. 1 and 2 shot may be used successfully for sea and lake shooting, with unusually heavy guns, built specially for such sport. Many hunters use too small a charge of powder and too coarse shot. Muzzle-loading cylinder-bored guns will stand, and require more powder than the choke-bore breech-loaders, which are becoming so popular, particu- larly for trap-shooting. Before ‘‘ chilled ” shot were used, the choke-bores were the best for long-range shooting, with soft shot. Now nearly equal results at long-range are obtained with cylinder bores and ‘‘ chilled ” shot, and choke-bores and soft shot. Many trials of all kinds of guns, with various charges, have proved conclusively that cylinder-bores are the best for general shooting. “Chilled ” shot can not be used in the average thin- muzzled choke-bore gun with killing charges without ‘‘bulging” and ruining the barrels. In shooting soft shot from a choke-bore gun, they are completely jammed out of their spherical form before they leave the weapon, and although they will quickly kill a bird at short range, they soon lose force, and do not penetrate or hold to- gether like ‘‘ chilled” shot, which retains nearly its orig- inal form after being fired. 92 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. Much of the success of the collector depends on having his gun properly charged. For shooting small birds, a light gun of small bore, loaded lightly with ordinary pasteboard wads will answer. For shooting large birds at long range, a heavy 12 or 10-bored gun is best, loaded with two of Eley’s pink-edge wads over the powder, and a light wad over the shot. Four or four and a half drams of powder, with an ounce and a quarter of shot, is a proper load for a solid 12-bore gun, and five and a half or six drams of powder, with an ounce and a half of shot, is a suitable charge for a heavy 10-bore gun. For general shooting with cylinder-bored guns, the ducking, or second grade powders, of medium grain, are the best. Moist powders appear to give the best ‘‘ pattern,” though when used in rapid firing with muzzle-loaders, miss fires are liable to occur. The first brands of American black powder, such as Dupont’s Diamond Grain, Hazard’s Electric, Laflin & Rand’s Orange Lightning, and the American Powder Co.’s Telegraph Sporting, are quick, dry powders, best adapted to breech-loading shot-guns. The various com- panies sell equal grades to the trade at about the same prices, but eyery collector has a favorite brand. There are are about 640 species of birds in North America, from the Mexican boundary to the Arctic Ocean, and the collector will be compelled to visit nearly every State and Territory to find them all. He will have to cruise both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts for sea- birds, scour the States on the Atlantic for many of the smaller species, camp on the barren plains of the West for the long-spurred buntings and other birds of the prairies, and climb the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains for the white-tailed ptarmigans, dusky grouse, water ouzels, etc. One often finds birds of oe same genus at points thousands of miles apart. In field collecting, , birds, when first shot, shone be = / ‘it fl ni ih ny ay i } fil } dll at oy WZ N a) \\\ HH i ii \\ ne) : i a si yh TH) AS f, My y, Y) "q //| Le Bu? NV pal) ion AMY , Se : es BURN = > 8 & Es © q N & Se = Neca, ian Tie Hees COLLECTING BIRDS. 95 handled with great care, until the bodies stiffen, and the bloéd ceases to flow. When killed, they should be lifted by the legs, and the blood removed from the plumage by pressing it out with the blade of a dull knife. The blood may also be absorbed, by using fine sawdust, corn-meal, or bran. The plumage should be well shaken and arranged, and the specimen carefully carried until camp is reached. A large-sized fish-basket, slung from the shoulder, is the best receptacle for small birds. hey may be buried in fine sawdust, wrapped in sheet-wadding, or placed heads down- ward in paper funnels. The funnels should extend be- yond the end of the tails, and so folded as to prevent the feathers from being cramped and disfigured. Large birds are troublesome to carry. They should be hung by the legs over the shoulder, where they will be of little. inconvenience, and rest quietly without chafing the plumage. Birds with a soft plumage, and long wings and tails, are the most disfigured in transportation. Others with a hard plumage, such as ducks, divers, grebes, guillemots, ete., will stand rough handling and make up well in skins. The sexes of American birds of the same species, vary greatly in size and plumage, while others are precisely alike in plumage. With some, such as the ducks, grouse, crows, black-birds, and most of our bright-plumaged birds, the adult males are easily recognized by their large size and bright colors. With eagles, hawks, owls, gulls, sand-pipers, plovers, snipe, woodcock, etc., the females, though nearly like the males in plumage, are much larger in size, and adults may be easily recognized. Many species do not attain their full plumage until the third or fourth year, and nearly all sport a different dress for spring and autumn. ‘The spring plumage of nearly all species is bright and beautiful, while, with but few ex- 96 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. ceptions, the fall dress is of a dull color. The Baltimore oriole is one of the remarkable species which appear in August with a brighter, prettier plumage than in spring. The plumage of the ‘‘ young of the year,” or the young male of many species, often resembles the adult females ; in such instances, it is best to determinate the sex by dissection. The generative organs are much larger during the pairing season, than at any other period of the year. The seminal glands of a warbler are as large as a pea, in spring, when late in the autumn they are no larger than a No. 8 shot. The ovaries of female birds lie in the same relative position as,the generative organs of the male, and are easily recognized, though in winter a small lens will be found useful in examination. The genera- tive organs lie close to and in the cavity of the spine, where the ribs commence. The ovaries are two in num- ber, and one exceeds the other in size, particularly in the laying season. Good shooting is, so to speak, a natural gift, though with practice any one can become a fair shot. In close range rifle-shooting at a stationary mark, steady nerves, a keen eye, and practice, are all that are necessary. In shooting at moving objects, however, cal- culation is the key to success. In ordinary rifle-shooting, a steady pressure on the trigger brings the best results, but in using the shot-gun, much snap-shooting is neces- sary. There are two modes of shooting a crossing bird on the wing, viz., taking a snap-shot ahead of the bird, or cov- ering the beak, and discharging the gun with a steady pressure while following the object. The latter is the best and surest method, though, in early practice, ama- teurs will shoot behind the game. In shooting ducks and other birds of rapid flight that are fairly started on the wing, you must lead according COLLECTING BIRDS. 97 to the distance they may be away. A duck, going ggefore the wind fifty yards distant, should be led from four to six feet, according to its speed. One rising from the water at forty yards, can be brought down by aiming at the end of the bill. A driving bird, or bird flying straight from the shoot- er, should be well covered, and the trigger pressed when the game has disappeared under the gun barrels. In general hunting, the collector will become accus- temed to the various sounds of the forest, and any strange note or noise will quickly attract his attention. A trained FIRE-LIGHTING OR ‘‘ JACKING DUCKS.”’ ear will lead the hunter to birds which would otherwise be passed unseen. Many of our native birds have only their song and alarm notes. Others, such as jays, the yellow-breasted chat, and some thrushes, have a variety of notes, while a few species, such as the cedar bird, crow, and herons, have put a single cry, which is generally given in alarm. But long experience only will familiar- 5 98 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. ize the hunter with the notes of the hundreds of birds which frequent mountain, plain, and marsh. Nearly all our birds cease their songs when their young leave the nest. The vociferous little vireos, however, sing until they depart in the fall, and probably continue their warbling the entire year, unless it be during the moult- ing season. When roaming in field or forest, follow up every strange noise until satisfied from whence it proceeds. You will in this manner become familiar with the notes of the various birds of a locality. It may require several hours, or even days, to learn a bird’s note, but when once ‘‘ac- quired,” it is seldom forgotten. I once spent nearly half a day in a spruce swamp on a pretty little island in the Bay of Fundy, before I could find out the author of the winter wren’s song. He is such a quiet little fellow when he migrates southward in winter, that it did not occur to me he could he such a sweet songster. The little ruby-crowned wren once led me.on a fruit- less chase over the rugged sides of Pike’s Peak, but I finally surprised one at his song later in the season on the Buffalo Mountains. Let the collector proceed from the center of the United States, and going North, South, Hast, or West, he will continually meet with strange notes and new species. PREPARING BIRD SKINS FOR MOUNTING. 99 CHAPTER XIII. PREPARING BIRD SKINS FOR MOUNTING. In removing the skin from a bird, the body should be dusted from time to time with corn-meal, or fine saw- dust. ‘This absorbs all moisture, and prevents the plu- mage from being soiled. Some writers recommend the use of plaster when skin- ning birds. That thisshould be effective is an erroneous idea, inasmuch as it dries the skins so quickly that it is difficult to ‘‘return” them. If applied to the necks of some species of woodpeckers and parrots, it would be im- possible to return them to their natural position. Plaster fills the pores of one’s skin, chaps and cracks the hands, and, when mixed with grease in preparing fat birds, it is remoyed only with great difficulty from the hands. Corn- meal softens the hands, and is the best absorbent when ‘‘working on” small birds. When preparing a skin, place the bird on its back, and run a long piece of cotton loosely down the throat with forceps, or by twisting it around the end of a wire. If the specimen be a large bird, plug the nostrils with cot- ton, to prevent the saliva from oozing and soiling the plumage. Break the wing-bones near the body to fa- eilitate handling. Make a longitudinal cut from the breast-bone to the vent, and push the body away from the skin with the knife, holding the skin firmly be- tween the thumb and fingers of the left hand, and cut- ting as little as possible. When the skin has been removed far enough to expose the shins, slip them up and unjoint them at the knee, and cut through the flesh until the skin is lain bare. Flay down to the vent, cut off the extremity of the body which 100 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. holds the tail feathers, and remove the skin to the wings, cutting through them where broken. Flay to below the eyes, cut off the neck, close to the head, and remove the triangular lower portion of the skull, taking out the brains. Remove the eyes, by sliding the brain-spoon under them, with a circular motion. Cut away all flesh from the skull, leg, and wing bones, unjointing the broken main bones of the wings from the double bones or fore-arms. In preparing some species of birds, with large heads and small necks, such as wood-ducks, grecn- ving teal, some species of woodpeck rs, cockatoos, etc., it is best to open the scalp from the outside after the body has been severed from the skull and the skin returned. The incision may be made length- wise of the head, back of the eye, or along the top of the head; the latter mode is much more desirabie for birds with crests. Pass a thread between the bones of both wings, and draw them nearly together, and tie in posi- tion. Dust the whole fleshy side of the skin freely with dry arsenic, crowd the eye-holes full of cot- ton, wrap the leg-bones with the same, draw them back in natural position, and return the skin. Should the neck become stretched, and difficult to return, soap will cause it to slip over the head readily. SKIN PROPERLY MADE. PREPARING BIRD SKINS FOR MOUNTING. 101 Smooth the plumage, fill-out the body with stuffing, sew up the skin, cross the legs, tie them, and wrap the skin closely, in split sheet-cotton or thin paper. In filling out a skin, a piece of the stuiling should be made in a taper roll, and the small end pushed up into the throat of the bird. Other pieces should be laid in the body of the skin until it is full, previous to sewing it up. ‘This will prevent the neck of a bird from drawing and drying in a long unnatural form. ) << oS > sss S> SHAUN UNV SUHAIA JO dNOUN ; | & nf =: _ itt Wy a het sl lve ita2) PRESSING BIRD SKINS, pi AY, CMAPTEHR, XIX. DRESSING BIRD SKINS. Varying custom has brought all kinds of skins into use, and among the prettiest are those of the divers, grebes, sea-birds, and ducks. They are made, nearly whole, into muffs, and cut into strips for trimming cloaks and hats, and for general fancy work. The most beautiful of the divers is the loon, which may easily be recognized by its perfect markings and bluish-black collar. Unfor- tunately, most of these hardy water birds when in their brightest plumage remain far north to breed, and upon returning late in the autumn they have lost most of their beauty. Occasionally, stragglers tarry south far into spring, and are taken in the summer plumage. The horned grebe in its rich silky dress of cinnamon-brown and silver, is the prettiest of its family, and 1s often sold for the Russian grebe. In preparing these skins, they are taken off flat, as fol- lows: Make an incision through the skin from the upper mandible over the head, between the eyes, down the back of the neck continuous to the middle of the tail. Cut off the wings and legs close to the body, and remove the skin, which comes off in mat-like form. Scrape clean, and cover the flesh side with powdered alum and salt- petre (four parts alum, one saltpetre). Fold the skin together, and allow it to remain from twenty-four hours to a week, according to its condition. If there is much fat, it will resist the action of the preservatives, and more time will be required for tanning. When the skin is permeated with the chemicals, dry and dress down with a flat piece of pumice. Soften by dressing with butter, 118 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. and finish it by rubbing freely with veneer sawdust. It is then ready for use. In manufacturing, the skins should be cut to the best advantage, lined with any stiff material by sewing, and shaped by being steamed and placed in molds, or wound down over forms until dry. A loon- skin makes a pretty ornamental rug, and can be neatly trimmed with silk or flannel. A great variety of house- hold ornaments may be gotten up from bird skins, not only from those described, but from all of our native birds. COLLECTING AND PREPARING BIRDS’ EGGS. 149 CHAPTER XX. COLLECTING AND PREPARING BIRDS’ EGGS. A cabinet of eggs, varying in size and color, forms one of the most interesting collections of nature. Stu- dents of oology are found in all lands, and number many enthusiastic ladies. Hggs are more difficult to procure than birds and animals, lodged as tney generally are in cliffs, marshes, and tree-tops, or hidden in treacherous banks, hollow stumps, thick grass, and rushes. To be successful, one must closely watch the move- ments of birds, and diligently search for their nests. Indi- viduals of the same species often vary in their mode of nest- ing. The wood-duck builds its nest in a hollow tree. Other closely related species build nests on the ground. The worm-eating warbler selects terra-firma, and still other warblers build in trees and bushes. On the islands in the Bay of Fundy, herring gulls breed in trees ; in other localities, the nest of this bird is found on the ground. Some species build their nests both in the trees and on the ground, such as the marsh-hawk, short-eared owl, brown thrush, swamp black-bird, Carolina dove, etc. There is one species (the cow-bunting) which never builds, but deposits its eggs in the nests of other birds much smaller than itself, such as the vireo’s, sparrow’s, and warbler’s. I have a nest of Vireo olivaceus contain- ing but one egg of the vireo and three of the large brown ezgs of the cow-bunting. The shiftless bunting never assists in incubation or feeding the young, but leaves the industrious little vireo to satisfy the ravenous appetites of a family of usurpers. Larks, waders, snipe, woodcock, quail, and grouse, make their nests on the ground. ‘The chimney swallow lays its eggs in a skeleton nest of dead twigs, glued to- 120 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. gether with cherry-gum, on the side of a smoky chimney. It seems almost unnatural for birds to breed in such a place, and these swallows originally, doubtless, nested on the vertical sides of cliffs. When not addled, eggs should be ‘‘ blown” as soon as collected, as they are not so liable to be broken with the con- NEST OF THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE. tents removed. They should be carefully packed in small boxes of cotton, bran, or sawdust. If packed and carried before being blown, their weight causes them to work through the packing. In coming in contact, indentations are made, and eggs are ruined for cabinet specimens. All eggs should be blown with one circular hole in the side, COLLECTING AND PREPARING BIRDS’ EGGS. 121 which is easily made with an egg-drill. Remove the contents with a blow-pipe, by holding the egg with the hole downward, and blowing forcibly in one side of it. Should an egg contain an embryo, it can be removed with a small hook, or fill the shell with water, and change it frequently until the embryo has decomposed sufficiently to run off. The matter in the eggs of sea-birds is very glutinous and difficult to extract. This is specially true of the eggs of the razor-billed auk, and Arctic puffin. Immediately after being blown, the shells should be washed out first with cold water, and then with weak carbolic acid water. Ragged holes in eggs can be improved by pasting gold-beater’s skin over them. Eggs should be numbered with a lead-pencil, and the numbers duplicated in a note-book, under which should be written the date of collection, name of species, and any thing else of interest. Then arrange in sets in a cabi- net with drawers of various depth to accommodate them. Eggs show to the best advantage, and are less liable to be broken, when set in grated cork or colored sawdust in small boxes. BLOW-PIPE AND EGG-DRILL. 122 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. CHAPTER XXI. COLLECTING, PREPARING, AND PRESERVING REPTILES The alligator is the largest reptile of North America, and should be skinned in the same manner as a mammal, the incision in the skin being continued nearly the full length of the tail. The plated skin is obstinate and diffi- cult to handle when mounting, but it is easily separated from the delicate white flesh. It can only be removed to the occipital bone. When the skin has been thoroughly cleared of flesh, place it in the pickle for preserving ani- mals’ skins until mounted. Or, place in astrong pickle for a few days, then remove, and partially stuffing the skin with any light material, dry it in a shaded spot. Alliga- tors are found in the rivers and bayous of the Southern States, and still further south. The larger ones are shot with ball or buckshot while basking in the sun. The young ones can be captured with a net. Lizards live among damp rocks, and under decayed logs, stumps, etc. They are often taken in large numbers in ponds, and creeks, and are found generally through the United States. There are many species, and most of them frequent the water. One large kind, known among hunters as the ‘‘ Racer,” is found only on the dusty plains of the far West. There is not a little superstition regarding lizards, and many believe their bite causes death. The American species are harmless and really pretty. Their bodies are translucent, cold, and disagreeable to the touch, and their varying color, as they change to different objects, gives rise to much superstition. ‘They move with remarkable celerity in warm weather, but in the autumn become in- active and are easily secured. They can be taken with WMVNS-TILLVA GNV WAACY a ZT pe ———= My 4 NSS te i \ Pa He Mn AS % f ‘@..! 4 i is i NIGH Si 4 \\ NY \\ iN \ ny A \ ‘\\ Ni . 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Sie Darah gels 139 CementeiBlasters: A assenct acesecee 173 Chrysalids, How to Hatch... ...... 142 Chrysalids, When to aaa rice . 142 Clay, Modelling with..... ......... 167 WlOtHINOC Rey Wye cee eee sae 15 Collecting Animals with a Shot-Gun 54 Collectine-Box fOMmINSeCIS san cee see 1438 Composition for Making Tongues, Modelling the Inside of Animals’ Mouths, Their Muscles, Legs, Feet, etc., and Gen eral F: Jel BVOC 2 Pett oath Reo oo eee 173 Composition for Sanding Rocks, SLANGS ECC Mera. ses Gee aioe a See 173 Composition for Snow Scenes and Wihitey Crosses aes sacsemin de oops 7 Composition, Modelling with...... 167 Crabs, Collecting Wisieaca Samana sae oe 136 Crosses, Making Ornamental... ... 200 Crustaceans, Mounting... ......... 137 Damping Box, How to Make a. bes Dead Birds, Treatment of.......... 92 Decorating with Natural Objects. . 17 Disse cling Birds to Determine the DERE SURE dene che ias cic ase O nities Distribution of Lobsters............ 135 Drying Board, How to Make a...... 101 Eggs, Advice on Collecting........ 119 Eggs, Manner of Blowing.......... 121 SPSS IN TMELIN Oe ss cici cere co ciele «ote «ie 121 Hes sPACkIN Gene 4.0) steals alslete bocek20 Evg-Shells, Cleansing... .......... 121 Embryos, Removing. SAE sts State 121 Eyes in Birds, Inserting. wa espe Toe Fans and Fire-Screens....... oo 298 Heathers Brack Cis. sru scisecce) «0% Jeo 196 Feather Cushions, Trimming.......196 202 Heather sats. oil etn terre ici cee ste 196 Feather Work; Mancy..2...2.....s.< 195 eet Trimming Lambrequins TOU -T GIN sp cctetentee ts eigen atc eas ccreenciees Feet and Legs of anime Howl scd ie Ferns, Arranging acgiahe alters eleriorsberceistess 185 Ferns, Gime On Sete a ene 184 Ferns, Colonime we eae aoe eet ee 185 Ferns, Growth Fir pee ani fons Gren 1838 Henne PELeSSIMS cs sisieete sieves rales ote 185 Ferns, When to Collect........... 184 Ferns, Where to Find.:.:....2.-... 183 Finishing Off Walnut.............. 5 Bish. Collecting yea aicen sel srets ole abe 127 Fish, Skinning. Bars ie mein eile chon 128 Fish, Stuffing. aint asterene chaorioleise peatewes 131 Fishes, Preserving Smale ws ierseiaies 128 WISHES IStabnoducecs secs coc cee eee 138 Freight, Forward to Seaports by Sailing WViGSSElS laisse cates seit 32 TEORS ese wae s nasetetola tioeleststoudne aint Spee 125 Generative Organs of Birds. ....... 96 Glass and Shades, to Clean. 1%5 Glass, How Tastened in Cases..... 156 GluestolPirepare. vers. ccan sone 74. Grasses ana Mosses, How Fastened.156 Grasses-Coloringc <2. ses) aes ese 192 Grasses, Fancy Foreign Sats oer 191 Grasses, How to Make Bonquets of .194 Grasses, When to Collect........... Ground, Covering for Tent......... 26 Ground: Trap, to Make a, S08 34 Gulls, to Arrange Hooks for Catch- MID iss alte Me eRe chore ores ela toatels . 38 Gun, LOW, to | Carrycainc sce cee res 51 Guns and Ammunition for Collect- inp BiTdsijas.se see soe eee 91 Guns, CanerOl sake Sia ra eek ete aise 50 Guns for General Use............. 45 Guns for Water-Fowl and Large 1 5 Oe (Weg ree a MRA eas Pee et 45 Guy, Ropes: Use ofte ssc Gee nsee 25 Heads, Mounting Large........ peta Es) Heads on Casts, Mounting.......... 66 Heads on the Skulls, Mounting.... %3 Tnsect Mutilation, Protecting Speci- MENS PLOT Gide cia ote ee soos aioe 151 Insect#Pestsnjanksecocsomseomee eect Ok ‘Tnsects, Arranging...) cscs ii tem 145 Kalsomine for Tinting Cases.... ... 17 Larve of Cecropia Moth............ 140 Leaves, Preparing......-...-..---.. 188 Lesvings, Wse Oli... wsaetiosere seeses 16 Lizards )ccunst (once 122 Mobsters, Collectinose-7.sssseceete 135 Localities and Months for Collect- incInsectsi..) Ce oe nee eed ae 144 Luna Moth, Its Food,Chrysalids,ete.141 Making Colored Casts of Fishes... 133 Moccasins, How to Wear Them.... 15 IMO ellino sre: Saiciteatte net eee tea 16 Modelling, Materials Used in...... 166 Moldings, How Used and Fastened.155 Molds, ‘How to Make....... LRT ase 168 Mollusks Peak ees Soha ee nade Re ee 137 Moths and Butterflies, Preservine..145 Moths, Male, Collecting with Fe- MDAIEB Ue ioc te emia ate cieteiaia leva (cretevetaterajera 142 6 ¢ Wor) > a a renee INDEX. Mounting a Bird with Closed Wings102 Mounting a Bird with Spread Wingsi06 Mounting Birds to Suspend....... 108 Mounting Birds with Their Prey...108 Mounting Dry Bird Skins... 3.2: 109 Mounting Fishes’ Heads........... 132 Mounting haree Mishtee ss 132 Mounting Large Skeletons... ..... 89 Mounting Long and Short Tailed Avimais Sere 80 Mounting Medallion Heads... .... 112 Nesting of Birds.. =f pS A Nets for Catching ‘Birds BatelNvavs scatters 37 Nets for Collecting INSecis meses 143 Number of Species of Birds in North ATMEL CAS 2 itp en cloacal erate ee ON 92 Ornithological Parts of a Bird..... 17%6 Hach viules to be Used in Mountain Mraveliiac. ccehanenciec cee ener Paints Used in Coloring the Mouths OPAMIMAl gc lana same GAS weet 80 Panels, How to Make............... 114 Panels; Ornamentines. . sven as oe 114 Papier-maché, to Make............ 175 Paste. towreparesaccrcechact seas 174 Pickle for Beetles and Other Insects.174 Pickle for Preserving Animal Skins.174 Pickle for Preserving Crustaceans, Reptiles, and Wishes... ee 174 Plants"POlsOnOuUs 4a bocce nse cece 188 Plaster, Casting withiec.c asses see 168 Plaster, Modelling WIDE Soe sees 166 IPPIMERS Rate Se ses see eee aera 44 etc Leave leveliatatel stake lel statetetere suew SSG P LASER RnR OS ODDO COMA SOC Putty, Modelling with... ........- Rafts. How to Make and Use....... 31 Removing Blood from the Plumage OP BITGS ie .ke san cee eee 102 Rifle Cartridges, Care of............ 48 Rifles and Ammunition for Large Gam Gneincsseais tora seasteione 42 Rock-work, Bronzed oe cn saree 159 Rock-work. Cokes. 2a.2.ssewes tee 158 Rockaworks Collesnieycercce ee 158 Rock-work} HanGy..ceenis sees dees 159 Rock-work, How to Make ......... 157 Rock-work, Papier-macheé.......... 159 Rock-worksbeatirerecscs ceo ansee- 157 Rock-work, to Fasten Birds on..... 165 Rugs Ornamental ise. sacle rere 196 Salamanders yo wSeae oe os de eueeece eden SCasWinrClims caro ees m (cee eeeeeerts 138 Shells for Shot-Guns............... 44 Shiela} Wonks. Mace gece een ort 113 Shoes for HMuntine sess. wet toes SEL Shooting a Driving Bind eee ccc. 97 Shooting Antelope and Buffalo at Mone RANGes.cee ceicee eee cioe sie Bhoe Bue Crossing Birds on the oe Shot, Me > Chilled” Bes AN Sap EIS 91 SHOE Gund DLE oe ese reece eae 45 Skeletons, Cleanin@ss2. 32... .2-1mr 86 Skinning Birds. ec... cs coe ects er 99 Skinning RMepulesieacisciisiee ese 122 INDEX. Shinning onakes. cs. dccesnccaces 125 Skulls and Teeth, to Make Artificial 79 Sléep in the Open Air, How to.. 26 Small Articles Liable to be Lost, VO WebOuPacks, sce sack on aoe 21 Snakes which are Venomous....... 125 Shaping Feathers and Bird Skins..118 Snares, How to Use Them......... 37 NNOWAOCON CM nek ony yaeicee. aeiatiis testers 162 Softening Dry Animal Skins . for PEO MAUL TA erg pert ee eee las cig ate 85 Specimens, Arrangement of........ 147 Specimens, Careful Preparation of..151 Specimens on Shields, Arrangement Ole rare semen ae oe de ene oe erode 113 Stands, How to Maliessacocsc. cre? 153 Stove, C: WMD seo Jee sitaytiranpesoee otlas 20 Stove, How to Put UplaiCamp...... 25 Mecthy Castine sc. o icc sales sales osc sie ote 168 Demi TW SSLO RA Nerve se < ciciessieclcs, weiss 25 Trap Cage, Be caee ee Meee ss BT raps Care Olsens oe oh cae ac eee . 33 Traps, How to Put Out a Line of... 34 203 READS, UO ocleths ccc. cana os eatuia duniecen's Pa tomers carota aia 50 Bamford, C. E. 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