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Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


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de  la  nettet6  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


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d'impression  ou  d'iilustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^^>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — »>  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


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^  ^te'tunt  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
ent^r'^tv    iclu Jed  In  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginni.  y  in  'he  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  tc  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film^s  d  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
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de  Tangle  supdrieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

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5 

6 

FIELD 

OENITHOLOGY. 

COMPniSIXG  A 

lAIANUAL  OF  INSTRUCTION 

roB 
rROCURING,  PREPARING  AND  PRESKRVING  BIRDS 

AND  A 

Check  List  of  North  Americaij  Birds. 

BT 

Dr.   ELLIOTT   COUES,   U.S.A. 


SALEM : 
NATURALISTS'    AGENCY. 

Boston  :    ESTES  &  LAURIAT. 
New  York  :  Dodd  &  Mead. 

1874. 


PUINTED  AT 

THE    SAL  KM    TRESS. 

V.  \V.  I'UTNAM   A  CO., 

Proprlfl«n. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congiess,  in  the  year  1874,  by 

V.  W.  PUTNAM  AND  ELLIOTT  COUES, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congref^s  at  Washington. 


A-^T^ 


CONTENTS. 


PRELIMINARY  AND  EXPLANATORY 1 

CiiAPTEu  I.    Implements  FOB  Coi.LKCTixo  AND  THEIR  Use,  .    .      5 

§1.  The  Douhle-bakrelled  Shot  Gun,  5.— J2.  Breech  Loader,  0.— 
§3.  Other  Weapons,  etc.,  7.  — §1.  Ammunition,  8.  — §,5.  Other 
Equipments.  10.  — §0.  Quaufications  for  Success,  12.  —  §7.  To 
Carry  a  Gun,  12.— §8.  To  Clean  a  Gun,  13.— §!).  To  Load  a  Gun, 
14.— §10.  To  Shoot,  10. 
Chapter  II.    Dogs, 19 

§11.  A  Good  Dog,  IIow  Useful.  19. 

Chapter  III.     Various  Directions  and  Suggestions  for 

Field  Work, 21 

§12.  To  BE  A  Good  Collector,  21.  — §13,  U,  1,"),  10.  Birds,  llow. 
Where  and  When  Sought,  21, 22, 25.— §17.  How  many  of  a  Kind 
Wanted.  AND  Why,  27.  — §18.  What  is  a  Good  Day's  Work?  30. 
—§10.  Approaching  Birds,  30.— §20.  Kecoverino  Birds.  33.— §21. 
Killing  Wounded  Birds,  33.— §22.  Handling  Bleeding  Birds, 
35.— §23.  Carrying  Birds  Home  Safe,  30.— §24.  A  Special  Case, 
37.— §25.  Uygie:^  of  Collectorsihp,  37. 

Chapter  IV.    Registration  and  Labelling, 44 

§20,  27.  Record  of  Oiiservations,  41.— §28.  Ornithological  Book- 
keeping,  45.— §29.  Laiielling,  40.- §.'J0.  Directions  for  Measure- 

MENT,  49. 

Chapter  V.     Ixstbumest.s,  Materials  and   Fixtures  for 

Preparing  Birdskins, 52 

§31.  Instruments,  ."52.— §32.  Materials,  53.— §:w.  Independent  Par- 
agraph, 50.— §34.  Fixtures,  50.— §35.  Query, 57. 

(iil) 


••?# 


IV 


CONTEXTS. 


Chapter  VI.    How  to  Make  a  Bihpskin, 


68 


A.  The  Hffjular  I'rocem  (§:ir.),  SS— //.  Sprrial  Piocrssra;  Coniplicntiom 
nm/ylcc«rfc»<»(§37),  70,  —  §:18.  Sizk,  70.- §,!!>.  SiiAi'i:,  73.  — §10.  Thin 
Skin;  Loosk  Pu.-maoe, 73.— §U.  FATNK'*a.  7S— §12.  IIi.ood-stains. 
ETC.,  77.  — §13,  Mutilation,  7'J.  — §41.  DiccosirosiTioN,  80.  — §i,5. 

Trow  TO  MOKNT  Bll{l>8,  82. 
ClIAPTKU  VII.      Ml8CEI,/-ANEOt:8  TaIITICULAIIS 

§tO.  Deteumination  oi"  Sex,  03.— §17.  Repocmtion  of  Ar.E.  0».— §18. 
Examination  of  Stomach.  ft"».— §19.  IlKSTf)HATioN  of  Pooit  Skin.s, 

00.— §50.    MCMMIFICATION,  97— §-|l.    WET  Pl{KrAnATIO>S,  07  —  §.V2. 
08TE0I.0GICAI-  PllEPAnATIOXS,  08.- §.53.    NEST.S  AND  EGGS,  100. 

CiiAPTEU  VIII.    Cake  of  a  Collection, 

554.  Well  PnKSERVEn  Si'f.cimens.  ion.— §.5.").  Inskct  Pe9t.<<,  100— §.v>. 
Cases  foiiStoiiage  ouTitANsroitTATioN,  107.— §.')7.  Caihsets,  108. 
— §.'58.  To  Desthoy  Bugs,  110.— §,'>9.  Two  Items,  111. 
Appendix,  Additions  and  Coruections, 


93 


106 


113 


CHECK  LIST. 


List  of  Birds  of  North  America,       1 

Extinct  Spkcies, 119 

Appendix,  Additions  and  Corrections, 123 


MANUAL  OF  INSTRUCTION, 


AND 


CHECK  LIST  OF  THE  BIRDS  OF  NORTH  AMERICA. 


PRELIMINARY     AND     EXPLANATORY. 

Both  autlior  and  publisher  of  the  "Key  to  North  American 
Birds"  intended  that  the  worlc  should  contain  instructions  for 
collecting  and  preparing  birds,  and  that  a  CniccK  List,  accord- 
ing with  the  author's  views,  should  appear  simultaneously  with 
the  volume.  This  proved  impracticable :  partly  because  the 
work  so  ftvr  overran  tiie  original  estimates,  that  the  additional 
expense  and  risk,  which  the  publisher,  an  accomplished  natu- 
ralist, generously  offered  to  assume,  seemed  to  the  author 
unjustifiable ;  and  partly  because  the  writer's  unexpected  call 
to  another  field  of  official  duty  suddenly  threw  such  a  pressure 
of  other  engagements  upon  his  hands  that  he  could  not  just 
then  find  time  to  write  out  even  so  slight  a  treatise  as  this. 
The  Check  List  and  Manual  of  Ixstuuction  are  therefore 
now  presented   together,  as  a  Supplement  to  the  Key. 

The  demand  for  a  new  Check  List  has  become  urgent.  The 
last  one  published,  and  only  one  now  in  use,  expresses  a 
former  state  of  American  ornithology'.  That  great  changes — 
presumably  for  the  better — have  lately  been  made,  is  shown 
by  the  fact  that,  in  round  numbers,  fifty  species  have  been 


MANUAL. 


Z  EXPLANATORY. 

since  nscertaincd  to  inliabit  North  America,  while  one  hundred 
and  nrty  have  been  removed  from  the  former  list  as  being 
extrallmital,  invalid  or  otherwise  untenable.  Of  whatever 
part  the  author  may  have  taken  in  remodelling  the  list,  it 
would  l)c  obviously  indelicate  to  speak.  IJut  he  cannot  refrain 
from  alluding  to  the  signal  services  of  reform  rendered  1)}'  INIr. 
Allen,  of  Cambridge,  whose  stanch  advocacy,  under  circum- 
stances that  might  have  excused  flinching,  did  so  much  to 
precipitate  the  changes,  long  while  progressing  and  inevi- 
table, for  which  the  time  was  at  length  at  hand.  Nor  would 
this  allusion  be  entirely  just,  did  he  not  in  the  same  connection 
refer  to  the  thorough  revision  now  making  by  Prof.  Baird  him- 
self, with  the  coiiperation  of  Dr.  Brewer  and  Mr.  Ridgway,  the 
results  of  which  are  about  to  appear  in  what  promises  to  be 
one  of  the  greatest  monuments  ever  erected  to  American 
ornithology.  The  notable  concordance  of  the  several  writings 
in  question,  an  agreement  the  more  gratifying  because  a  short 
time  since  it  might  have  been  considered  impossible,  marks  an 
important  period  in  the  history  of  the  science.  The  outlook 
promises  well,  when  different  premises  load  up  to  the  same 
conclusions,  and  conflicting  views  are  reconciled. 

The  present  Check  List,  prepared  in  strict  accordance  with 
the  Key,  reflects  exactly  whatever  of  truth  or  error  that 
work  represents.  The  typography  and  presswork  render  it 
susceptible  of  use  in  labelling  a  collection.*  It  shows  mainly 
three  points  of  disagreement  with  the  current  Smithsonian 
List.  The  number  of  genera  is  reduced  though  not  to  the  extent 
that  may  be  desirable.  It  is  perhaps  to  be  regretted,  that  so 
many  needless  and  burdensome  generic  names,  for  which 
Bonaparte,  Cabanis,  Kaup   and   Reichenbach   are  largely  re- 


*For  Uiis  purpose  the  List  will  be  issued  as  a  pnniphlet  by  itself  as  well 
as  forming  part  of  this  litUc  Tolumc. 


EXI'LANATORY. 


8 


sponsible,  wore  ndoptcd  in  Prof.  Balrd's  great  work;*  for, 
snmtioiicd  by  the  usage  of  such  cniluont  authority,  they  have 
passed  current,  and  are  too  closely  Ingrained  in  our  nomen- 
clature to  bo  soon  eradicated.  The  writer  feels  at  liberty 
to  speak  plainly,  for  his  own  skirts  are  not  clear.  Secondly, 
not  a  few  species,  new  to  North  America,  or  to  science,  or 
both,  have  of  late  years  been  ascertained  to  inhabit  this  country. 
The  third  and  principal  variance  between  the  present  Ciikck 
List  and  its  predecessor  results  from  a  large  reduction  of  the 
number  of  admitted  species.  Tart  of  them  are  excluded  sim- 
ply because  extralimital ;  but  most  l)ccausc  tliey  are  considered 
untenable  as  species.  In  the  present  state  of  our  knowledge, 
and  under  a  system  of  nomenclature  that  is  proven  inadecjuate 
and  may  before  long  become  o])solcte,  recognition  of  numerous 
"Varieties" — resultant  modifications  of  species  by  pliysical 
conditions  of  environment — is  imperative  ;  and  what  are  these 
varieties  but  the  rills  that  flow  into  and  help  to  swell  the  mighty 
stream  of  descent  with  modification? 

The  Instructions  for  Collecting  and  Taxidermy,  herewith 
offered,  are  drawn  almost  entirely  from  the  writer's  experience, 
acquired  during  several  years  lie  has  spent,  with  little  interrup- 
tion, in  the  study  of  our  birds.  He  has  collected  over  a  wide 
area  from  Labrador  to  California,  in  northwestern  territories, 
and  in  several  southern  states ;  enjoying  opportunities  for 
field  investigations  that  no  one  with  the  least  taste  or  aptitude 
for  the  pursuit  could  fail  to  profit  by.  In  the  matter  of  col- 
lecting, therefore,  he  may  reasonably  venture  to  speak  with 
confidence.  Since,  furthermore,  a  taxidermal  process  that  has 
been  repeated  several  thousand  times  with  fair  results  is  by 
this  simple  circumstance  proven  satisfactory',  he  feels  no  difl3- 


♦  "  Birds  of  North  America  "  by  Bairil,  Cassin  aud  Lawrence. 


4  EXPLANATOUV. 

(lencc  In  presenting  his  method  as  a  model  to  bo  followed  in 
the  absence  of  a  better  one.  The  Instructions  will,  it  is  be- 
lieved, enable  any  one  to  become  reasonably  proficient  in  certain 
of  the  indispensable  qualifications  of  a  good  working  ornithol- 
ogist. He  intends  to  take  what  may  or  may  not  be  a  liberty, 
and  to  presume  that  the  reader  is  cntir(^ly  inexperienced  in 
field-work ;  and  ho  begs  the  further  privilege  of  waiving 
formality,  that  ho  may  bo  allowed  to  address  tho  reader  very 
familiarly,  much  as  if  chatting  with  a  friend  on  a  subject  of 
mutual   interest. 


Bcnrtlro's  Mocking-thrufili,  Ilarporhynchm  Benilirei  Couea. 
Sou  Anioi'iuuaNuturulist  for  Juao,  IST.t,  vol.  vii,  p.  330. 


1* 


ANUAL    OF 


Tnstru 


CTION. 


CHAPTER  I. 


IMPLEMENTS  FOR  COLLECTING,  AND  Til  Kill  USE. 


§1.  The  DOuuLK-HAituELLED  SHOT  GUN  is  3'our  mniu  relianco. 
Under  some  circuinstuncoa  yoti  may  trap  or  snare  birds,  catch 
them  with  bird-linio,  or  use  otlier  devices  ;  but  such  cases 
are  exceptions  to  the  rule  that  you  will  shoot  birds,  and  lor 
this  purpose  no  weapon  compares  with  the  one  just  mentioned. 
The  soul  of  good  advice  respecting  the  selection  of  a  gun,  is, 
get  the  bed  one  you  can  afford  to  buy  ;  go  the  full  length  of  your 
purse  in  the  matters  of  material  and  workmanship.  'Jo  say 
nothing  of  the  prime  requisite,  safety,  or  of  the  next  most 
desirable  quality,  efllciency,  the  durability  of  a  high-priced 
gun  makes  it  cheapest  in  the  end.  Style  of  finish  is  obviously 
of  little  consequence,  except  as  an  index  of  other  qualities ; 
for  inferior  guns  rarely,  if  ever,  display  the  exquisite  appoint- 
ments that  mark  a  first-rate  arm.  There  is  really  so  little 
choice  among  good  guns  that  nothing  need  be  said  on  this 
score ;  you  cannot  miss  it  if  you  pay  enough  to  any  reputable 
maker  or  reliable  dealer.  But  collecting  is  a  specialty,  and 
some  guns  are  better  adapted  than  others  to  your  particular 
purpose,  which  is  the  destruction,  as  a  rule,  of  small  birds,  at 
moderate  range,  with  the  least  possible  injury  to  their  plumage. 
Probably  three-fourths  or  more  of  the  birds  of  a  miscellaneous 
collection  average  under  the  size  of  a  pigeon,  and  were  shot 
within  thirty  yards.  A  heavy  gun  is  therefore  unnecessary,  in 
fact  ineligible,  the  extra  weight  being  useless.  You  will  find 
a  gun  of  7J  to  8  pounds  weight  most  suitable.     For  similar 

(5) 


e: 


r 

I 


6  IMPLEMENTS   FOR   COLLECTIXO,  AND   THEIR    USE. 

reasons  the  bore  should  be  small ;  I  prefer  14  gauge,  and 
should  not  think  of  going  over  12.  To  judge  from  the  best 
sporting  authorities,  length  of  barrel  is  of  less  consequence 
than  many  suppose  ;  for  myself,  I  incline  to  a  rather  long  bar- 
rel —  one  nearer  33  than  28  inches  —  believing  that  such  a 
barrel  may  throw  shot  closer ;  but  I  am  not  sure  that  this  is 
even  the  rule,  while  it  is  well  known  that  several  circumstances 
of  loading,  besides  some  almost  inappreciable  differences  in 
barrels,  will  cause  guns  apparently  exactly  alike  to  throw  shot 
differently.  Length  and  crook  of  stock  should  of  course  be 
adapted  to  your  figure  —  a  gun  may  be  made  to  fit  you,  as  well 
as  a  coat.  For  wild-fowl  shooting,  and  on  some  other  special 
occasions,  a  heavier  and  altogether  more  powerful  gun  will  be 
preferable. 

§2.  BuEECir-LOAOKR  V.9.  muzzlc-loadcr,  a  case  long  argued, 
may  be  considered  settled  in  favor  of  the  former.  Provided 
the  mechanism  and  workmanship  of  the  breech  be  what  they 
should  there  are  no  valid  objections  to  ofl'set  obvious  ad\an- 
tages,  some  of  which  are  these :  ease  and  rapidity  of  loading, 
and  consequently  delivery  of  shots  in  quick  succession  ;  facil- 
ity of  cleaning  ;  compactness  and  portability  of  ammunition  ; 
readiness  with  which  different  sized  shot  may  be  used.  This 
last  is  highly  important  to  the  collector,  who  neve-  knows 
the  moment  he  m&y  wish  to  fire  at  a  very  different  bird  from 
such  as  he  has  already  loaded  for.  The  muzzle-loader  must 
always  contain  the  fine  shot  with  which  nine-tenths  of  your 
specimens  will  be  secured  ;  if  in  both  barrels,  you  cannot  deal 
with  a  hawk  or  other  large  bird  with  reasonable  prospects  of 
success ;  if  in  only  one  barrel,  the  other  being  more  heavily 
charged,  j'ou  are  crippled  to  the  extent  of  exactl}'  one-half  of 
your  resources  for  ordinary  shooting.  Whereas,  with  the 
breech-loader  you  will  habitually  use  mustard-seed  in  both 
barrels,  and  yet  can  slip  in  a  different  shell  in  time  to  seize 
most  opportunities  requiring  large  shot.  This  consideration 
alone  should  decide  the  case.  But,  moreover,  the  time  spent 
in  the  field  in  loading  an  ordinary  gun  is  no  small  item ;  while 


GUNS   AND   OTHER   WEAPONS.  7 

cai'trulgps  may  be  char<;e(l  in  j'our  leisure  at  home.  This  should 
become  the  natural  occupation  of  your  spare  moments.  No 
time  is  really  (/a/ He(?;  you  simply  change  to  advantage  tlie  time 
consumed.  Metal  shells,  cliarged  with  loose  ammunition,  and 
susceptible  of  being  reloaded  many  times,  are  preferable  to 
paper  cartridges,  even  such  as  you  load  j'ourself,  and  are  far 
more  eligible  than  any  special  fixed  ammunition  which,  once 
exhausted  in  a  distant  place,  and  circumstances  may  upset 
the  best  calculations  on  that  score,  leaves  the  gun  useless. 
On  charging  the  shells  mark  the  ninnber  of  the  shot  used  on 
the  outside  wad ;  or  better,  use  colored  wads,  say  plain  white 
for  dust  shot,  and  red,  blue  and  green  for  certain  other  sizes. 
If  going  ftir  awa}'  take  as  man^'  shells  as  you  think  can  possi- 
bly be  wanted  and  then  add  a  few  more. 


§3.  Other  weapons,  etc.  An  ordinary  single-barrel  gun 
will  of  course  answer  but  is  a  sorr}'  makeshift,  for  it  is  some- 
times so  poorly  constructed  as  to  be  unsafe,*  and  can  at  best  be 
only  just  half  as  effective.  The  cane-r/un  should  be  mentioned 
in  this  connection.  It  is  a  single-barrel,  lacquered  to  look  like 
a  stick,  with  a  brass  stopper  at  the  muzzle  to  imitate  a  ferule, 
counter-sunk  hami^er  and  trigger,  and  either  a  simple  curved 
handle,  or  a  light  gunstock-shaped  piece  that  screws  in.  The 
affair  is  easily  mistaken  for  a  cane.  Some  have  acquired  con- 
siderable dexterity  in  its  use ;  my  own  experience  with  it  is 
very  limited  and  unsatisfactory  ;  the  handle  always  hit  me  in 
the  face,  and  I  generally  missed  my  bird.  It  has  only  two 
recommendations.  If  you  approve  of  shooting  on  Sunday 
and  yet  scruple  to  shock  popular  prejudice,  you  can  slip  out 
of  town  unsuspected.  If  you  are  shooting  where  the  law 
forbids  destruction  of  small  birds — a  wise  and  good  law  that 
you  may  sometimes  be  inclined  to  defy — artfully  careless 
handling  of  the  deceitful  implement  may  prevent  arrest  and 
fine.  A  bloiv-gun  is  sometimes  used.  It  is  a  long  slender  tube 
of  wood,  metal  or  glass,  through  Avhich  cla3--balls,  tiny  arrows, 

"■This  remark  does  not  apply  to  auy  of  tho  flue  single-barrelled  breech-loaders 
now  made. 


BB 


IMPLEMENTS   TOR    COLLECTINQ,  AND   THEIR   USE. 


i 

y] 


etc.,  are  projected  b}-^  force  of  the  breath.  It  must  be  quite  an 
art  to  use  such  a  weapon  successfully,  and  its  employment  is 
necessarily  exceptional.  Some  uncivilized  tribes  are  said  to 
possess  marvellous  skill  in  the  use  of  long  bamboo  blow-guns  ; 
and  such  people  are  often  valuable  employes  of  the  collector. 
1  have  had  no  experience  Avith  the  noiseless  air-gun,  which  is, 
in  elfect,  a  modified  blow-gun,  compressed  air  being  the  explo- 
sive power.  Nor  can  I  say  much  of  various  methods  of  trap- 
jnng  birds  that  may  be  practised.  On  these  points  I  must  leave 
you  to  3'our  own  devices,  with  the  remark  that  horse-hair 
snares,  set  over  a  nest,  are  often  of  great  service  in  securing 
the  parent  of  eggs  that  miglit  otherwise  remain  tmldentijicd. 
I  have  no  practical  knowledge  of  hird-lime;  1  believe  it  is 
seldom  used  in  this  countr3\  A  method  of  nettivg  birds  alive, 
which  I  have  tried,  is  both  easy  and  successful.  A  net  of  fine 
green  silk,  some  8  or  10  feet  square,  is  stretched  perpendicu- 
larly across  a  narrow  part  of  one  of  the  tiny  brooks,  over- 
grown with  briers  and  shrubbery,  that  intersect  manj'  of  our 
meadows.  Retreating  to  a  distance  the  collector  beats  along 
the  shrubbery  making  all  the  noise  he  can,  urging  on  the  little 
birds  till  they  reach  the  almost  invisible  net  and  become  en- 
tangled in  trying  to  fly  through.  I  have  in  this  manner  taken 
a  dozen  sparrows  and  the  like  atone  ^' drive."  But  the  gun 
can  rarely  be  laid  aside  for  this  or  any  similar  device. 


i« 


' !  1 


§4.  Ammunition.  The  best  x^otoder  is  that  combining 
strength  and  cleanliness  in  the  highest  compatible  degree.  In 
some  brands  too  much  of  the  latter  is  sacrificed  to  the  former. 
Other  things  being  equal,  a  rather  coarse  powder  is  preferable, 
since  its  slower  action  tends  to  throw  shot  closer.  Some  num- 
bers are  said  to  be  "too  quick"  for  fine  breech-loaders.  In- 
experienced sportsmen  and  collectors  almost  invariabl}-  use 
too  coarse  shot.  When  unnecessarily  large,  two  evils  result : 
the  number  of  pellets  in  a  load  is  decreased,  the  chances  of 
killing  being  correspondingl}'  lessened  ;  and  the  plumage  is 
unnecessarily  injured,  either  by  direct  mutilation,  or  by  subse- 
quent bleeding  through  large  holes.     As  already  hinted,  shot 


POWDER,  SHOT   AND   WADS. 


9 


cannot  be  too  fine  for  your  routine  collecting.  Use  "  mustard- 
seed,"  or  "  dust-shot,"  as  it  is  variously  called ;  it  is  smaller 
than  any  of  the  sizes  usually  numbered.  As  the  very  finest 
can  only  be  procured  in  cities,  provide  yourself  liberally  on 
leaving  any  centre  of  civilization  for  even  a  country  village, 
to  say  nothing  of  remote  regions.  A  small  bird  that  would 
have  been  torn  to  pieces  by  a  few  large  pellets,  may  be  riddled 
with  mustard-seed  and  yet  be  prcservable  ;  moreover,  there  is, 
as  a  rule,  little  or  no  bleeding  from  these  minute  holes,  which 
close  up  by  the  elasticity  of  tlie  tissues  involved.  It  is  aston- 
ishing what  large  birds  may  be  brought  down  with  the  tiny 
pellets.  I  have  killed  hawks  with  such  shot,  knocked  over  a 
wood  ibis  at  forty  yards  and  once  shot  a  wolf  dead  with  No. 
10,  though  I  am  bound  to  say  the  animal  was  williin  a  few  feet 
of  me.  After  dust-shot,  and  the  nearest  number  or  two,  No. 
8  or  7  will  be  found  most  useful.  Waterfowl,  thick-skinned 
sea  birds  like  loons,  cormorants  and  pelicans,  and  a  few  of  the 
largest  land  birds,  require  heavier  shot.  I  have  had  no  ex- 
perience with  the  substitution  of  fine  gravel  or  sand,  much  less 
water,  as  a  projectile  ;  besides  shot  I  never  fired  anything  at  a 
bird  except  my  ranu'od,  on  one  or  two  occasions,  when  I  never 
afterwards  saw  either  the  bird  or  the  stick.  The  comparatively 
trivial  matter  of  caj^s  will  repay  attention.  Breech-loaders 
not  discharged  with  a  pin  take  a  particular  style  of  short  cap 
called  a  "primer;"  for  other  guns  the  best  Avater-proof  lined 
caps  will  prevent  annoyance  and  disappointment  in  wet  weather, 
and  may  save  j^ou  an  eye,  for  they  only  sp//^  when  exploded  ; 
whereas,  the  flimsy  cheap  ones — that  "GD"  trash,  for  in- 
stance, sold  in  the  corner  grocery  at  ten  cents  a  hundred 
—  usually  fly  to  pieces.  Moreover,  the  top  of  such  a  cap  is 
sometimes  driven  into  the  nipple.  Using  Ely's  caps,  I  shot  a 
whole  season  in  the  fog  and  rain  of  Labrador,  without  a  single 
miss-fire,  though  my  gun  was  sometimes  dripping.  Cut  felt 
wads  are  the  only  suitable  article.  lily's  "  chemically  prepared  " 
wadding  is  the  best.  It  is  well,  when  using  plain  wads,  occa- 
sionally to  drive  a  greased  one  through  the  barrel.  Since  you 
may  sometimes  run  out  of  wads  through  an  unexpected  coutin- 


10       IMPLEMENTS   FOR   COLLECTING,  AND   THEIR  USE. 

gency,  always  keep  a  Avad-cutter  to  fit  your  gun.  You  can 
make  serviceable  wads  of  pasteboard,  but  they  are  far  inferior 
to  felt.  Cut  them  on  the  flat  sawn  end  of  a  stick  of  fire- 
wood ;  the  side  of  a  plank  does  not  do  very  well.  Use  a 
wooden  mallet,  instead  of  a  hammer  or  hatchet,  and  so  save 
your  cutter.  Soft  paper  is  next  best  after  wads  ;  I  have  never 
used  rags,  cotton  or  tow,  fearing  these  tinder-like  substances 
might  leave  a  spark  in  the  barrels.  Crumbled  leaves  or  grass 
will  answer  at  a  pinch.  I  have  occasionally,  in  a  desperate 
hurry,  loaded  and  killed  without  any  wadding. 

§5.  Other  equipments.*  a.  For  the  gun.  A  gun-case  will 
come  cheap  in  the  end,  especially  if  you  travel  much.  The 
usual  box,  divided  into  compartments,  and  well  lined,  is  the 
best,  though  the  full  length  leather  or  india-rubber  cloth  case 
answers  very  )11.  The  box  should  contain  a  small  kit  of 
tools,  such  mainspring-vise,  nipple-wrench,  screw-driver, 
etc.  A  stout  hard-wood  cleaning  rod,  with  wormer,  will  be 
required.  It  is  always  safe  to  have  parts  of  the  gun  lock, 
especially  mainspring,  in  duplicate.  For  muzzle-loaders  extra 
nipples  and  extra  ramrod  heads  and  tips  often  come  into  use. 
For  breech-loaders  the  apparatus  for  charging  the  shells  is  so 
useful  as  to  be  practically  indispensable,  b.  For  ammunition. 
Metal  shells  or  paper  cartridges  may  be  carried  loose  in  the 
large  lower  coat  pocket,  or  in  a  leathern  satchel.  There  is 
said  to  be  a  chance  of  explosion  by  some  unlucky  blow,  where 
they  are  so  carried,  but  I  never  knew  of  an  instance.  Another 
way  is  to  fix  them  separately  in  a  row  in  snug  loops  of  soft 
leather  sewn  continuously  along  a  stout  waist-belt ;  or  in  sev- 
eral such  horizontal  rows  on  a  square  piece  of  thick  leather,  to 
be  slung  by  a  strap  over  the  shoulder.  The  appliances  for  loose 
ammunition  are  almost  endlessly  varied,  so  every  one  may  con- 


*  Parker  Brothers,  West  Meriden,  Conn.,  publish  a  pamphlet  which  I  should 
advise  you  to  get.  I  suppose  it  would  be  mailed  on  application.  It  is  of  course 
entirely  in  the  business  interest  of  the  Parker  gun,  but  gives  many  useful  hints  of 
general  practical  applicability,  respecting  the  appliances  for  guns  and  ammu- 
nition. There  is  a  good  deal  of  apparatus  that  I  pass  over  as  not  being  indispen- 
sable, but  which  you  might  find  convenient. 


APPAKaTUS.  —  CLOTHING. 


11 


suit  his  taste  or  convenience.  Tlie  sliot-pouch  I  had  settled 
upon  before  using  a  breccli-loader,  as  the  most  satisfactory  is 
the  "double-barrelled"  one,  so  to  speak,  that  buckles  round 
the  waist,  and  is  further  supported  by  shoulder-straps  crossing 
on  the  back  exactly  like  a  pair  of  suspenders.  This  so  fixes 
and  distributes  the  weight  that  it  is  carried  Avith  the  least 
fatigue ;  I  think  it  far  preferable  to  the  pear-shaped  hand 
pouches  dangling  by  a  cord.  Since  it  cannot  be  raised  to  the 
muzzle  of  the  gun,  and  since  moreover  mustard-seed  will  easily 
slip  through  the  openings  for  the  slides  of  the  ordinary  lever 
arrangement  for  measuring  the  charge  of  shot,  the  nozzle  of 
the  pouch  should  have  a  thimble  for  the  same  purpose.  The 
rule  of  loading  being  bulk  for  bulk  of  powder  and  shot  it  is 
often  convenient  to  carry  mustard-seed  in  a  powder-flask  ;  the 
slide  works  readily  through  fine  shot  to  cut  olf  a  charge,  though 
it  will  not  do  so  with  coarser.  Caps  are  most  conveniently 
carried  loose  in  a  right-hand  vest  poolcet,  or  fob  on  the  outside 
of  the  coat ;  wads  in  a  lower  right-hand  pocket,  c.  For  speci- 
mens. You  must  always  caiTy  paper  in  which  to  wrap  up  your 
specimens,  as  more  particularly  directed  beyond.  Nothing  is 
better  for  this  purpose  than  writing-paper ;  "  rejected  "  or  other- 
wise useless  MSS.  may  thus  be  utilized.  The  ordinary  game 
bag,  with  leather  back  and  network  front,  answers  very  well ; 
but  a  light  basket,  fitting  the  body,  such  as  is  used  by  fisher- 
men, is  the  best  thing  to  carry  specimens  in.  Avoid  putting 
specimens  into  pockets^  unless  you  have  your  coat  tail 
largely  excavated  :  crowding  them  into  a  close  pocket,  where 
they  press  each  other,  and  receive  warmth  from  the  person, 
will  injure  them.  It  is  always  well  to  take  a  little  cotton  into 
the  field,  to  plug  up  shot-holes,  mouth,  nostrils  or  vent, 
immediately,  if  required,  d.  For  yourself.  The  indications  to 
be  fulfilled  in  your  clothing  are  these :  Adaptability  to  the 
weather ;  and  since  a  shooting  coat  is  not  conveniently 
changed,  while  an  overcoat  is  ordinarily  ineligible,  the  require- 
ment is  best  met  by  different  underclothes.  Easy  fit,  allowing 
perfect  freedom  of  muscular  action,  especially  of  the  arms. 
Strength  of  fabric,  to  resist  briers  and  stand  wear ;  velveteen 


mmn 


12   IMPLEMENTS  FOR  COLLECTING,  AND  THEIR  USE. 

and  corduroy  are  excellent  materials.  Subdued  color,  to  render 
you  as  inconspicuous  as  possible,  and  to  show  dirt  the  least. 
Multiplicity  of  pockets — a  perfect  shooting-coat  is  an  inge- 
nious system  of  hanging  pouches  about  the  person.  Broad 
soled,  low  heeled  boots  or  shoes,  giving  a  lirm  tread  even  when 
wet.  Close-fitting  cap  with  prominent  visor,  or  low  soft  felt 
hat,  rather  broad  brimmed.  Let  india-rubber  goods  alone ; 
the  field  is  no  place  for  a  sweat-bath. 

§6.  Qualifications  for  success.  With  the  outfit  just 
indicated  you  command  all  the  required  appliances  that  you 
can  buy,  and  the  rest  lies  with  yourself.  Success  hangs  upon 
your  own  exertions  ;  upon  your  energy,  industry  and  persever- 
ance ;  your  knowledge  and  skill ;  your  zeal  and  enthusiasm, 
in  collecting  birds,  much  as  in  other  affairs  of  life.  But 
that  your  efforts — maiden  attempts  they  must  once  have  been 
if  they  be  not  such  now  —  may  be  directed  to  best  advantage, 
further  instructions  may  not  be  unacceptable. 


§7.  To  CAiiHY  A  GUN  without  peril  to  human  life  or  limb  is 
the  a  6  c  of  its  use.  "There's  death  in  the  pot."  Such  con- 
stant care  is  required  to  avoid  accidents  that  no  man  can  give 
it  by  continual  voluntary  efforts ,  safe  carnage  of  the  gun 
must  become  an  unconscious  habit,  fixed  as  the  movements  of 
an  automaton.  The  golden  rule  and  whole  secret  is  :  the  muz- 
zle must  never  siveep  the  horizon;  accidental  discharge  should 
send  the  shot  into  the  ground  before  your  feet,  or  away  up  in 
the  air.  There  are  several  safe  and  easy  ways  of  holding  a 
piece :  they  will  be  emploj'cd  by  turns  to  relieve  particular 
muscles  when  fatigued.  1.  Hold  it  in  the  hollow  of  the  arm 
(preferably  the  left,  as  you  can  recover  to  aim  in  less  time  than 
from  the  right),  across  the  front  of  your  person,  the  hand  on 
the  grip,  the  muzzle  elevated  about  45°.  2.  Hang  it  by  the 
trigger-guard  hitched  over  the  forearm  brough*^  lound  to  the 
breast,  the  stock  passing  behind  the  upper  arm,  the  muzzle 
pointing  to  the  ground  a  pace  or  so  in  fi'ont  of  you.  3.  Shoulder 
it,  the  hand  on  the  grip  or  heel  plate,  the  muzzle  pointing  upward 


I 


CARE   OF  A  GUN. 


18 


at  least  45°.  4.  Shoulder  it  reversed,  the  hand  grasping  the 
barrels  about  their  middle,  the  muzzle  pointing  forward  and 
downward :  this  is  perfectly  admissible,  but  is  the  most  awk- 
ward position  of  all  to  recover  from.  Always  carry  a  loaded 
gun  at  half-cock,  unless  you  are  about  to  shoot.  Unless  the 
lock  fail,  accidental  discharge  is  impossible,  except  under 
these  circumstances  :  a,  a  direct  blow  on  the  nipple  or  pin  ;  6, 
catching  of  both  hammer  and  trigger  simultaneousl}',  drawing 
back  of  the  former  and  its  release  whilst  the  trigger  is  still 
held  —  the  chances  against  which  are  simply  incalculable. 
Full-cock,  ticklish  as  it  seems,  is  safer  than  no-cock,  when  a 
tap  on  the  hammer  or  even  the  heel-plate,  or  a  slight  catch  and 
release  of  the  hammer,  may  cause  discharge.  Never  let  the 
muzzle  of  a  loaded  gun  point  toward  your  own  person  for  a 
single  instant.  Get  your  gun  over  fences  or  into  boats  or 
carriages,  before  you  get  over  or  in  yourself,  or  at  any  rate  no 
later.  Remove  caps  or  cartridges  on  entering  a  house.  Never 
aim  a  gun,  loaded  or  not,  at  any  object,  unless  you  mean  to 
press  the  trigger.  Never  put  a  loaded  gun  away  long  enough 
to  forget  Avhether  it  is  loaded  or  not ;  never  leave  a  loaded  gun 
to  be  found  by  others  under  circumstances  reasonably  presup- 
posing it  to  be  unloaded.  Never  put  a  gun  where  it  can  be 
knocked  down  by  a  dog  or  a  child.  Never  forget  that  though 
a  gunning  accident  may  be  sometimes  intcrpretable  (from  a 
certain  standpoint)  as  a  "dispensation  of  Providence,"  such 
are  dispensed  oftenest  to  the  careless. 


§8.  To  CLKAN  A  GUN  propcrly  requires  some  knowledge, 
more  good  temper,  and  most  ''elbow-grease ;"  it  is  dirty,  disa- 
greeable, inevitable  work,  Avhich  laziness,  business,  tiredness, 
indifference  and  good  taste  will  by  turns  tempt  you  to  shirk. 
After  a  hunt  you  are  tired,  have  your  clothes  to  change,  a  meal 
to  eat,  a  lot  of  birds  to  skin,  a  journal  to  write  up.  If  you 
"  sub-lot"  the  contract  the  chances  are  it  is  but  half  fulfilled  ; 
serve  yourself,  if  you  want  to  be^'ell  served.  If  you  cannot 
find  time  for  a  regular  cleaning,  an  intolerably  foul  gun  may 
be  made  to  do  another  day's  work  by  swabbing  for  a  few  mo- 


14      IMPLEMENTS   FOR  COLLECTING,  AND  THEIR  USE. 


i 


h 


ments  with  a  wet  (not  dripping)  rag,  and  tlicn  Avitli  an  oiled 
one.  For  the  full  wash  use  cold  water  first ;  it  loosens  dirt 
better  than  hot  water.  •'  Set  the  barrels  in  a  pail  of  water ; 
wrap  the  end  of  the  cleaning  rod  with  tow  or  cloth,  and  pump 
away  till  j'our  arms  ache.  Change  the  rag  or  tow,  and  the 
water  too,  till  they  both  stay  clean  for  all  the  swabbing  you 
can  do.  Fill  the  barrels  with  boiling  water  till  they  are  well 
heated ;  pour  it  out,  wipe  as  dry  as  possible  inside  and  out, 
and  set  them  by  a  fire.  Finish  with  a  light  oiling,  inside  and 
out;  touch  uj)  all  the  metal  about  the  stock,  and  i)olish  the 
wood-work.  Do  not  remove  the  locks  oftener  than  is  neces- 
sar}'^ ;  every  time  they  are  taken  out,  something  of  the  exqui- 
site fitting  that  marks  a  good  gun  may  be  lost ;  as  long  as  they 
work  smoothly  take  it  for  granted  they  are  all  right.  The 
same  direction  applies  to  nipples.  To  keep  a  gun  well,  under 
long  disuse,  it  should  have  had  a  particularly  thorough  cleaning  ; 
the  chambers  should  be  packed  with  greasy  tow  ;  greased  wads 
may  be  rammed  at  intervals  along  the  barrels ;  or  the  barrels 
may  be  filled  with  melted  tallow.  Neat's-foot  is  recommended 
as  the  best  easily-procured  oil ;  porpoise-oil  which  is,  I  believe, 
used  by  watch-makers,  is  the  very  best ;  the  oil  made  for  use 
on  sewing  machines  is  excellent ;  "  olive  "  oil  (made  of  lard) 
for  table  use  answers  the  purpose.  The  quality  of  any  oil 
may  be  improved  by  putting  in  it  a  few  tacks,  or  scraps  of 
zinc, — the  oil  expends  its  rusting  capacity  in  oxidizing  the 
metal.  Inferior  oils  get  "sticky."  One  of  the  best  prevent- 
ives of  rust  is  mercurial  ("blue")  ointment :  it  maj-  be  freely 
used.  Kerosene  will  remove  rust ;  but  use  it  sparingly  for  it 
"eats"  sound  metal  too. 


§9.  To  LOAD  A  GUN  effectively  requires  something  more 
than  knowledge  of  the  facts  that  the  powder  should  go  in 
before  the  shot,  and  that  each  should  have  a  wad  a-top.  Prob- 
ably the  most  nearly  universal  fault  is  use  of  too  much  shot 
for  the  amount  of  powder ;  ^and  the  next,  too  much  of  both. 
The  rule  is  hulk  for  bulk  of  powder  and  shot ;  if  not  exactly 
this,  then  rather  less  shot  than  powder.    It  is  absurd  to  sup- 


LOADING    A   GUN. 


10 


pose,  as  some  persons  who  ought  to  know  better  do,  that  the 
more  shot  in  a  gun  the  greater  the  chances  of  killing.  The 
projectile  force  of  a  charge  cannot  possibly  be  greater  than 
the  vis  inertim  of  the  gun  as  held  by  the  shooter.  Tlie  explo- 
sion is  manifested  in  all  directions,  and  blows  the  shot  one  way 
simply  and  only  because  it  has  no  other  escape.  If  the  resist- 
ance in  front  of  the  powder  were  greater  than  elsewhere  the 
shot  would  not  budge,  but  the  gun  would  ily  backward,  or  burst. 
This  always  reminds  me  of  Lord  Dinulreary's  famous  conun- 
drum— Why  does  a  dog  wag  his  tail  ?  Because  he  is  bigger  than 
his  tail ;  otherwise,  the  tail  would  wag  him.  A  gun  shoots  shot 
because  the  gun  is  the  heavier ;  otherwise,  the  shot  would  shoot 
the  gun.  Every  unnecessary  pellet  is  a  pellet  against  you,  not 
against  the  game.  The  experienced  sportsman  uses  about  one- 
third  less  shot  than  the  tyro,  with  proi>ortionally  better  result, 
other  things  being  equal.  As  to  powder,  moreover,  a  gun  can 
only  burn  just  so  much,  and  every  grain  blown  out  unburnt  is 
wasted  if  nothing  more.  No  express  directions  for  absolute 
weight  or  measures  of  either  powder  or  shot  can  be  given  ;  in 
fact,  different  guns  take  as  their  most  effective  charge  such  a 
variable  amount  of  ammunition,  that  one  of  the  first  things  you 
have  to  learn  about  your  own  arm  is,  its  normal  charge-gauge. 
Find  out,  b}'  assiduous  target  practice,  what  absolute  amounts 
(and  to  a  slight  degree,  what  relative  proportion)  of  powder 
and  shot  are  required  to  shoot  the  furthest  and  distribute  the 
pellets  most  evenly.  This  practice,  furthermore,  will  acquaint 
you  with  the  gun's  capacities  in  every  respect.  You  should 
learn  exactly  what  it  will  and  what  it  will  not  do,  so  as  to  feel 
perfect  confidence  in  jour  arm  within  a  certain  range,  and  to 
waste  no  shots  in  attempting  miracles.  Immoderate  recoil  is 
a  pretty  sure  sign  that  the  gun  was  overloaded,  or  otherwise 
wrongly  charged  ;  and  all  force  of  recoil  is  subtracted  from  the 
impulse  of  the  shot.  It  is  useless  to  ram  powder  very  hard  ; 
two  or  three  smart  taps  of  the  rod  will  suffice,  and  more  will 
not  increase  the  explosive  force.  On  the  shot  the  wad  should 
simply  be  pressed  close  enough  to  fix  the  pellets  immovably. 
All  these  directions  apply  to  the  charging  of  metal  or  paper 


IG      IMI'LLMENTS   FOR  COLLECTING,  AND   TIIEIU   USE. 

cartridges  ns  well  as  to  loading  by  the  muzzle.  When  about 
to  recharge  quo  barrel  see  that  the  hammer  of  the  other  stands 
at  half-cock.  Do  not  drop  the  ramrod  into  the  other  barrel, 
for  a  stniy  shot  might  impact  between  the  swell  of  the  head 
and  the  gun  and  make  it  dillicult  to  withdraw  the  rod.  During 
the  whole. operation  keep  the  muzzle  as  far  from  your  person 
as  you  conveniently  can.  Never  force  homo  a  wad  with  the  flat 
of  your  hand  over  the  cud  of  the  rod,  but  hold  the  rod  between 
your  lingers  and  thumb ;  in  case  of  premature  explosion,  it 
will  make  just  the  difference  of  lacerated  linger  tip:<,  or  a 
blown-up  hand.  Never  look  into  a  loaded  gun  barrel ;  you 
might  as  wisely  put  j'our  head  into  a  lion's  mouth  to  see  what 
the  animal  had  for  dinner.  After  a  miss-fire  hold  the  gun  up 
a  few  moments  and  be  slow  to  reload  ;  the  fire  sometimes 
"  hangs"  for  several  seconds.  Finally,  let  me  strongly  impress 
upon  you  the  expediency  of  lUjlit  loailimj  in  your  routine  col- 
lecting. Three-fourths  of  your  shots  need  not  bring  into 
action  the  gun's  full  powers  of  execution.  You  will  shoot 
more  birds  under  than  over  30  yards ;  not  a  few,  you  must 
secure,  if  at  all,  at  10  or  15  yards ;  and  your  object  is  always 
to  kill  them  with  tlie  least  possible  damage  to  the  plumage. 
I  have,  on  particular  occasions,  loaded  even  down  to  t^oz.  of  shot 
and  l^dr.  of  powder.  Tlicre  is  astonishing  force  compressed 
in  a  few  grains  of  powder ;  an  astonishing  number  of  pellets 
in  the  smallest  load  of  mustard-seed.  If  you  can  load  so 
nicely  as  to  just  drive  the  shot  into  a  bird  and  not  through 
it  and  out  again,  do  so,  and  save  half  the  holes  in  the  skin. 


! 


§10.  To  SHOOT  successfully  is  an  art  which  may  be  acquired 
by  practice,  and  can  be  learned  only  in  the  school  of  experi- 
ence. No  general  directions  will  make  you  a  good  shot,  any 
more  than  a  proficient  in  music  or  painting.  To  tell  you  that 
in  order  to  hit  a  bird  you  must  point  the  gun  at  it  and  press 
the  trigger,  is  like  saying  that  to  play  on  the  fiddle  j'ou  must 
shove  the  bow  across  the  strings  with  one  hand  while  you  fin- 
ger them  with  the  other  ;  in  either  case  the  result  is  the  same, 
a  noise  —  vox  et  prceterea  nihil — but  neither  music  nor  game. 


ABOUT    SHOOTING. 


17 


Nor  is  it  possible  for  every  one  to  become  an  artist  in  frunncry  ; 
a  "cracli  shot,"  lilcc  a  poet,  is  born,  not  ninilc.  For  myself  I 
make  no  pretensions  to  genius  in  that  dircftion  ;  for  although 
I  generally  make  fair  bags,  and  have  destroyed  many  thousand 
birds  in  my  time,  this  in  rather  owing  to  some  familiarity  I 
have  gained  with  the  habits  of  birds,  and  a  certain  knack, 
acquired  by  long  practice,  of  picking  them  out  of  trees  and 
bushes,  than  to  skilful  shooting  from  the  sportsman's  stand- 
point ;  in  fact,  if  I  cut  down  two  or  three  birds  on  the  wing  with- 
out a  miss  I  am  working  quite  up  to  my  average  In  that  line. 
But  an}'  one,  not  a  purblind  "  butter  fingers,"  can  become  a 
reasonably  fair  shot  by  practice,  and  do  good  collecting.  It 
is  not  so  hard,  after  all,  to  sight  a  gun  correctly  on  an  immov- 
able oI»ject,  and  collecting  diifcrs  from  sporting  proper  in  this, 
that  comparatively  few  birds  are  shot  on  the  wing.  But  I  do 
not  mean  to  imply  that  it  requires  less  skill  to  collect  suc- 
cessfull}^  than  to  secure  game ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  finer 
shooting,  I  think,  to  drop  a  warbler  skipping  about  a  tree-top 
than  to  stop  a  quAil  at  full  speed  ;  while  hitting  a  sparrow  that 
springs  from  the  grass  at  one's  feet  to  flicker  in  sight  a  few 
seconds  and  disappear  is  the  most  difficult  of  all  shooting. 
Besides,  a  crack  shot,  as  understood,  aims  unconsciously,  Avith 
mechanical  accuracy  and  certitude  of  hitting ;  he  simply  wills, 
and  the  trained  muscles  obey  without  his  superintendence, 
just  as  the  fingers  form  letters  with  the  pen  in  writing ; 
whereas  the  collector  must  usually  supervise  his  muscles  all 
through  the  act  and  see  that  they  mind.  In  spite  of  the  pro- 
portion of  snap  shots  of  all  sorts  you  will  have  to  take,  your 
collecting  shots,  as  a  rule,  are  made  with  deliberate  aim. 
There  is  much  the  same  difierence,  on  the  whole,  between  the 
sportsman's  work  and  the  collector's,  that  there  is  between 
shot-gun  and  rifle  practice,  collecting  being  comparable  to  the 
latter.  It  is  generally  understood  that  the  acme  of  skill  with 
the  two  weapons  is  an  incompatibility ;  and  certainly,  the  best 
shot  is  not  always  the  best  collector,  even  supposing  the  two  to 
be  on  a  par  in  their  knowledge  of  birds'  haunts  and  habits. 
Still,  a  hopelessly  poor  shot  can  only  attain  fair  results  by 


!|t 


I  I 


U 


18       IMPLEMENTS   FOR   COLLECTING,  AND   THEIR    USE. 

extraordinary  dillgenco  and  porscverance.  Certain  principles 
of  shooting  may  pcrimps  be  reduced  to  words.  Aim  deliber- 
ately directly  at  an  immovable  object  at  fair  range.  Hold 
over  a  motionless  object  when  far  off,  as  the  trajectory  of  tho 
shot  curves  downward.  Hold  a  little  to  one  si<lo  of  a  station- 
ary object  when  very  near,  preferring  rather  to  take  the  chances 
of  missing  it  with  the  peripheral  pellets,  than  of  hopelessly 
mutilating  it  with  tho  main  body  of  the  charge.  Fire  at  the 
first  fair  aim,  without  trying  to  improve  wliat  is  good  enough 
already.  Never  "pull"  the  trigger,  but  press  it.  IJear  tho 
shock  of  discharge  without  flinching.  In  shooting  on  tho 
wing,  fire  the  instant  the  butt  of  the  gun  taps  your  shoulder  ; 
you  will  miss  at  first,  but  by  and  by  the  birds  will  begin 
to  drop,  and  you  will  have  laid  the  foundation  of  good 
shooting,  the  knack  of  "covering"  a  bird  unconsciously. 
The  habit  of  "  poking  "  after  a  bird  on  the  wing  is  an  almost 
incurable  vice,  and  may  keep  you  a  poor  shot  all  your  life. 
(The  collector's  frequent  necessity  of  poking  after  little  birds 
in  the  bush  is  just  what  so  often  hinders  him  from  acquiring 
brilliant  execution.)  Aim  ahead  of  a  flying  bird  —  the  calcu- 
lation to  be  made  varies,  according  to  the  distance  of  the 
object,  its  velocity,  its  course  and  the  wind,  from  a  few 
inches  to  several  feet ;  practice  will  finally  render  it  intuitive. 


ii 


Ssi 


CIIAFIER    II. 


DOGS. 


§11.  A  oooD  DOG  is  one  of  the  most  faithful,  rospectftil, 
atfectlonnto  and  sensible  of  brutes ;  defeionce  to  Huoh  rare 
qualities  demands  a  chapter,  however  brief.  A  trained  dog  is 
the  indispensable  servant  of  the  sportsman  in  his  purstiit  of 
most  kinds  of  game  ;  but  I  trust  I  am  guilty  of  no  discourtesy 
to  the  noble  animal,  when  I  say  that  he  is  a  luxury  rather  than 
a  necessity  to  the  collector — a  pleasant  companion,  who  knows 
almost  everything  except  how  to  talk,  who  converses  with  his 
eyes  and  ears  and  tail,  shares  comforts  and  discomforts  with 
equal  alacrity,  and  occasionally  makes  himself  useful.  So 
far  as  a  collector's  work  tallies  with  that  of  a  sportsman,  the 
dog  is  equally  useful  to  both ;  but  finding  and  telling  of  game 
aside,  your  dog's  services  are  restricted  to  companionship  and 
retrieving.  He  may,  indeed,  flush  many  sorts  of  birds  for 
you  ;  but  ho  does  it,  if  at  all,  at  random,  while  capering 
about ;  for  the  brute  intellect  is  limited  after  all,  and  cannot 
comprehend  a  naturalist.  The  best  trained  setter  or  pointer 
that  ever  marked  a  quail  could  not  bo  made  to  understand 
what  you  are  about,  and  it  would  ruin  him  for  sporting  pur- 
poses if  he  did.  Take  a  well-bred,  high-toned  dog  out  with 
you,  and  the  chances  are  ho  will  soon  trot  home  in  disgust 
at  your  performances  with  jack-sparrows  and  tomtits.  It 
implies  such  a  lowering  and  perversion  of  a  good  dog's  in- 
stincts to  make  him  really  a  useful  servant  of  yours,  that  I  am 
half  inclined  to  say  nothing  about  retrieving,  and  tell  you  to 
make  a  companion  of  your  dog,  or  let  him  alone.  I  was 
followed  for  several  years  by  "  the  best  dog  I  over  saw"  (every 
one's  gun,  dog,  and  child  is  the  best  ever  seen),  and  a  first- 
rate  retriever ;  yet  I  always  preferred,  when  practicable,  to 
pick  up  my  own  birds,  rather  than  let  a  delicate  plumage  into 
a  dog's  mouth,  and  scolded  away  the  poor  brute  so  often, 
that  she  very  properly  returned  the  compliment,  in  the  end,  by 

(19) 


20 


DOGS. 


retrieving  just  when  she  felt  like  it.  However,  we  remained 
tlio  best  of  friends.  Any  good  setter,  pointer  or  spaniel, 
and  some  kinds  of  curs,  may  be  trained  to  retrieve.  The 
great  point  is  to  teach  them  not  to  "mouth"  a  bird  ;  it  may  be 
accomplished  by  sticking  pins  in  the  ball  with  which  their 
early  lessons  are  taught  Such  dogs  are  particularly  useful  in 
bringing  birds  out  of  the  water,  and  in  searching  for  them 
when  lost.  One  point  in  training  should  never  be  neglected  : 
teach  a  dog  Avhat"to  heel"  means,  and  make  him  obey  this 
command.  A  riotous  brute  is  simply  unendurable  under  any 
circumstances. 


tii    ! 


■ 


CHAPTER    III. 

VARIOUS  SUGGESTIONS  AND  DIRECTIONS  FOR  FIELD-WORK. 

§12.  To  BE  A  GOOD  COLLECTOR,  ami  notliing  more,  is  a 
small  affair;  great  skill  may  be  acquired  in  the  art,  without 
a  single  quality  commanding  respect.  One  of  the  most  vulgar, 
brutal  and  ignorant  men  I  ever  knew  was  a  sharp  collector  and 
an  excellent  taxidermist.  Collecting  stands  much  in  the  same 
relation  to  ornithology  that  the  useful  and  indispensable  ollice 
of  an  apothecary  bears  to  the  duties  of  a  physician.  A  field- 
naturalist  io  always  more  or  less  of  a  collector ;  the  latter  is 
sometimes  found  to  know  almost  nothing  of  natural  history 
worth  knowing.  The  true  ornithologist  goes  out  to  study  birds 
alive  and  destroys  some  of  them  simply  because  that  is  the 
only  way  of  learning  their  structure  and  technical  characters. 
There  is  much  more  about  a  bird  than  can  be  discovered  in 
its  dead  body — how  much  more,  then,  than  can  be  found  out 
from  its  stuffed  skin !  In  my  humble  opinion  the  man  who 
only  gathers  birds,  as  a  miser,  money,  to  swell  his  cabinet, 
and  that  other  man  who  gloats,  as  miser-like,  over  the  same 
hoard,  both  work  on  a  plane  far  beneath  where  the  enlightened 
naturalist  stands.  One  looks  at  Nature,  and  never  knows  that 
she  is  beautiful ;  the  other  knows  she  is  beautiful,  as  even  a 
corpse  may  be  ;  the  naturalist  catches  her  sentient  expression, 
and  knows  how  beautiful  she  is !  I  would  have  you  to  know 
and  love  her ;  for  fairer  mistress  never  swaj^ed  the  heart  of 
man.  Aim  high! — press  on,  and  leave  the  lialfway-house  of 
mere  collectorship  far  behind  in  your  pursuit  of  a  delightful 
study,  nor  fancy  the  closet  its  goal. 


§13.  Birds  may  be  sought  anywhere,  at  any  time;  they 
should  be  sought  everywhere,  at  all  times.  Some  come  about 
your  doorstep  to  tell  their  stories  unasked.  Others  spring  up 
before  you  as  you  stroll  in  the  field,  like  the  flowers  thateuticeJ 

(21) 


22     SUGGESTIONS  AND  DIRECTIONS  FOR  FIELD-WORK. 


Ml: 


t!t 


the  feet  of  Proserpine.  Bii'ds  flit  by  as  you  measure  the  tired 
roadsiC.j,  lending  a  tithe  of  their  life  to  quicken  your  dusty 
steps.  They  disport  overhead  at  hide-and-seek  with  the  foliage 
as  you  loiter  in  the  shade  of  the  forest,  and  their  music  now 
answers  the  sigh  of  the  tree-tops,  now  ripples  an  echo  to  the 
voice  of  the  brook.  But  you  will  not  always  so  pluck  a  thorn- 
less  rose.  Birds  hedge  themselves  about  with  a  bristling 
girdle  of  brier  and  bramble  you  cannot  break  ;  they  build  their 
tiny  castles  in  the  air  surrounded  by  impassable  moats,  and 
the  drawbridges  are  never  down.  They  crown  the  mountain- 
top  you  may  lose  your  breath  to  climb  ;  they  sprinkle  the  desert 
where  your  parched  lips  may  find  no  cooling  draught ;  they 
fleck  the  snow-wreath  when  the  nipping  blast  may  make  you 
turn  your  back ;  they  breathe  unharmed  the  pestilent  vapors 
of  the  swamp  that  mean  disease,  if  not  death,  for  you ;  they 
outride  the  storm  at  sea  that  sends  sti'ong  men  to  their  last 
account.    Where  now  will  you  look  for  birds  ? 


liif 


i   i i; 


§14.  And  yet,  as  skilled  labor  is  always  most  productive, 
80  expert  search  yields  more  than  random  or  blundering  pur- 
suit. Imprimis;  The  more  varied  the  face  of  a  country,  the 
more  varied  its  birds.  A  place  all  plain,  all  marsh,  all  wood- 
land, yields  its  particular  set  of  birds,  perhaps  in  profusion ; 
but  the  kinds  will  be  limited  in  number.  It  is  of  first  impor- 
tance to  remember  this,  when  you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  have 
choice  of  a  collecting-ground ;  and  it  will  guide  j'^our  steps 
aright  in  a  day's  walk  anywhere,  for  it  will  make  you  leave 
covert  for  open,  wet  for  dry,  high  for  low  and  back  again. 
Well-watered  country  is  more  fruitful  of  bird-life  than  desert  or 
even  prairie  ;  warm  regions  are  more  productive  than  cold  ones. 
As  a  rule,  variety  and  abundance  of  birds  are  in  direct  ratio  to 
diversity  and  luxuriance  of  vegetation.  Your  most  valuable  as 
well  as  largest  bags  may  be  made  in  the  regions  most  favored 
botanically,  up  to  the  point  where  exuberance  of  plant-growth 
mechanically  opposes  your  operations. 


§15.   Search  for  particular  birds  can  only  be  well  directed, 


HAUNTS  OF   BIRDS. 


23 


of  course,  by  a  knowledge  of  their  special  haunts  and  habits, 
and  is  one  of  the  mysteries  of  wood-craft  only  solved  by  long 
experience  and  close  observation.  Here  is  where  the  true 
naturalist  bears  himself  with  conscious  pride  and  strength, 
winning  laurels  that  become  him,  and  do  honor  to  his  calling. 
Where  to  find  game  ("game"  is  anything  that  vulgar  people  do 
not  ridicule  you  for  shooting)  of  all  the  kinds  we  have  in  this 
country  has  been  so  often  and  so  minutely  detailed  in  sporting- 
works  that  it  need  not  be  here  enlarged  upon,  especially  since, 
being  the  best  known,  it  is  the  least  valuable  of  ornithological 
material.  Most  large  or  otherwise  conspicuous  birds  have 
very  special  haunts  that  may  be  soon  learned ;  and  as  a  rule 
such  rank  next  after  game  in  ornithological  disesteem.  Birds 
of  prey  are  an  exception  to  these  statements,  they  range 
everywhere,  and  most  of  them  are  worth  securing.  Hawks 
will  unwittingly  fly  in  your  way  oftener  than  they  will  allow 
you  to  appi'oach  them  when  perched  :  be  ready  for  them.  Owls 
will  be  startled  out  of  their  retreats  in  thick  bushes,  dense 
foliage,  and  hollow  trees,  in  the  daytime  ;  if  hunting  them  at 
night,  good  aim  in  the  dark  may  be  taken  by  rubbing  a  \  <^t 
lucifer  match  on  the  sight  of  the  gun,  causing  a  momentary 
glimmer.  Large  and  small  waders  are  to  be  found  by  any 
water's-edge,  in  open  marshes,  and  often  on  dry  plains ;  the 
herons  more  particularly  in  heavy  bogs  and  dense  swamps. 
Under  cover,  waders  are  oftenest  approached  b}'^  stealth ;  in 
the  open,  by  strategy ;  but  most  of  the  smaller  kinds  require 
the  exercise  of  no  special  precautions.  Swimming  birds, 
aside  from  water-fowl  (as  the  "game"  kinds  are  called),  are 
generally  shot  from  a  boat,  as  they  fly  past;  but  at  their 
breeding  places  many  kinds  that  congregate  in  vast  numbers 
are  more  readily  reached.  There  is  a  knack  of  shooting  loons 
and  grebes  on  the  water ;  if  they  are  to  be  reached  at  all  by 
the  shot  it  will  be  by  aiming  not  directly  at  them  but  at  the 
water  just  in  front  of  their.  They  do  not  go  under  just  where 
they  float,  but  kick  up  behind  like  a  jumping-jack  and  plunge 
fortvard.  Rails  and  several  kinds  of  sparrows  are  confined  to 
reedy  marshes.      But  why  prolong  such  desultory  remarks? 


24     SUGGESTIONS   AND   DIRECTIONS  FOR  FIELD-WORK. 


Little  can  be  said  to  the  point  without  at  least  a  miniature 
treatise  on  ornithology ;  and  I  have  not  yet  even  alluded  to 
the  diversified  liost  of  small  insectivorous  and  granivorous 
birds  that  fill  our  woods  and  fields.  The  very  existence  of 
most  of  these  is  unknown  to  all  but  the  initiated ;  yet  they 
include  the  treasures  of  the  ornithologist.  Some  are  plain  and 
humble,  others  are  among  the  most  beautiful  objects  in  nature  ; 
but  most  agree  in  being  small,  and  therefore  liable  to  be  over- 
looked. Tlie  sum  of  my  advice  about  tliem  must  be  brief. 
Get  over  as  mucli  ground,  both  wooded  and  open,  as  you  can 
thorouglily  examine  in  a  day's  tramp,  and  go  out  as  many  days 
as  you  can.  It  is  not  alwajs  necessary,  however,  to  keep  on 
the  tramp,  especially  during  the  migration  of  the  restless 
insectivorous  species.  One  may  often  shoot  for  hours  with- 
out moving  more  than  a  few  yards,  by  selecting  a  favorable 
locality  and  allowing  the  birds  to  come  to  him  as  they  pass  in 
varied  troops  through  the  low  woodlands  or  swampy  thickets. 
Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  wide  open.  Look  out  for  every 
rustling  leaf  and  swaying  twig  and  bending  blade  of  grass. 
Hearken  to  every  note,  however  faint;  when  there  is  no 
sound,  listen  for  a  chirp.  Habitually  move  as  noiselessly 
as  possible.  Keep  your  gun  ahvays  ready.  Improve  every 
opportunity  of  studying  a  bird  you  do  not  wish  to  destroy ; 
you  may  often  make  observations  more  valuable  than  the 
specimen.  Let  this  be  the  rule  with  all  biixls  you  recognize. 
But  I  fear  I  must  tell  you  to  shoot  an  unknown  bird  on 
sight ;  it  may  give  you  the  slip  in  a  moment,  and  a  prize  may 
be  lost.  One  of  the  rnost  fascinating  things  about  field-work 
is  its  delightful  uncertainty :  you  never  know  what's  in  store 
for  you  as  you  start  out ;  you  never  can  tell  what  will  happen 
next ;  surprises  are  always  in  order,  and  excitement  is  contin- 
ually whetted  on  the  chances  of  the  varied  chase. 

For  myself,  the  time  is  past,  happily  or  not,  when  every 
bird  was  an  agreeable  surprise,  for  dewdrops  do  not  last  all 
day  ;  but  I  have  never  yet  walked  in  the  woods  without  learn- 
ing something  pleasant  that  I  did  not  know  before.  I  should 
consider  a  bird  new  to  science   ample  reward  for  a  month's 


ALL   TIMES  FOR   SHOOTING. 


25 


steady  work ;  one  bird  new  to  a  locality  would  repay  a  week's 
search ;  a  day  is  happily  spent  that  shows  me  an}'  bird  that  I 
never  saw  alive  before.  How  then  can  yon,  with  so  much 
before  you,  keep  out  of  the  woods  another  minute? 


roy  ; 
the 


I'ery 
all 


§16.  All  times  are  good  times  to  go  a-shooting ;  but  some 
are  better  than  others,  a.  Time  of  year.  In  all  temperate 
latitudes,  the  spring  and  fall  —  periods  of  migration  with  most 
birds — are  the  most  profitable  seasons  for  collecting.  Not 
only  are  birds  then  most  numerous,  both  as  species  and  as 
individuals,  and  most  active,  so  as  to  be  the  more  readily  found, 
but  they  include  a  far  larger  proportion  of  rare  and  valuable 
kinds.  In  every  locality  in  this  country  the  periodical  visit- 
ants outnumber  the  permanent  residents  ;  in  most  regions  the 
number  of  regular  migrants,  that  simply  pass  through  in  the 
spring  and  ftiU,  equals  or  exceeds  that  of  either  of  the  sets  of 
species  that  come  from  the  south  in  spring  to  breed  during  the 
summer,  or  from  the  north  to  spend  the  winter.  Far  north,  of 
course,  on  or  near  the  limit  of  the  vernal  migration,  where 
there  are  few  if  any  migrants  j^a^sing  through,  and  where  the 
winter  birds  are  extremely  few,  nearly  all  the  bird  fauna  is 
composed  of  "  summer  visitants  ;"  far  south,  in  this  country, 
the  reverse  is  somewhat  the  case,  though  with  many  qualifica- 
tions. Between  these  extremes,  what  is  conventionally  known 
as  "a  season"  means  the  period  of  the  vernal  or  autumnal 
migration.  For  example,  the  body  of  birds  present  in  the 
District  of  Columbia  (where  I  collected  for  several  5'ears)  in 
the  two  months  from  April  20th  to  May  20th,  and  from  Sep- 
tember 10th  to  October  10th,  is  undoubtedly  greater,  as  far  as 
individuals  are  concerned,  than  the  total  number  found  there  at 
all  other  seasons  of  the  year  together.  As  for  species,  the  num- 
ber of  migrants  about  equals  that  of  summer  visitants ;  the 
permanent  residents  equal  the  winter  residents,  both  these  being 
fewer  than  either  of  the  first  mentioned  sets  ;  while  the  irregular 
visitors,  or  stragglers,  that  complete  the  bird  fauna,  are  about, 
or  rather  less  than,  one-half  as  many  as  the  species  of  either  of 
the  other  categories.    About  Washington,  therefore,  I  would 


26     SUGGESTIONS   AND  DIRECTIONS  FOR  FIELD-WORK. 


readily  undertake  to  secure  a  greater  variety  of  birds  in  the  nine 
weeks  above  specified  than  in  all  the  rest  of  the  year ;  for  in  that 
time  would  be  found,  not  only  all  the  permanent  residents,  but 
nearly  all  the  migrants,  and  almost  all  the  summer  visitants ; 
while  the  number  of  individual  birds  that  might  be  taken  ex- 
ceeds, by  quite  as  much,  the  number  of  those  procurable  in  the 
same  length  of  time  at  any  other  season.  Mutatis  mutandis, 
it  is  the  same  everywhere  in  this  country.  Look  out  then,  for 
"  the  season ;"  work  all  through  it  at  a  rate  you  could  not  pos- 
sibly sustain  the  year  around ;  and  make  hay  while  the  sun 
shines,  b.  Time  of  day.  Early  in  the  morning  and  late  in 
the  afternoon  are  the  best  times  for  birds.  There  is  a  mysteri- 
ous something  in  these  diurnal  crises  that  sets  bird-life  astir, 
over  and  above  what  is  explainable  by  the  simple  fact  that  they 
are  the  transition  periods  from  repose  to  activity,  or  the  reverse. 
Subtile  meteorological  changes  occur ;  various  delicate  instru- 
ments used  in  physicists'  researches  are  sometimes  inexplicably 
disturbed ;  diseases  have  often  their  turning  point  for  better 
or  worse ;  people  are  apt  to  be  born  or  die ;  aud  the  suscep- 
tible organisms  of  birds  manifest  various  excitements.  What- 
ever the  operative  influence,  the  fact  is,  birds  are  particularly 
lively  at  such  hours.  In  the  dark,  they  rest  —  most  of  them 
do  :  at  noonday,  again,  they  are  comparatively  still ;  between 
these  times  they  are  passing  to  or  from  their  feeding  grounds 
or  roosting  places  ;  the}''  are  foraging  for  food,  they  are  singing  ; 
at  any  rate,  they  are  in  motion.  Many  migratory  birds  (among 
them  warblers,  etc.)  perform  their  journeys  by  night ;  just  at 
daybroak  they  may  be  seen  to  descend  from  the  upper  regions, 
rest  awhile,  and  then  move  about  briskly,  singing  and  search- 
ing for  food.  Their  mejil  taken,  they  recuperate  by  resting  till 
towards  ev(  <iing :  feed  again  and  are  off  for  tlie  night.  If  you 
have  had  some  expevience,  don't  you  remember  what  a  fine  spurt 
you  made  eai'ly  that  morning? — how  many  unexpected  shots 
oflTered  as  you  trudged  home  belated  that  eveuing  ?  Now  I  am 
no  fowl,  and  have  no  desire  to  adopt  the  habits  of  the  hen-j^ard  ; 
I  have  my  opinion  of  those  who  like  the  world  before  it  is 
aired ;  I  think  it  served  the  worm  right  for  getting  up,  when 


AVHAT   BIRDS  YOU  WANT. 


27 


caught  by  the  early  bird ;  nevertheless  I  go  shooting  betimes  in 
the  morning,  and  would  walk  all  night  to  find  a  rare  bird  at  day- 
light, c.  Weather.  It  rarely  occurs  in  this  country  that  either 
heat  or  cold  is  unendurably  severe ;  but  extremes  of  tempera- 
ture are  unfavorable,  for  two  reasons :  they  both  occasion  great 
personal  discomfort ;  and  in  one  extreme  only  a  few  hardy  birds 
will  be  found,  while  in  the  other,  most  birds  are  languid,  dis- 
posed to  seek  shelter,  and  therefore  less  likely  to  be  found. 
A  still,  cloudy  day  of  moderate  temperature  offers  as  a  rule  the 
best  chance ;  among  other  reasons,  there  is  no*  sun  to  blind  the 
eyes,  as  always  occurs  on  a  bright  day  in  one  direction,  partic- 
ularly when  the  sun  is  low.  While  a  bright  day  has  its  good 
influence  in  setting  many  birds  astir,  some  others  are  most 
easily  approached  in  heavy  or  falling  weather.  Some  kinds 
are  more  likely  to  be  secured  during  a  light  snowfall,  or  after 
a  storm.  Singular  as  it  may  seem,  a  thoroughly  wet  day  oflPers 
some  peculiar  inducements  to  the  collector,  i  cannot  well 
specify  them,  but  I  heartily  endorse  a  remark  John  Cassin 
once  made  to  me  : — "I  like,"  said  he,  "  to  go  shooting  in  the 
rain  sometimes ;  there  are  some  curious  things  to  be  learned 
about  birds  when  the  trees  are  dripping,  things  too  that  have 
not  yet  found  their  way  into  the  books." 


§17.    How   MANY   BIRDS    OF    THE    SAME    KIND   DO   YOU   WANT? 

— All  you  can  get — with  some  reasonable  limitations ;  say  fifty 
or  a  hundred  of  any  but  the  most  abundant  and  widely  diffused 
species.  You  may  often  be  provoked  with  your  friend  for 
speaking  of  some  bird  he  shot,  but  did  not  bring  you,  because, 
he  say^i,  "Wh}',  you've  got  one  like  that!"  This  is  just  as 
reasonable  as  to  suppose  that  because  you  have  got  one  dollar 
you  would  not  like  to  have  another  dollar.  Birdskins  are 
capital ;  capital  unemployed  may  be  useless  but  can  never  be 
worthless.  Birdskins  are  a  medium  of  exchange  among  orni- 
thologists the  world  over ;  they  represent  value — money  value 
and  scientific  value.  If  you  have  more  of  one  kind  than  you 
can  use  exchange  with  some  one  for  species  you  lack ;  both 
parties  to  the  transaction  are  equally  benefited.    Let  me  bring 


!     :? 


28     SUGGESTIONS   AND   DIRECTIONS   FOU  FIELD-WORK. 

this  matter  under  several  heads,  a.  Your  own  "series"  of 
skins  of  any  species  is  incomplete  until  it  contains  at  least  one 
example  of  each  sex,  of  every  normal  state  of  plumage,  and 
every  normal  transition  stage  of  plumage,  and  further  illus- 
trates at  least  the  principal  abnormal  variations  in  size,  form 
and  color  to  wliich  the  species  may  be  subject ;  I  will  even  add 
that  every  different  faunal  area  the  bird  is  Jvuown  to  inhabit 
should  be  represented  by  a  specimen,  particularly  if  there  be 
anything  exceptional  in  the  geographical  distribution  of  the 
species.  Any  additional  specimens  to  all  such  are  your  only 
"duplicates,"  properly  speaking,  b.  Birds  vary  so  much  in 
their  size,  form  and  coloring,  that  a  "  specific  character  "  can 
only  be  precisely  determined  from  examination  of  a  large  num- 
ber of  specimens,  shot  at  different  times,  in  different  places ; 
still  less  can  the  "limits  of  variation"  in  these  respects  be 
settled  without  ample  materials,  c.  The  rarity  of  any  bii'd  is 
necessarily  an  arbitrary  and  fluctuating  consideration,  because 
in  the  nature  of  the  case  there  can  be  no  natural  unit  of  com- 
parison, nor  standard  of  appreciation.  It  may  be  said,  in 
general  terms,  no  bird  is  actually  "  rare."  "With  a  few  possible 
exceptions,  as  in  the  cases  of  birds  occupying  extraordinarily 
limited  areas,  like  some  of  the  birds  of  paradise,  or  about  to 
become  extinct,  like  the  great  auk,  enough  birds  of  all  kinds 
exist  to  overstock  every  public  and  i)rivate  collection  in  the 
world,  witliout  sensible  diminution  of  their  numbers.  "  Rar- 
ity "  or  the  reverse  is  only  predicable  upon  the  accidental  (so 
to  speak)  circumstances  that  throw,  or  tend  to  throw,  specimens 
into  naturalists'  hands.  Accessibility  is  the  variable  element  in 
every  case.  The  fulmar  petrel  is  said  (on  what  authority  I 
know  not)  to  exceed  any  other  bird  in  its  aggregate  of  indi- 
viduals ;  how  do  the  skins  of  that  bird  you  have  handled  com- 
pare in  number  with  specimens  you  have  seen  of  the  "  rare  " 
warbler  of  your  own  vicinity  ?  All  birds  are  common  somewhere 
at  some  season  ;  the  point  is,  have  collectors  been  there  at  the 
time?  Moreover,  even  the  arbitrary  appreciation  of  "rarity" 
is  fluctuating,  and  may  change  at  any  time ;  long  sought  and 
highly  prized  birds  are  liable  to  appear  suddenly  in  great  num- 


COMMON  AND   RARE   BIRDS, 


29 


bcrs  in  places  that  knew  them  not  before ;  a  single  heavy 
"invoice"  of  a  bird  from  some  distant  or  little-explored  re- 
gion may  at  once  stock  tlie  market,  and  depreciate  the  current 
.value  of  the  species  to  almost  nothing,  d.  Some  practical  de- 
ductions are  to  be  made  from  these  premises.  Your  object  is 
to  make  yourself  acquainted  with  all  the  birds  of  your  vi- 
cinity, and  to  preserve  a  complete  suite  of  specimens  of  every 
species.  Begin  by  shooting  every  bird  you  can,  coupling  this 
sad  destruction,  however,  Avith  the  closest  observations  upon 
habits.  You  will  very  soon  fill  3'our  scries  of  a  few  kinds,  that 
you  find  almost  everywhere,  almost  daily.  Then  if  j'ou  are 
in  a  region  the  ornithology  of  which  is  well  known  to  the  pro- 
fession, at  once  stop  killing  these  common  birds  —  they  are  in 
every  collection.  You  should  not,  as  a  rule,  destroy  any  more 
robins,  bluebirds,  song-sparrows,  and  the  like,  than  you  want 
for  yourself.  Keep  an  eye  on  them,  studying  them  always, 
but  turn  your  actual  pursuit  into  other  channels,  until  in  this 
way,  gradually  eliminating  the  undesirables,  you  exhaust  the 
bird  fauna  as  far  as  possible  (you  will  not  quite  exhaust  it  — 
at  least  for  many  years).  But  if  you  are  in  a  new  or  little 
known  locality,  I  had  almost  said  the  very  reverse  course  is  the 
best.  The  chances  are  that  the  most  abundant  and  character- 
istic birds  are  "  rare  "  in  collections.  Many  a  bird's  range  is 
quite  restricted  :  j'ou  may  happen  to  be  just  at  its  metropolis  ; 
seize  the  opportunity,  and  get  good  store  —  yes,  up  to  fifty, 
or  a  hundred ;  all  you  can  spare  will  be  thankfully  received 
by  those  who  have  none.  Quite  as  likely,  birds  that  are  scarce 
just  where  3'ou  happen  to  be,  are  so  only  because  you  are  on 
the  edge  of  their  habitat,  and  are  plentiful  in  more  accessible 
regions.  But,  rare  or  not,  it  is  always  a  point  to  determine  the 
exact* geographical  distribution  of  a  species :  and  this  is  fixed 
best  by  having  specimens  to  tell  each  its  own  tale,  from  as 
many  different  and  widely  separated  localities  as  possible. 
This  alone  warrants  procuring  one  or  more  specimens  in  every 
locality  ;  the  commonest  bird  acquires  a  certain  value  if  it  be 
captured  away  from  its  ordinary  range.  An  Eastern  Blue- 
bird shot   in  California  might  be  considered  more  valuable 


u 


30     SUGGESTIONS   AND   DIRECTIONS   FOR  FIELD-WORK. 

than  the  "rarest"  bird  of  that  state,  and  would  certainly  be 
worth  a  hundred  Massachusetts  skins ;  the  Varied  Thrush 
{Turdus  ncevius)  that  was  killed  at  Ipswich,  Mass.,  is  worth  a 
like  number  from  Oregon.  But  let  all  your  justiciable  destruc- 
tion of  birds  be  tempered  with  mercy ;  your  humanity  will  be 
continually  shocked  with  the  havoc  you  work,  and  should  never 
permit  you  to  take  life  wantonly.  Never  shoot  a  bird  you  do 
not  fully  intend  to  preserve,  or  to  utilize  in  some  proper  way. 
Bird-life  is  too  beautiful  a  tiling  to  destroy  to  no  purpose :  too 
sacred  a  thing,  like  all  life,  to  be  sacrificed,  unless  the  tribute 
is  hallowed  by  worthiness  of  motive.  "  Not  a  sparrow  falleth 
to  the  ground  without  His  notice." 

§18.  What  is  "a  good  day's  work?"  Fifty  birds  shot, 
their  skins  preserved,  and  observations  recorded,  is  a  very 
good  day's  work ;  it  is  sharp  practice  even  when  birds  are 
plentiful.  I  never  knew  a  person  to  average  anywhere  near  it ; 
even  during  the  "season"  such  work  cannot  possibly  be  sus- 
tained. You  may,  of  course,  by  a  murderous  discharge  into  a 
flock,  ns  of  blackbirds  or  reedbirds,  get  a  hundred  or  more  in 
a  moment ;  but  I  refer  to  collecting  a  fair  variety  of  birds. 
You  will  do  very  well  if  you  average  a  dozen  a  day  during  the 
seasons.  I  doubt  whether  any  collector  ever  averaged  as  many 
the  year  around ;  it  would  be  over  four  thousand  specimens 
annually.  The  greatest  number  I  ever  procured  and  prepared 
in  one  day  was  forty,  and  I  have  not  often  gone  over  twenty. 
Even  when  collecting  regularly  and  assiduously  I  am  satisfied 
to  average  a  dozen  a  day  during  the  migrations,  and  one-third 
or  one-fourth  as  many  the  rest  of  the  year.  Probably  this 
implies  the  shooting  of  about  one  in  five  not  skinned  for  vari- 
ous reasons,  as  mutilation,  decay,  or  want  of  time. 


§19.  Approaching  birds.  There  is  little  if  any  trouble  in 
getting  near  enough  to  shoot  most  birds.  "With  notable  excep- 
tions, they  are  harder  to  see  when  near  enough,  or  to  hit  when 
seen ;  particularly  small  birds  that  are  almost  incessantly  in 
motion.      As  a  rule — and  a  curious  one  it  is — difficulty  of 


APPROACHING   BIRDS. 


ai 


approach  is  in  direct  ratio  to  the  size  of  tlie  bird  ;  it  is  perhaps 
because  large,  conspiiuious  birds  are  objects  of  more  general 
pursuit  than  the  little  ones  you  ordinarily  search  for.  The 
qualities  that  birds  possess  for  self-preservation  may  be  called 
wariness  in  large  birds,  shyness  in  small  ones.  The  former 
make  off  knowingly  from  a  suspicious  object ;  the  latter  fly 
from  anything  that  is  strange  to  them,  be  it  dangerous  or  not. 
This  is  strikingly  illustrated  in  the  behavior  of  small  birds  in 
the  wilderness,  as  contrasted  with  their  actions  about  towns ; 
singular  as  it  may  seem  they  are  more  timid  under  the  former 
circumstances  than  when  grown  accustomed  to  the  presence  of 
man.  It  is  just  the  reverse  with  a  hawk  or  raven,  for  instance  ; 
in  populous  districts  they  spend  much  of  their  time  in  trying 
to  save  their  skins,  while  in  a  new  country  they  have  not  learned, 
like  Indians,  that  a  white  man  is  "  mighty  uncertain."  In 
stealing  on  a  shy  bird,  you  will  of  course  take  advantage  of 
any  cover  that  may  offer,  as  inequalities  of  the  ground,  thick 
bushes,  the  trunks  of  trees  ;  and  it  is  often  worth  while  to  make 
a  considerable  detour  to  secure  unobserved  approach.  I  think 
that  birds  are  more  likely,  as  a  rule,  to  be  frightened  away  by 
the  movements  of  the  collector,  than  by  his  simple  presence, 
however  near,  and  that  they  are  more  afraid  of  noise  than  of 
mere  motion.  Crackling  of  twigs  and  rustling  of  leaves  are 
sharp  sounds,  though  not  loud  ones ;  you  may  have  sometimes 
been  surprised  to  find  how  distinctly  you  could  hear  the  move- 
ments of  a  horse  or  cow  in  underbrush  at  some  distance. 
Birds  have  sharp  ears  for  such  sounds.  Form  a  habit  of 
stealthy  movement ;  it  tells,  in  the  long  run,  in  comparison  with 
lumbering  tread.  There  are  no  special  precautions  to  be  taken 
in  shooting  through  high  open  forest ;  you  have  only  to  saunter 
along  with  your  eyes  in  the  tree-tops.  It  is  ordinarily  the  easiest 
and  on  the  whole  the  most  remunerative  path  of  the  collector. 
In  traversing  fields  and  meadows  move  briskly,  yoiu*  principal 
object  being  to  flush  birds  out  of  the  grass ;  and  as  most  of 
your  shots  will  be  snap  ones,  keep  in  readiness  for  instant 
action.  Excellent  and  varied  shooting  is  to  be  had  along  hedge 
rows,  and  in  the  rank  herbage  that  fringes  fences.    It  is  best 


' 


: 


i 


St 


»♦ 


82      SUGGESTIONS   AND    DIUECTIONS    FOR   FIELD-WOUK. 

to  keep  at  n  little  (listance,  yet  near  cnoiiji;!!  to  arouse  all  the 
birds  ns  you  pass :  you  may  catch  tliein  on  winjf,  or  pick  tlicni 
ofl"  just  as  the}'  settle  after  a  short  Hi<j;iit.  In  tiiis  shooting,  two 
persons,  one  on  each  side,  can  toj^ethcu'  do  more  than  twice  as 
much  work  as  one.  Thickets  and  tan<;k'd  undergrowth  are 
favorite  resorts  of  many  birds  ;  hut  when  very  close,  or,  as 
often  happens,  over  miry  ground,  they  are  hard  places  to  shoot 
in.  As  you  come  thrashing  tiu'ongh  the  brush,  the  little  inliab- 
itants  are  scared  into  deeper  recesyes ;  but  if  yon  keep  still  a 
few  minutes  in  some  favorable  spot,  they  are  reassured,  and 
■will  often  come  back  to  take  a  pee[)  at  3011.  A  good  deal  of 
standing  still  will  repay  you  at  such  times ;  needless  to  add, 
yon  cannot  be  too  lightly  loaded  for  such  shooting,  when  birds 
are  mostly  out  of  sight  if  a  dozen  yards  oil".  AVhen  yourself 
concealed  in  a  thicket,  and  no  birds  appear,  you  can  often  call 
numbers  about  you  b}'  a  simple  artilice.  Apply  the  back  of  your 
hand  to  your  slightly  parted  lips,  and  suck  in  air ;  it  makes  a 
nondescript  "screeping"  noise,  variable  in  intonation  at  your 
whim,  and  some  of  the  sounds  resemble  the  cries  of  a  wounded 
bird,  or  a  young  one  iu  distress.  It  wakes  up  the  whole  neigh- 
borhood, and  sometimes  puts  certain  birds  almost  beside  them- 
selves, particularly  in  the  breeding  season.  Torturing  a 
wounded  bird  to  make  it  scream  in  agony  accomplishes  the 
same  result,  but  of  course  is  only  permissible  inider  great  exi- 
gency. In  penetrating  swamps  and  marshes,  the  best  advice 
I  can  give  you  is  to  tell  j'ou  to  get  along  the  best  way  you  can. 
Shooting  on  perfectly  open  ground  offers  much  the  same  case ; 
you  must  be  left  to  your  own  devices.  I  will  say,  however,  you 
con  ride  on  horseback,  or  even  in  a  buggy,  nearer  birds  than 
they  will  allow  you  to  walk  up  to  them.  Sportsmen  take  advan- 
tage of  this  to  get  within  a  shot  of  the  upland  plover,  usuall}'  a 
very  wary  bird  in  populous  districts ;  I  have  driven  right  into 
a  flock  of  wild  geese  ;  in  California  they  often  train  a  bullock  to 
graze  gi'adually  up  to  geese,  the  gunner  being  hidden  by  its 
body.  There  is  one  trick  worth  knowing  ;  it  is  not  to  let  a  bird 
that  has  seen  yon  know  by  your  action  that  you  have  seen  it, 
but  to  keep  on  unconcernedly,  gradually  sidling  nearer.   I  have 


nKCOVEUlNO    niKDS. KILLING    WOUNDED    HIIJDS.       33 

si'ciircd  rniiny  iiiiwks  in  this  w)iy>  whoti  Ww  bird  woulil  liavn 
flown  oil'  ut  tlu!  (li'Ht  Htc|)  of  diroct  appioHcli.  Nuuibi'rlcH.s 
otlicr  little  arts  will  come  to  you  us  your  wood-cruft  nmturcs. 

§20.  REcovEuma  birds.  It  is  not  always  thnt  j-ou  secure  the 
birds  you  Idll ;  you  may  not  bo  able  to  lliid  them,  or  >ou  may 
HCH!  tluMn  iyiii}?,  perhaps  l)ut  u  IVw  feet  oil',  in  a  spot  prat'licaliy 
inacccHsibU'.  Under  sucii  circunistanccs  a  retriuver  does  excel- 
lent service,  as  already  hinted  ;  lie  is  etpially  useful  when  a 
bird  properly  "mariccd  down"  is  not  found  there,  having  flut- 
tered or  run  away  and  hidden  elsewhere.  The  most  dillicult 
of  all  places  to  And  birds  is  amon;^  reeds,  the  eternal  sameness 
of  whieli  makes  it  almost  impossible  to  rediscover  a  spot 
wiience  the  eye  has  once  wandered,  while  tlie  peculiar  growth 
allows  birds  to  slip  far  down  out  of  sight.  In  rank  grass  or 
weeds,  when  you  have  walked  up  with  your  eye  fixed  on  the 
spot  where  the  bird  seemed  to  fall,  yet  failed  to  discover  it, 
drop  your  cap  or  handkerchief  for  a  mark,  and  hunt  around 
it  as  a  centre,  in  enlarging  circles.  In  thickets,  make  a  "bee 
line"  for  the  spot,  if  possible  keeping  your  eye  on  the  spray 
from  which  the  bird  fell,  and  not  forgetting  where  you  stood 
on  firing ;  you  may  re(iuire  to  come  back  to  the  spot  ancf  take 
a  new  departure.  You  will  not  seldom  see  a  bird  just  shot 
at  fly  off  as  if  unharmed,  when  really  it  will  drop  dead  in  a 
few  moments.  In  all  cases  therefore  when  the  bird  does  not 
drop  at  the  shot,  follow  it  with  your  eyes  as  far  as  you  can  ; 
if  you  see  it  finally  drop,  or  even  flutter  languidly  downward, 
mark  it  on  the  principles  just  mentioned,  and  go  in  search. 
Make  every  endeavor  to  secure  wounded  birds,  on  the  score 
of  humanity  ;  they  should  not  be  left  to  pine  away  and  die  in 
lingering  misery  if  it  can  possibly  be  avoided. 


i^'« 


§21.  KiLLiXG  WOUNDED  BIRDS.  You  will  oftcn  rccovcr 
winged  birds,  as  full  of  life  as  before  the  bone  was  broken ; 
and  others  too  grievously  hurt  to  fly,  yet  far  from  deatli.  Your 
object  is  to  kill  them  as  quickly  and  painlessly  as  possible, 
without  injuring  the  plumage.      This  is  to  be  accomplished, 


MANnxx.. 


ti;     . 


34      SUGGESTIONS   AND    DIRECTIONS   FOR   FIELD- WOKK. 

with  iill  small  birds,  by  suffocation.  The  respiration  and  cir- 
culation of  birds  is  very  active,  and  most  of  them  die  in  a  few 
moments  if  the  lungs  arc  so  con)pressed  that  they  cannot 
breathe.  Squeeze  the  bird  tightly  across  the  chest,  under  the 
wings,  thumb  on  one  side,  middle  finger  on  the  other,  forefin- 
ger pressed  in  the  hollow  at  the  root  of  the  neck,  between  the 
forks  of  the  merrythought.  Press  firmly,  hard  enough  to  fix 
the  chest  immovably  and  compress  the  lungs,  but  not  to  break 
in  the  ribs.  The  bird  will  make  vigorous  but  ineffectual  efforts 
to  breathe,  when  the  muscles  will  contract  spasmodically  ;  but 
in  a  moment  more,  the  sj'stera  relaxes  with  a  painful  shiver, 
light  fades  from  the  eyes,  and  the  lids  close.  I  assure  you,  it 
will  make  you  wince  the  first  few  times  ;  j'ou  had  better  habit- 
ually hold  the  poor  creature  behind  you.  You  can  tell  by  its 
limp  feel  and  motionlessness  when  it?  is  dead,  without  watching 
the  sad  struggle.  Large  birds  obviously  cannot  be  dealt  with 
in  this  way ;  I  would  as  soon  attempt  to  throttle  a  dog  as  a 
loon,  for  instance,  upon  which  all  the  pressure  3'ou  can  give 
makes  no  sensible  impression.  A  winged  hawk,  again,  will 
throw  itself  on  its  back  as  you  come  up,  and  show  such  good 
fight  with  beak  and  talons,  that  you  may  be  quite  severely 
scratched  in  the  encounter ;  meanwhile,  the  struggling  bird 
may  be  bespattering  its  plumage  with  blood.  In  such  a  case 
—  in  any  case  of  a  large  bird  making  decided  resistance  —  I 
think  it  best  to  step  back  a  few  paces  and  settle  the  matter 
Avith  a  light  charge  of  nuistard-seed.  Any  large  bird  once 
secured  may  be  speedily  dispatched  by  stabbing  to  the  heart 
with  some  slender  instrument  thrust  in  under  the  wing  —  care 
must  be  taken  too  about  the  bleeding  ;  or,  it  may  be  instantly 
killed  by  piercing  the  brain  with  a  knife  introduced  into  the 
mouth  and  drawn  upward  and  obliquely  backward  from  the 
palate.  The  latter  method  is  preferable,  as  it  leaves  no  out- 
ward sign,  and  causes  no  bleeding  to  speak  of.  Wiih  your 
thumb,  you  may  indent  the  back  part  of  a  bird's  skull  so  as  to 
compress  the  cerebellum  ;  if  you  can  get  deep  enough  in,  with- 
out materially  disordering  the  plumage,  or  breaking  the  skin, 
the  method  is  unobjectionable. 


Ml 


HANDLING   BLEEDING   BIRDS. 


85 


§22.  Handling  bleeding  birds.  Blooding  depends  alto- 
gotlier  upon  the  part  or  organ  wonnded ;  but  other  things 
being  equal,  violence  of  the  hicmorrhage  is  usually  in  tlirect 
proportion  to  the  size  of  the  shot-hole ;  when  mustard-seed  is 
used  it  is  ordinarily  very  trifling,  if  it  occur  at  all.  Blood 
flows  oftener  from  the  orifice  of  exit  of  a  shot,  than  from  the 
wound  of  entrance,  for  the  latter  is  usually  plugged  with  a 
little  wad  of  feathers  driven  in.  Bleeding  from  the  mouth  or 
nostrils  is  the  rule  when  the  lungs  are  wounded.  When  it 
occurs,  hold  up  the  bird  by  the  feet,  and  let  it  drip  ;  a  general 
squeeze  of  the  body  in  that  position  will  facilitate  the  drainage. 
In  general,  hold  a  bird  so  that  a  bleeding  place  is  most  depend- 
ent ;  then,  pressure  about  the  part  will  help  the  flow.  A  "  gob  " 
of  blood,  which  is  simply  a  forming  clot,  on  the  plumage  may 
often  be  dextrousl}'^  flipped  almost  clean  away  with  a  snap  of 
the  finger.  It  is  flrst-rate  practice  to  take  cotton  and  forceps 
into  the  field  to  plug  up  shot-holes,  and  stop  the  mouth,  nos- 
trils and  vent  on  the  spot.  I  follow  the  custom  of  the  books 
i  recommending  this,  but  I  will  confess  I  have  rarely  done 
it  myself,  and  I  suspect  that  onl}*  a  few  of  our  most  leisurely 
and  elegant  collectors  do  so  habitually.  Shot-holes  may  be 
found  by  gently  raising  the  feathers,  or  blowing  them  aside ; 
you  can  of  course  get  only  a  tiny  plug  into  the  wound  itself,  but 
it  should  be  one  end  of  a  sizable  pledget,  the  rest  lying  fluffy 
among  the  feathers.  In  stopping  the  mouth  or  vent,  ram  the 
fluft',  of  cotton,  entirely  inside.  You  cannot  conveniently  stop 
up  the  nostrils  of  small  birds  separately ;  but  take  a  light 
cylinder  of  cotton,  lay  it  transversely  across  the  base  of  the  up- 
per mandible,  closely  covering  the  nostrils,  and  confine  it  there 
by  tucking  each  end  tightly  into  the  corner  of  the  mouth.  In 
default  of  such  nice  fixing  as  this,  a  pinch  of  dry  loam  pressed 
on  a  bleeding  spot  will  plaster  itself  there  and  stop  further  mis- 
chief. Never  try  to  wij)e  of  fresh  blood  that  has  already  wetted 
the  plumage  ;  you  will  otdy  make  matters  worse.  Let  it  dry  on, 
and  then — but  the  treatment  of  bloodstains,  and  other  soilings 
of  plumage,  is  given  beyond. 


36     SUGGESTIONS   AND   DIRECTIONS   FOR   FIELD-AVORK. 


§23.  Caruyino  birds  home  safe.  Suppose  you  have  se- 
cured a  fine  specimen,  very  likely  without  a  soiled  or  ruffled 
feather ;  your  next  care  will  be  to  keep  it  so  till  you  are  ready 
to  skin  it.  But  if  j'ou  pocket  Oi  bag  it  directly,  it  will  be  a 
sorry  looking  object  before  you  get  home.  Each  specimen 
must  be  separately  cared  for,  b3''  wrapping  in  stout  paper ; 
writing  paper  is  as  good  as  any,  if  not  the  best.  It  will 
repay  you  to  prepare  a  stock  of  paper  before  starting  out ; 
your  most  convenient  sizes  are  those  of  a  half  sheet  of  note, 
of  letter,  and  of  cap  respectively.  Either  take  these,  or  fold 
and  cut  newspaper  to  correspond  ;  besides,  it  is  always  well  to 
have  a  whole  newspaper  or  two  for  large  birds.  Plenty  of 
paper  will  go  in  the  breast  pockets  of  the  shooting  coat. 
Make  a  "cornucopia"  —  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world,  but, 
like  tying  a  particular  knot,  hard  to  explain.  Setting  the 
wings  closely,  adjusting  disturbed  feathers,  and  seeing  that  the 
bill  points  straight  forward,  thrust  the  bird  head  first  into  one 
of  these  paper  cones,  till  it  will  go  no  further,  being  bound  by 
the  bulge  of  the  breast.  Let  the  cone  be  large  enough  for  the 
open  end  to  fold  over  or  pinch  together  entirely  beyond  the 
tail.  Be  particular  not  to  crumple  or  bend  the  tail  feathers. 
Lay  the  paper  cases  in  the  game  bag  or  great  pocket  so  that 
they  very  nearly  run  parallel  and  lie  horizontal ;  they  Avill 
carry  better  than  if  thrown  in  at  random.  Avoid  overcrowding 
the  packages,  as  far  as  is  reasonably  practicable ;  moderate 
pressure  will  do  no  harm,  as  a  rule,  but  if  great  it  may  make 
birds  bleed  afresh,  or  cause  the  fluids  of  aw^ounded  intestine  to 
ooze  out  and  soak  the  plumage  of  the  belly — a  very  bad  acci- 
dent indeed.  For  similar  obvious  reasons,  do  not  put  a  large 
heavy  bird  on  top  of  a  lot  of  little  ones  ;  I  would  sooner  sling 
a  hawk  or  heron  over  my  shoulder,  or  carr}-  it  by  hand.  If  it 
goes  in  the  bag,  see  that  it  gets  to  the  bottom.  Avoid  putting 
birds  in  pockets  that  are  close  about  your  person ;  they  are 
almost  always  unduly  pressed,  and  may  gain  just  enough  addi- 
tional warmth  from  j'^our  body  to  make  them  begin  to  decompose 
before  you  can  get  at  skinning  them.  Handle  birds  no  more 
than  is  necessary,  especially  white  pluraaged  ones  ;  ten  to  one 


GETTING    YOUR    BIRDS    HOME. 


37 


your  hands  are  powder-begrimed  ;  and  besides,  even  the  warmth 
and  moisture  of  your  palms  may  tend  to  injure  a  delicate  feath- 
ering. Ordinarily  pick  up  a  bird  by  the  feet  or  bill ;  as  you 
need  both  hands  to  make  the  cornucopia,  let  the  specimen  dan- 
gle by  the  toes  from  your  teeth  while  you  are  so  employed. 
In  catching  at  a  wounded  bird,  aim  to  cover  it  entirely  with 
your  hand  :  but  whatever  you  do,  never  seize  it  by  the  tail,  which 
then  will  often  be  left  in  your  hands  for  your  pains.  Never 
grasp  wing  tips  or  tail  feathers ;  these  large  flat  quills  would 
get  a  peculiar  crimping  all  along  the  webs,  very  difficult  to 
efface.  Final!}',  I  would  add  there  is  a  certain  knack  or  art  in 
manipulating,  either  of  a  dead  bird  or  a  birdskin,  by  which  you 
may  handle  it  with  seeming  carelessness  and  perfect  impunity ; 
whilst  the  most  gingerly  fingering  of  an  inexperienced  person 
will  leave  its  rude  trace.  You  will  naturally  acquire  the  cor- 
rect touch  ;  but  it  can  be  neither  taught  nor  described. 

§24.  A  SPECIAL  CASE.  While  the  ordinary'  run  of  land  birds 
will  be  brought  home  in  good  order  by  the  foregoing  method, 
some  require  special  precautions.  I  refer  to  seabirds,  such  as 
gulls,  terns,  petrels,  etc.,  shot  from  a  boat.  In  the  first  place, 
the  plumage  of  most  of  them  is,  in  part  at  least,  white  and  of  ex- 
quisite purity.  Then,  fish-eating  birds  usually  vomit  and  purge 
Avhen  shot.  They  are  necessarily  fished  all  dripping  from  the 
water.  They  are  too  large  for  pocketing.  If  yo'i  put  them  on 
the  thwarts  or  elsewhere  about  the  boat,  they  usually  fall  off,  or 
are  knocked  off,  into  the  bilge  water  ;  if  you  stow  them  in  the 
cubbj'-hole,  they  will  assuredly  soil  by  mutual  pressure,  or  by 
rolling  about.  It  will  repay  you  to  pick  them  from  the  water 
by  the  bill,  and  shake  off'  all  the  water  you  can ;  hold  them  up, 
or  let  some  one  do  it,  till  they  are  tolerably  dry  ;  plug  the 
mouth,  nostrils  and  vent,  if  not  also  shot-holes ;  wrap  each 
one  separately  in  a  cloth  {not  paper)  or  a  mass  of  tow,  and 
pack  steadily  in  a  covered  box  or  basket  taken  on  board  for 
this  purpose. 


§25.    IIiGiENE  OF  C0LLECT0K3UIP.      It   IS  unneccssary  to 


I'    > 


38     SUGGESTIONS   AND   DIRECTIONS   FOR   FIELD-WOUK. 

speak  of  the  healthfulness  of  a  pursuit  that,  like  the  collector's 
occupation,  demands  regular  bodily  exercise,  and  at  the  same 
time  stimulates  the  mind  by  supplying  an  object,  thus  calling 
the  whole  system  into  exhilarating  action.  Yet  collecting  has 
its  perils,  not  to  be  overlooked  if  we  would  adequately  guard 
against  them — as  fortunately  we  may,  in  most  cases,  by  sim- 
ple precautions.  The  dangers  of  taxidermy  itself  are  else- 
where noticed  ;  besides  these,  the  collector  is  exposed  to  vicis- 
situdes of  the  weather,  may  endure  great  fatigue,  may  breathe 
miasm,  and  may  be  mechanically  injured.  Accidents  from 
the  gun  have  been  already  treated ;  a  few  special  rules  will 
render  others  little  liable  to  occur.  The  secret  of  safe  climbing 
is  never  to  relax  one  hold  until  another  is  secured ;  it  is  in 
spirit  equally  applicable  to  scrambling  over  rocks,  a  particu- 
larly difficult  thing  to  do  safely  with  a  loaded  gun.  Test  rot- 
ten, slippery  or  otherwise  suspicious  holds  before  trusting 
them.  In  lifting  the  body  up  anywhere  keep  the  mouth  shut, 
breathe  through  the  nostrils,  and  go  slowly.  In  sioimming, 
waste  no  strength  unnecessarily  in  trying  to  stem  a  current ; 
yield  partly,  and  land  obliquely  lower  down ;  if  exhausted, 
float — the  slightest  motion  of  the  hands  will  ordinarily  keep 
the  face  above  water ;  and  in  any  event  keep  3  our  wits  col- 
lected. In  fording  deeply  a  heavy  stone  will  strengthen  your 
position.  Never  sail  a  boat  experimentally ;  if  you  are  no 
sailor  take  one  with  you  or  stay  on  land.  In  crossing  a  high, 
narrow  footpath  never  look  lower  than  your  feet ;  the  muscles 
will  work  t'  ue,  if  not  confused  with  faltering  instructions  from 
a  giddy  brain.  On  soft  ground,  see  what,  if  anything,  has 
preceded  you ;  large  hoof  marks  generally  mean  that  the  way 
is  safe ;  if  none  are  found,  inquire  for  yourself  before  going 
on.  Quicksand  is  the  most  treacherous,  because  far  more  dan- 
gerous than  it  looks ;  but  I  have  seen  a  mule's  ears  finally 
disappear  in  genuine  mud.  Cattle  paths,  however  erratic,  com- 
monly prove  the  surest  way  out  of  a  difficult  place,  whether  of 
uncertain  footing  or  dense  undergrowth.  Miasm  :  Unguarded 
exposure  in  malarious  regions  uoualiy  entails  sickness,  often 
preventable,  however,  by  due  precautions.    It  is  worth  knowing 


'  \ 


HYGIENIC   NOTES. 


89 


in  the  first  place  that  miasmatic  poison  is  most  powerful  between 
sunset  and  sunrise  —  more  exactly,  from  the  damp  of  the 
evening  until  night  vapors  are  dissipated  ;  we  ma}'^  bo  out  in 
the  daytime  with  comparative  impunity  where  to  pass  a  night 
would  be  almost  certain  disease.  If  forced  to  camp  out,  seek 
the  highest  and  dryest  spot,  put  a  good  lire  on  the  swamp  side, 
and  also,  if  possil^le,  let  trees  intervene.  Never  go  out  on  an 
empty  stomach  ;  just  a  cup  of  coffee  and  a  crust  may  make  a 
decided  difference.  Meet  the  earliest  unfavorable  symptoms 
with  quinine — I  should  rather  say,  if  unacclimated,  antici- 
pate them  with  this  invaluable  agent.  Endeavor  to  maintain 
high  health  of  all  functions  by  the  natural  means  of  regularity 
and  temperance  in  diet,  exercise  and  repose.  "Taking  cold  :" 
This  vague  "household  word"  indicates  one  or  more  of  a  long 
varied  train  of  unpleasant  affections,  nearly  always  traceable 
to  one  or  the  other  of  only  two  causes  :  sudden  cliange  of  tem- 
perature, and  unequal  distribution  of  temperature.  No  ex- 
tremes of  heat  or  cold  can  alone  effect  this  result ;  persons 
frozen  to  death  do  not  "take  cold"  during  the  process.  But 
if  a  part  of  the  body  be  rapidly  cooled,  as  by  evaporation  from 
a  wet  article  of  clothing,  or  by  sitting  in  a  draught  of  air,  the 
rest  of  the  body  reni;iining  at  an  ordinary  temperature  ;  or  if 
the  temperature  of  the  whole  be  suddenly  changed  by  going  out 
into  the  cold,  or,  especially,  by  coming  into  a  warm  room,  there 
is  much  liability  of  trouble.  There  is  an  old  saj'ing — "  when 
the  air  comes  through  a  liole  say  your  prayers  to  save  your 
soul;"  and  I  should  think  tlmost  any  one  could  get  a  "cold" 
with  a  spoonful  of  water  on  the  wrist  held  to  a  key-hole.  Sin- 
gular as  it  may  seem,  sudden  warming  when  cold  is  more  dan- 
gerous than  the  reverse ;  every  one  has  noticed  how  soon  the 
handkerchief  is  required  on  entering  a  heated  room  on  a  cold 
day.  Frost-bite  is  an  extreme  illustration  of  this.  As  the 
Irishman  said  on  picking  himself  up,  it  was  not  the  fall,  but 
stopping  so  quickly,  that  hurt  him ;  it  is  not  the  lowering  of 
the  temperature  to  the  freezing  point,  but  its  subsequent  ele- 
vation, that  devitalizes  the  tissue.  This  is  why  rubbing  with 
snow,  or  bathing  in  cold  water,  is  required  to  restore  safely  a 


'I 


40     SUGGESTIONS   AND   DIRECTIONS    FOR   FIELD-WORK. 

frozen  part ;  the  arrested  circulation  must  be  very  gradually 
reestablished,  or  inflammation,  perhaps  mortification,  ensues. 
General  precautions  against  taking  cold  are  almost  self-evident, 
in  this  light.  There  is  ordinarily  little  if  any  danger  to  be 
apprehended  from  wet  clothes,  so  long  as  exercise  is  kept  up  ; 
for  the  "glow"  about  compensates  for  the  extra  cooling  by 
evaporation.  Nor  is  a  complete  drenching  more  likely  to  be 
injurious  than  wetting  of  one  part.  But  never  sit  still  wet ; 
and  in  changing,  rub  the  body  dry.  There  is  a  general  ten- 
dency, springing  from  fatigue,  indolence  or  inditference,  to 
neglect  damp  feet ;  that  is  to  sa3%  to  dry  them  by  the  fire ; 
but  this  process  is  tedious  and  uncertain.  I  would  say  es- 
pecially, off  with  the  mudd}'  boots  and  sodden  socks  at  once 
—  dry  stockings  and  slippers,  after  a  hunt,  may  make  just  the 
difference  of  your  being  able  to  go  out  again  or  never.  Take 
care  never  to  check  perspiration  ;  during  this  process  the  body 
is  in  a  somewhat  critical  condition,  and  sudden  arrest  of  the 
function  may  result  disastrously — even  fatally.  One  part  of 
the  business  of  perspiration  is  to  equalize  bodily  temperature, 
and  it  must  not  be  interfered  with.  Tlie  secret  of  much  that  is 
to  be  said  about  bathing,  when  heated,  lies  here.  A  person  over- 
heated, panting  it  may  be,  with  throbbing  temples  and  a  dnj 
skin,  is  in  danger  partly  because  the  natural  cooling  by  evapo- 
ration from  the  skin  is  denied,  and  this  condition  is  sometimes 
not  far  from  a  "  sunstroke."  Under  these  circumstances,  a  per- 
son of  fairly  good  constitution  may  plunge  into  the  water  with 
impunity —  even  with  benefit.  But  if  the  body  be  already  cool- 
ing by  sweating,  rapid  abstraction  of  heat  from  the  surface 
may  cause  internal  congestion,  never  unattended  with  danger. 
Drinking  ice-water  offers  a  somewhat  parallel  case  ;  even  on 
stooping  to  drink  at  the  brook,  when  flushed  with  heat,  it  is  well 
to  bathe  the  face  and  hands  first,  and  to  taste  the  water  before 
a  full  draught.  It  is  a  well  known  excellent  rule,  not  to  bathe 
immediately  after  a  full  meal ;  because  during  digestion  the 
organs  concerned  are  comparatively  engorged,  and  any  sudde^i 
disturbance  of  the  circulation  may  be  disastrous.  The  imper- 
ative necessity  of  i-esisting  drowsiness  under  extreme  cold  re- 


:  -I 


HUNGER    AND   FATIGUE. 


41 


quires  no  comment.  In  walking  under  a  hot  sun  the  head 
may  be  sensibly  protected  by  green  leaves  or  grass  in  the  hat ; 
they  maybe  advantageously  moistened,  but  not  enough  to  drop 
about  the  ears.  Under  such  circumstances  the  slightest  giddi- 
ness, dimness  of  sight,  or  confusion  of  ideas,  should  be  taken 
as  a  warning  of  possible  sunstroke,  instantly  demanding  rest, 
and  shelter  if  practicable.  IIuncer  and  Fatigue  are  more 
closely  related  tlum  they  might  se  tu  to  be ;  one  is  a  sign  that 
the  fuel  is  out,  aiul  the  other  asks  for  it.  Extreme  fatigue, 
indeed,  destroys  appetite ;  this  simply  means,  temporary  inca- 
pacity for  digestion.  But  even  far  short  of  this,  food  is  more 
easily  digested,  and  better  relished  after  a  little  preparation 
of  the  furnace.  On  coming  home  tired  it  is  much  better  to 
make  a  leisurely  and  reasonably  nice  toilet'  than  to  eat  at 
once,  or  to  lie  still  thinking  how  tired  you  are  ;  after  a  change 
and  a  wash  you  will  feel  like  a  "new  man,"  and  go  to  table 
in  capital  state.  Whatever  dietetic  irregularities  a  high  state 
of  civilization  may  demand  or  render  practicable  a  normally 
healthy  person  is  inconvenienced  almost  as  soon  as  his  reg- 
ular meal-time  passes  without  food  ;  and  few  can  work  comfort- 
ably or  profitably  fasting  over  six  or  eight  hours.  Eat  before 
starting ;  if  for  a  day's  tramp,  take  a  lunch ;  the  most  frugal 
meal  will  appease  if  it  do  not  satisfy  hunger,  and  so  postpone 
its  urgency.  As  a  small  scrap  of  practical  wisdom,  I  would 
add,  keep  the  remnants  of  the  lunch,  if  there  are  any  ;  for 
you  cannot  always  be  sui*e  of  getting  in  to  supper.  Stimula- 
tion :  When  cold,  fatigued,  depressed  ii.  mind,  and  on  other 
occasions,  you  may  feel  inclined  to  resort  to  artificial  stimulus. 
Respecting  this  many-sided  theme  I  have  a  few  words  to  offer 
of  direct  bearing  on  the  collector's  case.  It  should  be  clearly 
understood  in  the  first  place  that  a  stimulant  confers  no 
strength  whatever ;  it  simplj'  calls  the  powers  that  be  into 
increased  action  at  their  own  expense.  Seeking  real  strength 
in  stimulus  is  as  wise  as  an  attempt  to  lift  yourself  up  by  the 
boot-straps.  You  may  gather  yourself  to  leap  the  ditch  and 
you  clear  it ;  but  no  such  muscular  energy  can  be  sustained ; 
exhaustion   speedily  renders  further  expenditure   impossible. 


f 


42     SUGOESTIONS   AND   DIRECTIONS   FOR   FIELD-WORK. 

But  now  suppose  a  very  powerful  mental  impression  be  made, 
say  the  circumstance  of  a  succession  of  ditclies  in  front,  and 
a  mad  dog  beliind ;  if  the  stimulus  of  terror  be  sufHciently 
strong,  you  may  leap  on  till  you  drop  senseless.  Alcoholic 
stimulus  is  a  parallel  case,  and  is  not  seldom  pushed  to  the 
same  extreme.  Under  its  influence  you  never  can  tell  when 
you  are  tired  ;  the  expenditure  goes  on,  indeed,  witli  unnatural 
rapidity,  only  it  is  not  felt  at  the  time  ;  but  the  upshot  is  you 
have  all  the  original  fatigue  to  endure  and  to  recover  from, 
plus  the  fatigue  resulting  from  over  excitation  of  the  system. 
Taken  as  a  fortification  against  cold,  alcohol  is  as  unsatisfac- 
tory as  a  remedy  for  fatigue.  Insensibility  to  cold  does  not 
imply  protection.  The  fact  is  the  exposure  is  greater  than 
before  ;  the  circulation  and  respiration  being  hurried,  the  waste 
is  gi'eater,  and  as  sound  fuel  cannot  be  immediately  supplied, 
the  temperature  of  the  body  is  soon  lowered.  The, transient 
warmth  and  glow  over,  the  system  has  both  cold  and  depres- 
sion to  endure ;  there  is  no  use  in  borrowing  from  yourself 
and  fancying  3'ou  are  richer.  Secondly,  the  value  of  any 
stimulus  (except  in  a  few  exigencies  of  disease  or  injury)  is 
in  proportion,  not  to  the  intensity,  but  to  the  equableness  and 
durability  of  its  effect.  This  is  one  reason  why  tea,  coffee, 
and  articles  of  corresponding  qualities,  are  preferable  to  al- 
coholic drinks ;  they  work  so  smoothly  that  their  effect  is  often 
unnoticed,  and  they  "stay  by"  well ;  the  friction  of  alcohol  is 
tremendous  in  comparison.  A  glass  of  grog  may  help  a  vet- 
eran over  the  fence,  but  no  one,  young  or  old,  can  shoot  all 
day  on  whiskey.  I  have  had  so  much  experience  in  the  use  of 
tobacco  as  a  mild  stimulant  that  I  am  probably  no  impai'tial 
judge  of  its  merits :  I  wiii  simply  say  1  do  not  use  it  in  the 
field,  because  it  indisposes  to  muscular  activity,  and  favors  re- 
flection when  observation  is  required ;  and  because  temporary 
abstinence  provokes  the  morbid  appetite  and  renders  the  weed 
more  grateful  afterwards.  Thirdly,  undue  excitation  of  any 
physical  function  is  followed  by  corresponding  depression,  on 
the  simple  principle  that  action  and  reaction  are  equal ;  and 
the  balance  of  health  turns  too  easily  to  be  wilfully  disturbed. 


INTEMrERANCE    UNSCIENTIFIC. 


48' 


Stimulation  is  a  draft  upon  vital  capital,  when  interest  alone 
should  sufflce ;  it  may  be  needed  at  times  to  bridge  a  chasm, 
but  habitual  living  beyond  vital  income  infallibly  entails  bank- 
ruptcy in  health.  The  use  of  alcohol  in  health  seems  practi- 
cally restricted  to  purposes  of  sensuous  gratification  on  the 
part  of  those  prepared  to  pay  a  round  price  for  this  luxury. 
The  three  golden  rules  here  are — never  drink  before  breakfast, 
never  drink  alone,  and  never  drink  bad  liquor ;  tiicir  observ- 
ance may  make  even  the  abuse  of  f.lcohol  tolerable.  Serious 
objections  for  a  naturalist,  at  least,  are  that  science,  viewed 
through  a  glass,  seems  distant  and  uncertain,  while  the  joys  of 
rum  are  immediate  and  unquestionable ;  and  that  intemper- 
ance, being  an  attempt  to  defy  certain  physical  laws,  is  there- 
fore eminently  unscientific. 


CHAFFER  IV. 


RPXJISTIIATION  AND  LABKI.LING. 


§20.  A  MEKE  OUTUNE  of  a  field  naturalist's  duties  would  be 
inexcusably  Incomplete  without  mention  of  tliese  important 
matters ;  and,  because  so  much  of  the  business  of  collecting 
must  be  left  to  be  acquired  in  the  school  of  experience,  I  am 
the  more  anxious  to  give  explicit  directions  whenever,  as  in 
this  instance,  it  is  possible  to  do  so. 

§27.  Reooud  your  OBSERVATroNS  DAILY.  In  one  sense  the 
specimens  themselves  are  your  record  — prima  facie  evidence 
of  3'our  industry  and  ability'' ;  and  if  labelled,  as  I  shall  presently 
ad\'ise,  they  tell  no  small  part  of  the  whole  story.  But  this  is 
not  enough  ;  indeed,  I  am  not  sure  that  an  ably  conducted  or- 
nithological journal  is  not  the  better  half  of  your  operations. 
Under  your  editorship  of  labelling  specimens  tell  what  they 
know  about  themselves  ;  bnt  you  can  tell  much  more  yourself. 
Let  ns  look  at  a  day's  work  :  — You  have  shot  and  skinned  so 
many  birds  and  laid  them  away  labelled.  You  liave  made  ob- 
servations about  them  before  shooting,  and  have  observed  a 
number  of  birds  that  you  did  not  shoot.  You  have  items  of 
haunts  and  habits,  abundance  or  scarcity ;  of  manners  and  ac- 
tions under  special  circumstances,  as  of  pairing,  nesting,  lay- 
ing, rearing  young  ;  feeding,  migrating  and  what  not ;  various 
notes  of  biixls  are  still  ringing  in  your  ears  ;  and  finally,  you 
may  have  noted  the  absence  of  species  you  saw  awhile  before, 
or  had  expected  to  occur  in  your  vicinity.  Meteorological  and 
topographical  items,  especially  when  travelling,  are  often  of 
great  assistance  in  explaining  the  occurrences  and  actions  of 
birds.  Now  you  know  these  things,  but  very  likely  no  one  else 
does  ;  and  you  know  them  at  the  time,  but  you  will  not  recollect 
a  tithe  of  them  in  a  few  weeks  or  months,  to  say  nothing  of 
years.  Don't  trust  your  memor}^ ;  it  will  trip  you  up ;  what 
(44) 


WRITE   OUT    YOUR   NOTES 


? 


45 


is  dear  now  will  grow  ohscuro ;  what  is  fouiul  will  bo  lost. 
"Write  down  everything  while  it  is  fresh  in  your  mind ;  write 
it  out  in  full  —  time  so  spent  now  will  l)e  time  saved  in  the  end, 
when  you  offer  your  researches  to  the  discriminating  public. 
Don't  be  satisfied  with  a  dry-as-dust  item  ;  clothe  a  skeleton 
fact,  and  breathe  life  into  it  with  thoughts  that  glow  ;  let  the 
paper  smell  of  the  woods.  There's  a  pulse  in  a  new  fact ; 
catch  the  rhythm  Ijcfore  it  dies.  Keep  off  the  quicksands  of 
mere  memorandum  —  that  means  sometiiing  "to  be  remem- 
bered," which  is  just  what  you  cannot  do.  Shun  abbrevia- 
tions ;  such  keys  rust  with  disuse,  and  may  fail  in  after  times 
to  unlock  the  secret  that  should  have  been  laid  bare  in  the 
beginning.  Use  no  signs*  intelligible  only  to  yourself;  your 
note-books  may  come  to  be  overhauled  by  others  whom  3'ou 
would  not  wish  to  disappoint.  Be  sparing  of  sentiment,  a 
delicate  thing,  easily  degraded  to  drivel ;  crude  enthusiasm 
always  hacks  instead  of  hewing.  Beware  of  literary  infe- 
licities ;  "  the  written  word  remains,"  it  may  be,  after  you 
have  passed  away ;  put  down  nothing  for  your  friend's  blush, 
or  your  enemy's  sneer ;  write  as  if  a  stranger  were  looking 
over  your  shoulder. 

§28.  Ornithological  book-keeping  may  be  left  to  your 
discretion  and  good  taste  in  the  details  of  execution.  Each 
may  consult  his  preferences  for  rulings,  headings,  and  blank 
forms  of  all  sorts,  as  well  as  particular  modes  of  entry.  But 
my  experience  has  been  that  the  entries  it  is  advisable  to 
make  are  too  multifarious  to  be  accommodated  by  the  most 
ingenious  formal  ruling ;  unless,  indeed,  yon  make  the  con- 
ventional heading  "Remarks"  disproportionately  wide,  and 
commit  to  it  everything  not  otherwise  provided  for.  My  pref- 
erence is  decidedly  for  a  plain  page.  I  use  a  strongly  bound 
blank  book,  cap  size,  containing  at  least  six  or  eight  quires  of 


*ThiB  direction  does  not  apply  to  a  regular  code  of  signs,  whicli  may  be  found 
extremely  convenient.  The  Messrs.  A.  &  E.  Newton  have,  for  examiile,  perfectcMl 
a  system  of  symbols  that  leaves  little  If  anything  to  be  desired.  See  Am.  Nat. 
1872,  p.  300. 


1] 


4(> 


UKUISTUATION    AND    LAHKLLINO. 


ifoiKl  smooth  piipiu' ;  but  smallci*  may  bo  ncoded  for  tnivolliiig, 
even  down  to  a  i)o(!ket  note-book.  I  would  not  advise  a  niulti- 
|)licity  of  l)Ooks,  sj)littiii<i;  up  your  record  into  diH'erent  depart- 
ments ;  let  it  be  journal  and  register  of  specimens  combined. 
(The  registry  of  your  own  colhctli  nothing  to  do  with  the 

register  of  your  cabinet  of  birdi,  w.  u  is  sure  to  inchide  a  pro- 
portion of  specimens  from  other  sources,  received  in  exciiange, 
donated,  or  purchased.  I  si)eak  of  this  bc^yond.)  I  have  found 
it  convenient  to  commence  a  day's  record  with  a  register  of  the 
specimens  secured,  each  entry  consisting  of  a  duplicate  of  the 
l)ird's  label  (see  beyond),  accompanied  by  any  further  remarks 
1  have  to  offer  respecting  the  particular  specimens  ;  then  to  go 
on  with  the  full  of  my  day's  observations,  as  suggested  in  the 
last  paragraph.  You  thus  have  a  "register  of  collections"  in 
chronological  order,  toed  olf  with  an  unl)roken  series  of  num- 
bers, checked  with  the  routine  label-items,  and  continually 
interspersed  with  the  balance  of  your  ornithological  studies. 
Since  your  private  field-number  is  '  letimes  an  indispensable 
clew  in  the  authentication  of  a  sp  n  after  it  has  left  your 

own  hands,  never  duplicate  it.  If  yu^  are  collecting  other  ob- 
jects of  natural  history  besides  birds,  still  have  but  one  series 
of  numbers  ;  duly  enter  your  mammal,  or  mineral,  or  what- 
ever it  is,  in  its  place,  with  the  number  under  which  it  hap- 
pens to  fall.  Be  scrupulously  accurate  with  these  and  all  other 
Jigures,  as  of  dates  and  measurements.  Always  use  black  ink  ; 
the  "fancy"  writing-fluids,  even  the  useful  carmine,  fade  sooner 
than  black,  while  lead  pencilling  is  never  safe. 

§29.  Labellikg.  This  should  never  be  neglected.  It  is 
enough  to  make  a  sensitive  ornithologist  shiver  to  see  a  speci- 
men without  the  indispensable  appendage  —  a  label.  I  am 
sorry  to  observe  that  the  routine  labelling  of  most  collections 
is  far  from  being  satisfactory.  A  well-appointed  label  is  some- 
thing more  than  a  slip  of  paper  with  the  bird's  name  on  it,  and 
is  still  defective,  if,  as  is  too  often  the  case,  only  the  locality 
and  collector  are  added.  A  complete  label  records  the  follow- 
ing particulars : — 1.    Title  of  the  survey,  voyage,  exploration, 


LAUKLLING. 


47 


or  other  oxpodition  (if  any),  duriii;^  which  the  spccinioii  wuh 
collectpd.  2.  Ndiuf.  of  tiu^  pciHoii  in  clmrfjic  of  tiic  kiiiiu'  (hikI 
il  limy  Iti'  rt'iimrivcd,  that  tlie  U^hs  Ik;  really  cures  iilioiit  hinlM, 
and  Iho  Ichh  he  actually  interests  himself  to  procure  thciii,  the 
more  particular  ho  will  he  about  t'.iis).  3.  Title  of  the  insti- 
tution or  association  (if  any)  under  the  auspices  or  i)atr()nii<j;e 
of  wliich  the  specimen  was  procured,  or  for  whicli  it  is  (U'- 
siifiied.  4.  Name  of  collcrtor;  partly  to  giv((  credit  where  it 
is  due,  hut  principally  to  llx  responsihility,  and  authenticato 
the  rest  of  the  items.  5.  Cnlleclo/H  vitmbc.r,  refcrrin<i;  to  his 
note-book,  as  just  exphiined  ;  if  the  specimen  afterwards  forms 
part  of  a  general  collection  it  usually  ac(|uires  another  num- 
ber by  new  registry  ;  the  collector's  then  becoming  the  "orij^i- 
nal,"  as  distinguished  from  the  "current,"  numl)er.  0.  Lontl- 
ity,  perhaps  the  most  important  of  all  the  items.  A  specimen 
of  unknown  or  even  uncertain  origin  is  worthless  or  nearly  so  ; 
while  lamentable  confusion  has  only  too  often  arisen  in  orni- 
thologii'id  writings  from  vague  or  erroneous  indications  of 
locality  :  I  should  say  that  a  specimen  "not  authentic"  in  this 
particular  ti:i<l  better  have  its  unppnticxl  origin  erased  and  be  let 
alone.  Nof  will  it  do  to  say  simply,  for  instance,  "North 
America"  or  even  "United  States."  Ornithologists  generally 
know  already  the  quarter  of  the  globe  from  which  a  bird  comes  ; 
the  localit}^  should  be  fixed  down  to  the  very  spot.  If  this  be 
obscure  add  the  name  of  tlie  nearest  place  to  be  found  on  a 
fairly  good  map,  giving  distance  and  direction.  7.  Date  of 
collection  —  da}'  of  the  month,  and  year.  Among  other  reasons 
for  this  may  be  mentioned  the  fact  that  it  is  often  important 
to  know  Avhat  season  a  particular  plumage  indicates.  8.  Sex, 
and  if  possible  also  age^  of  the  specimen  ;  an  item  that  be- 
speaks its  own  importance.  Ornithologists  of  all  countries  are 
agreed  upon  certain  signs  to  indicate  sex.  These  are  $  for 
male,  9  for  female;  the  symbols  respectively  of  Mars  and 
Venus.  Immaturity  is  often  denoted  by  the  sign  ^  ;  thus,  ^  ^, 
young  male.  Or,  we  may  write  ?  ad.,  9  yg.,  for  adult 
female,  young  female,  respectively.  It  is  preferable,  however, 
to  use  the  language  of  science,  not  our  vernacular,  and  say  ^ 


J 


il 


' 


f  ; 


48 


REGISTRATION   AND   LABELLING. 


juv.  (juvenis,  j'oiing).  '■'•Nicpt."  signifies  breeding  plumage; 
'•'•hornot."  means  a  bird  of  the  j'ear.  9.  Measurements  of 
length,  and  of  extent  of  wings ;  the  former  can  only  be  ob- 
tained approximately,  and  the  latter  not  at  all,  from  a  prepared 
specimen.  10.  Color  of  the  eyes,  and  of  the  bill,  feet,  or  other 
naked  or  soft  parts,  the  tints  of  which  may  change  in  drying. 
11.  MisceUaneovs  ^^'^'^'^^'^ulars,  such  as  contents  of  stomach, 
special  circumstances  of  capture,  vernacular  name,  etc.  12. 
Scientifc  name  of  the  bird.  This  is  really  the  least  important 
item  of  all,  though  generally  thought  to  take  precedence.  But 
a  bird  labels  itself,  so  to  speak ;  and  nature's  label  may  be 
deciphered  at  any  time.  In  fact,  I  Avould  enjoin  upon  the  col- 
lector not  to  write  out  the  supposed  name  of  the  bird  in  the 
field,  unless  the  species  is  so  well  known  as  to  be  absolutely 
unquestionable.  Proper  identification,  in  any  case  to  which 
the  slightest  doubt  may  attach,  can  only  be  made  after  critical 
study  in  the  closet  with  ample  facilities  for  examination  and 
comparison.  The  first  eight  items,  and  the  twelfth,  usually 
constitute  the  face  of  a  label ;  the  rest  are  commonly  written 
on  the  back.  Labels  should  be  of  light  card-board,  or  very 
stiff  writing  paper  ;  they  may  be  dressed  attractively,  as  fancy 
suggests ;  the  general  items  of  a  large  number  of  specimens 
are  best  printed ;  the  special  ones  must  of  course  be  written. 
Shape  is  immaterial ;  small  " cards"  or  "  tickets "  are  preferred 
by  some,  and  certainl}"  look  very  well  when  neatly  appointed  ; 
but  1  think  on  the  whole,  that  a  shape  answering  the  idea  of  a 
"slip"  rather  than  a  "ticket"  is  most  eligible.  A  slip  about 
three  inches  long  and  two-thirds  of  an  inch  wide  will  do  very 
well  for  anything,  from  a  hawk  to  a  humming-bird.  Something 
like  the  "shipping  tags"  used  by  merchants  is  excellent,  par- 
ticularly for  larger  objects.  It  seems  most  natural  to  attach 
the  string  to  the  left-hand  end.  The  slip  should  be  tied  so  as 
to  swing  just  clear  of  the  bird's  legs,  but  not  loose  enough  to 
dangle  several  inches,  for  in  that  case  the  labels  are  continually 
tangling  with  each  other  when  the  birds  are  laid  away  in 
drawers.  The  folloving  cii;>.grams  show  the  face  and  back 
of  the  last  label   I   happened   to  write ;    they  represent  the 


HOW   TO   MEASURE    A   BIRD. 


49 


size  and  shape  that  I  find  most  convenient  for  general  pur- 
poses;  while  the  "legend"  illustrates  every  one  of  the  twelve 
items  above  specified. 


g    Explorations  in  Dakota. 


Dr.  Elliott  Coucs,  U.S.A.     « 


§    No.  20.55.       Butes  borealis  (Gm.)  V.  $  juv. 


m    Fort  Randall,  Mo.  U.  —  Oct.  29, 1872. 


Obveme. 


23.00 XM-00Xl"-50.  — Eyes  yellowish  gray;  l)ill  horn-blue, 
rtarlcer  at  tip;  cere  wax-yellow;  tarsi  tlull  yellowlsli;  claws 
bliiisli-black.  Stomadi  contained  portions  of  a  rabbit;  also,  a 
large  tapeworm. 


Reverse. 


§30.  Directions  for  aieasuuement  may  be  inserted  here, 
as  this  matter  pertains  rightfully  to  the  recording  of  specimens. 
The  following  instructions  are  repeated  in  substance  from  the 
"Key,"  p.  55  ;  they  apply  not  only  to  length  and  extent,  but 
to  the  principal  other  dimensions,  which  may  be  taken  at  any 
time.  For  large  birds  a  tape-line  showing  inches  and  fourths 
will  do ;  for  smaller  ones,  a  foot-rule  graduated  for  inches  and 
eighths,  or  better,  decimals  to  hundredths,  must  be  used  ;  and 
for  all  nice  measurements  the  dividers  are  indispensable. — 
'•'"LeiKjtli:"  Distance  between  the  tip  of  the  bill  and  end  of  the 
longest  tail  feather.  La}'  the  bird  on  its  back  on  the  ruler  on 
a  table ;  take  hold  of  the  bill  with  one  hand  and  of  both  legs 
with  the  other ;  pull  with  reasonable  force  to  get  the  curve  all 
out  of  the  neck ;  hold  the  bird  thus  with  the  tip  of  the  bill 
flush  with  one  end  of  the  ruler,  and  see  where  the  end  of  the 
tail  points.  Put  the  tape-line  in  place  of  the  ruler,  in  the 
same  way,  for  larger  birds.  —  '•'•Extent:"  Distance  between 
the  tips  of  the  outspread  wings.  They  must  be  fidhf  out- 
stretched, with  the  bird  on  its  back,  crosswise  on  the  ruler,  its 
bill  pointing  to  your  breast.  Take  hold  of  right  and  left  meta- 
carpus with  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of  your  left  and  right 


HAXUAL. 


50 


REGISTRATION    AND   LABELLING. 


hand  respectively,  stretch  with  reasonable  force,  getting  one 
wing-tii3  flush  with  one  end  of  tiie  rviier,  and  see  how  much  the 
other  wing-tip  reaches.  With  large  bu'ds  pull  away  as  hard 
as  you  please,  and  use  the  table,  floor  or  side  of  the  room ; 
mark  the  points  and  apply  tape-line.  —  >■ '•Length  of  wing :"  Dis- 
tance from  the  angle  formed  at  the  (carpus)  bend  of  the  wing 
to  the  end  of  the  longest  primary.  Get  it  with  compasses  for 
small  birds.  In  birds  with  a  convex  wing  do  not  lay  the  tape- 
line  over  the  curve,  but  under  the  wing  in  a  straight  line. 
This  measurement  is  the  one  called,  for  short,  "  the  wing." — 
*'■  Length  of  tail:"  Distance  from  the  roots  of  the  rectrices  to 
the  end  of  the  longest  one.  Feel  for  the  pope's  nose  ;  in  either 
a  fresh  or  dried  specimen  there  is  more  or  less  of  a  palpable 
lump  into  which  the  tail  feathers  stick.  Guess  as  near  as  you 
can  to  the  middle  of  this  lump  ;  place  the  end  of  the  ruler  op- 
posite the  point  and  see  where  the  tip  of  the  longest  tail 
feather  comes.  —  ^^  Length  of  bill:"  Some  take  the  curve  of 
the  upper  mandible ;  others  the  side  of  the  upper  mandible 
from  the  feathers ;  others  the  gape,  etc.  I  take  the  chord  of 
the  cuhnen.  Place  one  foot  of  the  dividers  on  the  culmen  just 
•where  the  feathers  end  ;  no  matter  whether  the  culmen  runs 
up  on  the  forehead,  or  the  frontal  feathers  run  out  on  the  cul- 
men, and  no  matter  whether  the  culmen  is  straight  or  curved. 
Then  with  me  the  length  of  the  bill  is  the  shortest  distance  from 
the  point  just  indicated  to  the  tip  of  the  upper  mandible ; 
measure  it  with  the  dividers.  In  a  straight  bill  of  course  it  is 
the  length  of  the  culmen  itself;  in  a  curved  bill,  however,  it 
is  quite  another  thing.  —  '•'■  Length  of  tarsus:"  Distance  be- 
tween the  joint  of  the  tarsus  with  the  leg  above,  and  that  with 
the  first  phalanx  of  the  middle  toe  below.  Measure  it  always 
with  dividers,  and  in  front  of  the  leg.  —  '■'■Length  of  toes:" 
Distance  in  a  straight  line  along  the  upper  surface  of  a  toe 
is  from  the  point  last  indicated  to  the  root  of  the  claw  on  top. 
Length  of  toe  is  to  be  taken  ivithout  the  claw,  unless  otherwise 
specified.  —  '^'^ Length  of  the  claws:"  Distance  in  a  straight  line 
from  the  point  last  indicated  to  the  tip  of  the  claw. — '•''Length 
of  head "  is  often  a  convenient  dimension  for  comparison  with 


1 


'   i 


HOW   TO    MEASURE   A   BIRD. 


51 


the  bill.  Set  one  foot  of  the  dividers  over  the  base  of  the 
culraen  (determined  as  above)  and  allow  the  other  to  slip 
just  snugly  down  over  the  arch  of  the  occiput ;  this  is  the 
required  measurement. 


u 

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i 

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s 

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h 


CHAPTER  V. 

INSTUUMEXTS,  MATERIALS  AND  FIXTURES  FOR  PREPARING 

BIUDSKIXS. 

§31.  Instruments.  The  only  indispensable  instrument  is  a 
pair  of  scissors  or  a  knife  ;  although  practically  you  want  both 
of  these,  a  pair  of  spring  forceps  and  a  knitting-needle,  or  some 
similar  wooden  or  ivory  object,  yet  I  have  made  hundreds  of 
birdskins  consecutively  without  touching  another  tool.  Odi^ 
puer,  Persicos  apjmratus!  I  always  mistrust  the  emphasis  of 
a  collector  who  makes  a  flou*isli  of  instruments.  You  might 
be  surprised  to  see  what  a  meagre,  shabby-looking  kit  our  best 
taxidermists  work  with.  Stick  to  your  scissors,  knife,  forceps 
and  needle.  But  you  may  as  well  buy,  at  the  outset,  a  com- 
mon dissecting  case,  just  what  medical  students  begin  business 
with  ;  it  is  very  cheap,  and  if  there  are  some  unnecessary  things 
in  it,  it  makes  a' nice  little  box  in  which  to  keep  your  tools. 
The  case  contains,  among  other  things,  several  scalpels,  just 
the  knives  you  want ;  a  "  cartilage-knii'e,"  which  is  nothing 
but  a  stout  scalpel,  suitable  for  large  birds ;  the  best  kind  of 
scissors  for  your  purpose,  with  short  blades  and  long  handles 
—  if  "  kneed  "  at  the  hinge  so  much  the  better ;  spring  forceps, 
the  very  thing ;  a  blow-pipe,  useful  in  many  waj's  and  an- 
swers well  for  a  knitting-needle  ;  and  some  little  steel-hooks, 
chained  together,  which  you  may  want  to  use.  But  you  will 
also  require,  for  large  birds,  a  very  heavy  pair  of  scissors,  or 
small  shears,  short-bladed  and  long-handled,  and  a  stout  pair  of 
bone-nippers.  Have  some  pins  and  needles  ;  surgical  needles, 
which  cut  instead  of  punching,  are  the  best.  Get  a  hone  or 
strop,  if  you  wish,  and  a  feather  duster.  Use  of  scissors  re- 
quires no  comment ;  and  I  would  urge  their  habitual  employ 
instead  of  the  knifo-blade  ;  I  do  nine-tenths  of  m^'^  cutting  with 
scissors  and  find  it  much  the  easiest.  A  double-lever  is  twice 
as  effective  as  a  single  one,  and  besides,  you  gain  in  cutting 
soft,  yielding  substances  by  opposing  two  blades.  Moreover, 
(52) 


MATERIALS    FOR   STUFFING. 


58 


scalpels  need  constant  sharpening — mine  are  generally  too 
dull  to  cut  much  with,  and  I  suppose  I  am  like  other  people — 
while  scissors  stay  sharp  enough.  The  flat,  thin  ivory  or  ebony 
handle  of  the  scalpel  is  about  as  useful  as  the  blade.  Finger- 
nails, which  were  made  before  scalpels,  are  a  mighty  help. 
Forceps  are  almost  indispci-'sable  for  seizing  and  holding  i)arts 
too  small  or  too  remote  to  be  grasped  bj^  the  lingers.  The 
knitting-needle  is  wanted  for  a  specific  purpose  noted  beyond. 
The  shears  or  nippers  are  only  needed  for  what  the  ordinary 
scissors  are  too  weak  to  do.  Our  instruments,  you  see  now, 
are  "  a  short  horse  soon  curried." 


§32.  Materials,  a.  For  stuffing.  "  What  do  you  stuff 'em 
>,'<^h?"  is  usually  the  first  question  of  idle  curiosity  about 
taxiderm}',  as  if  that  were  the  great  point ;  whereas,  the  stuff- 
ing is  so  small  a  matter  that  I  gcnerallj^  reply — "  finything,  ex- 
cept brickbats!"  But  if  stuffing  birds  were  the  final  cause  of 
Cotton,  that  admirable  substance  could  not  be  more  perfectly 
adapted  than  it  is  to  the  purpose.  Ordinary  raw  cotton  batting 
or  wadding  is  what  you  want.  When  I  can  get  it  I  never 
think  of  using  anything  else  for  small  birds.  I  would  use  it 
for  all  birds  were  expense  no  object.  Here  tow  comes  in  ;  there 
is  a  fine,  clean,  bleached  article  of  tow  prepared  for  surgical 
dressings ;  this  is  the  best,  but  any  will  do.  Some  say  chop 
your  tow  fine  ;  this  is  harmless  but  unnecessary.  A  crumpled 
newspaper,  wrapped  with  tow,  is  first-rate  for  a  large  bird. 
Failing  cotton  or  tow,  any  soft,  light,  dry  vegetable  substance 
may  be  made  to  answer,  rags,  paper,  crumbled  leaves,  fine  dried 
grass,  soft  fibrous  inner  bark,  etc. ;  the  down  of  certain  plants, 
as  thistle  and  silk-weed,  makes  an  exquisite  filling  for  small 
birds.  But  I  will  qualify  my  remark  about  brickbats  by  say- 
ing :  never  put  hair,  loool,  feathers,  or  any  other  animal  sub- 
stance in  a  birdskin  —  far  better  leave  it  empty ;  for,  as  we 
shall  see  in  the  sequel,  bugs  come  fast  enough,  without  being 
invited  into  a  snug  nest.     b.  For  j)resermng.     Aksenic*  is  the 

•  "Arsenic"  — not  the  pure  metal  properly  bo  called,  but  arsenic  of  the  shops, 
or  arsenious  acid. 


54 


MATERIALS   FOR   PREPARING    SKINS. 


great  preservative.  Use  dry  powdered  arsenic,  plenty  of  it, 
and  nothing  else.  There  is  no  substitute  for  arsenic  worthy  of 
the  name,  and  no  preparation  of  arsenic  so  good  as  the  simple 
substance.  Various  kinds  of  "arsenical  soap"  were  and  may 
still  be  in  vogue ;  it  is  a  nasty  greasy  substance,  not  fit  to 
handle  ;  and  although  efficacious  enough,  there  is  a  very  serious 
hygienic  objection  to  its  use.*  Arsenic,  I  need  not  8ay,*is  a 
violent  irritant  poison,  and  must  therefore  be  only  guarded; 
but  ma}'  be  used  with  perfect  impunity.  It  is  a  very  heavy  sub- 
stance, not  appreciably  volatile  at  ordinary  temperatures,  and 
therefore  not  liable,  as  some  suppose,  to  be  breathed,  to  any 
perceptible,  much  less  injurious,  extent.  It  will  not  even  at 
once  enter  the  pores  of  healthy  unbroken  skin ;  so  it  is  no 
matter  if  it  gets  on  the  fingers.  The  exceedingly  minute 
quantity  that  may  be  supposed  to  find  its  way  into  the  system 
in  the  course  of  time  is  believed  by  many  competent  physi- 
cians to  be  rather  beneficial  as  a  tonic.  I  will  not  commit 
myself  to  this  ;  for,  though  I  never  feel  better  than  when  work- 
ing daily  with  arsenic,  I  do  not  know  how  much  my  health  is 
improved  by  the  out-door  exercise  always  taken  at  the  same 
time.  The- simple  precautions  are,  not  to  let  it  lie  too  long  in 
contact  with  the  skin,  nor  get  into  an  abrasion,  nor  under  the 
nails.  It  will  convert  a  scratch  or  cut  into  a  festering  sore  of 
some  little  severity ;  while  if  lodged  under  the  nails  it  soon 
shows  itself  by  soreness,  increased  by  pressure ;  a  white  speck 
appears,  then  a  tiny  abscess  forms,  discharges  and  gets  well 
in  a  few  days.      Your  precautions  really  respect  otller  persons 


*  '•  strange  as  it  mny  appear  to  some,  I  would  say  avoid  especially  all  the  so- 
called  arsenical  soaps;  they  are  at  best  but  filthy  preparations;  besides,  it  is  a 
fact  to  whicli  I  can  bear  painful  testimony  that  they  are,  especially  when  applied 
to  a  greasy  slcin,  poisonous  in  the  extreme.  I  have  been  so  badly  poisoned,  while 
working  upon  the  skins  of  some  fat  water  birds  that  had  been  prepared  witli  arsen- 
ical soap,  as  to  bo  made  seriously  ill,  the  poison  liaving  worked  into  the  system 
througli  some  small  wounds  or  scratches  on  my  hand.  Had  pure  arsenic  been 
used  in  preparing  the  skins  tlie  effect  would  not  have  been  as  bid,  although  grease 
and  arsenic  are  generally  a  blood  poison  in  some  degree;  but  when  combined 
with  "soap"  the  effect,  at  least  as  far  as  my  experience  goes,  is  much  more  inju- 
rious."   Maynard,  Guide,  p.  12. 

In  endorsing  this  I  would  add,  that  the  combination  is  the  more  poisonous,  in 
all  probability,  simply  because  the  soap,  being  detersive,  mechanically,  facilitates 
the  entrance  of  the  poison,  without,  however,  chemically  increasing  its  virulence. 


rOISONINO   AND   CLEAXINO. 


55 


more  than  yourself ;  the  receptacle  should  be  conspicuously  la- 
belled "POISON  !"  Arsenic  is  a  good  friend  of  ours  ;  besides 
preserving  our  birds,  it  keeps  busybodies  and  meddlesome 
folks  away  from  the  scene  of  operations,  by  raising  a  whole- 
some suspicion  of  the  taxidermist's  surroundings.  It  may  be 
kept  in  the  tin  pots  in  which  it  is  usually  sold  ;  but  some  shal- 
lower, broader  receptacle  is  more  convenient.  A  little  drawer, 
say  6X6  inches,  and  an  inch  deep,  to  slip  under  the  edge  of 
the  table,  or  a  similar  compartment  in  a  large  drawer,  will 
be  found  handy.  A  salt-spoon,  or  little  wooden  shovel  whit- 
tled like  one,  is  nice  to  use  it  with,  though,  in  effect,  I  always 
shovel  it  up  with  the  handle  of  a  scalpel.  As  stated,  there  is 
no  substitute  for  arsenic  ;  but  at  a  pinch  you  can  make  tempo- 
rary shift  with  the  following,  among  other  articles  : — table  salt, 
or  saltpetre,  or  charcoal  strewn  plentifully  ;  strong  solution  of 
corrosive  sublimate,  brushed  over  the  skin  inside ;  creosote  ; 
impure  carbolic  acid  ;  these  last  two  are  quite  eflicacious,  but 
they  smell  horribly  for  an  indefinite  period.  A  bird  threatening 
to  decompose  before  you  can  get  at  it  to  skin,  may  be  saved 
for  a  while  by  squirting  weak  carbolic  acid  or  creosote  down 
the  throat  and  up  the  fundament ;  or  by  disembowelling,  and 
filling  the  cavity  with  powdered  charcoal,  c.  For  cleansing: 
Gypsum*  is  an  almost  indispensable  material  for  cle.insing 
soiled  plumage.  The  mode  of  using  it  is  indicated  beyond. 
It  is  most  conveniently  kept  in  a  shallow  tray,  saj'  a  foot 
square,  and  an  inch  or  two  deep,  which  had  better,  further- 
more, slide  under  the  table  as  a  drawer ;  or  form  a  compart- 
ment of  a  larger  drawer.  Keep  gypsum  and  arsenic  in  different 
looking  receptacles^  not  so  much  'to  keep  from  poisoning  your- 
self, as  to  kee^j  from  not  poisoning  a  birdskin.  They  look 
much  alike,  and  skinning  becomes  such  a  mechanical  process 
that  you  may  get  hold  of  the  wrong  article  when  your  thoughts 
are  wandering  in  the  woods.  Gypsum,  like  arsenic,  has  no 
worthy  rival  in  its  own  field  ;  some  substitutes,  in  the  order  of 

*  "'Gypsum"  is  properly  native  hydrated  sulphate  of  lime ;  the  article  referred  to 
is  "  plaster  of  Paris"  or  gypsum  heated  up  to  2i)0°  F.  (by  wliich  the  water  of  crys- 
tallization  is  driven  oflT)  and  then  finely  pulverized.  When  mixed  with  water  it 
soon  solidifies,  the  original  hydrate  being  again  formed. 


R 

!• 

\ ' 

'^ 

I,;. 

1 

4 

b 

1^ 

V 

1 

i 

56 


MATERIALS   FOR   PREPARING   SKINS. 


their  applicability,  are: — calcined  magnesia  (very  good,  but 
too  light  —  it  floats  in  the  air,  and  makos  you  cough)  ;  bicar- 
bonate of  magnesia;  powdered  chalk  ("prepared  chalk,"  creta 
prmparata  of  the  drug  shops  is  the  best  kind)  ;  fine  wood- 
ashes  ;  clean  dry  loam.  No  article,  however  powdery  when 
dry,  that  contains  a  glutinous  principle,  as  for  instance  gum 
arable  or  flour,  is  admissible,  d.  For  wrafping,  you  want  a 
thin,  pliable,  strong  paper  ;  water-closet  paper  is  the  very  best ; 
newspaper  is  pretty  good.  For  making  the  cones  or  cylinders 
in  which  birdskins  may  be  set  to  dry,  a  stitfer  article  is  re- 
quired ;  writing  paper  answers  perfectly. 

§33.  Independent  pahaguaph.  Naturalists  habitually  carry 
a  pocket  lens,  much  as  other  people  do  a  watch.  You  will  find 
a  magnifying  glass  very  convenient  in  your  search  for  the  sex- 
ual organs  of  small  birds  when  oljscure,  as  they  frequently  are, 
out  of  the  breeding  season ;  in  picking  lice  from  plumage,  to 
send  to  your  entomological  friend,  who  will  very  likely  pro- 
nounce them  to  be  of  a  "new  species  ;"  and  for  other  purposes. 


't 

\    "I 

'I 


§34.  Fixtures.  When  travelling,  your  fixtures  must  ordi- 
narily be  limited  to  a  collecting-chest ;  you  will  have  to  skin 
birds  on  the  top  of  this,  on  the  tail-board  of  a  wagon,  or  on 
your  lap,  as  the  case  may  be.  The  chest  should  be  very  sub- 
stantial —  iron-bound  is  best ;  strong  as  to  hinges  and  lock — ■ 
and  have  handles.  A  good  size  is  30X18X18  inches.  Let  it 
be  fitted  with  a  set  of  trays ;  the  bottom  one  say  four  inches 
deep ;  the  rest  shallower ;  the  top  one  very  shallow,  and  divi- 
ded into  compartments  for  your  tools  and  materials,  unless 
you  fix  these  on  the  under  side  of  the  lid.  Start  out  with 
all  the  trays  full  of  cotton  or  tow.  At  home,  have  a  room  to 
yourself,  if  possible ;  taxidermy  makes  a  mess  to  which  your 
wife  may  object,  and  arsenic  must  not  come  in  the  way  of  chil. 
dren.  At  any  rate  have  your  own  table.  I  prefer  plain  deal 
that  may  be  scrubbed  when  required  ;  great  cleanliness  is  indis- 
pensable, especially  when  doing  much  work  in  hot  weather,  for 
the  place  soon  smells  sour  if  neglected.    I  use  no  special  re- 


WORKING   TABLE. 


57 


ccptacle  for  offal,  for  this  only  makes  another  article  to  be 
cleaned  ;  lay  down  a  piece  of  paper  for  the  refuse,  and  throw 
the  whole  away.  A  perfectly  smooth  surface  is  desirable.  I 
generally  have  a  large  pane  of  window  glass  on  the  table  be- 
fore me.  It  will  really  be  found  advantageous  to  have  a  scale 
of  inches  scratched  on  the  edge  of  the  table  ;  only  a  small  part 
of  it  need  be  fractionally  subdivided  ;  this  replaces  the  foot- 
rule  and  tape-line,  just  as  the  tacks  of  a  dry  goods  counter 
answer  for  the  yardstick.  You  will  find  it  worth  while  to  rig 
some  sort  of  a  derrick  arrangement,  which  you  can  readily 
devise,  on  one  end  of  the  table,  to  hitch  your  hook  to,  if  you 
hang  your  birds  up  to  skin  them ;  they  should  swing  clear  of 
everything.  The  table  should  have  a  large  general  drawer, 
with  the  little  drawer  for  gj'psum  and  arsenic  already  men- 
tioned, unless  these  be  kept  elsewhere.  Stuffing  may  be  kept 
in  a  box  under  the  table,  and  make  a  nice  footstool ;  or  in  a 
bag  slung  to  the  table  leg. 


§35.  Query:  Have  you  cleansed  the  bird's  plumage?  Have 
you  plugged  the  mouth,  nostrils  and  vent?  Have  you  meas- 
ured the  specimen  and  noted  the  color  of  the  eyes,  bill  and 
feet,  and  prepared  the  labels,  and  made  the  entry  in  the  regis- 
ter? Have  you  got  all  your  apparatus  within  arm's  length? 
Then  we  are  ready  to  proceed. 


^- 


n 

m 


.uu 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HOW  TO  MAKE  A  lURDSKIN. 
A.    The  regular procest, 

§36.  Lay  the  bird  on  its  back,  the  bill  pointing  to  your 
right*  elbow.  Take  the  scalpel  like  a|)en,  with  edge  of  blade 
uppermost,  and  run  a  straight  furrow  through  the  feathers 
along  the  middle  line  of  the  belly,  from  end  of  the  breast  bone 
to  the  anus.  Part  the  feathers  completely,  and  keep  them 
parted,  t 

Observe  a  strip  of  skin  either  perfectly  naked,  or  only  cov- 
ered with  short  down ;  this  is  the  line  for  incision.  Take 
scissors,  stick  in  the  pointed  blade  just  over  the  end  of  the 
breast  bone,  cut  in  a  straight  line  thence  to  and  into  the  anus ; 
cut  extremely  shallow.  %  — •"*•■ 

Take  the  forceps  in  your  left  hand,  and  scalpel  in  your  right, 
both  held  pen-wise,  and  with  the  forceps  seize  and  lift' up  one 
of  the  edges  of  the  cut  skin,  gently  pressing  away  the  belly- 
walls  with  the  scalpel-point ;  no  cutting  is  required ;  the  skin 
may  be  peeled  off  without  trouble.  Skin  away  till  you  meet 
an  obstacle  ;  it  is  the  thigh.  Lay  down  the  instruments  ;  with 
your  left  hand  take  hold  of  the  leg  outside  at  the  shank ;  put 

*  Reverse  this  and  following  directiohs  tor  position,  if  you  are  left-lianded. 

tTlie  motion  is  exactly  like  stroking  tiic  right  and  left  Hides  of  a  nioiistaclie 
apart;  you  would  never  dress  the  hairs  smoothly  away  fi-om  tlie  middle  line,  by 
poking  from  ends  to  root;  nor  will  the  feathers  stay  aside,  unless  stroked  away 
from  base  to  tips. 

t  The  skin  over  the  belly  is  thin  as  tissue  paper  in  a  small  bird ;  the  chances  are 
you  will  at  llrst  cut  the  walls  of  the  belly  too,  opening  the  cavity;  this  is  no  great 
matter,  for  a  pledget  of  cotton  will  keep  the  bowels  in ;  nevertheless,  try  to  di- 
vide skin  only.  Reason  for  cutting  into  anus :  this  orifice  makes  a  nice  natural 
termination  of  the  incision,  buttonhole-wise,  and  may  keep  the  end  of  the  cut 
from  tearing  around  the  root  of  the  tail.  Reason  for  beginning  to  cut  over  the 
edge  of  the  sternum :  tlic  muscular  walls  of  the  belly  are  very  thin,  and  stick  so 
close  to  the  skin  that  j'ou  may  be  in  danger  of  attempting  to  remove  them  with 
the  skin,  instead  of  removing  the  skin  from  them;  whereas,  you  cannot  remove 
anything  but  skin  from  over  the  breast  bone,  so  you  have  a  guide  at  the  start. 
Vou  can  tell  skin  from  belly-walls,  by  its  livid,  translucent  whitishness  instead  of 
redness. 

(68) 


PROCESS    OF   SKINNING. 


59 


your  rijjht  forefinger  under  the  raised  flap  of  skin,  and  feel  a 
bump ;  it  is  the  kjiee ;  pusli  up  tlie  leg  till  this  bump  comes  into 
view ;  hold  it  so.  Take  the  scissors  in  your  right  hand  ;  tuck 
one  blade  under  the  concavity  of  the  knee,  and  sever  the  joint 
at  a  stroke ;  then  the  thigh  is  left  with  the  rest  of  the  body, 
while  the  rest  of  the  leg  is  dissevered  and  hangs  only  bj-  skin. 
Push  the  leg  further  up  till  it  has  slipped  out  of  its  sheath  of 
skin,  like  a  finger  out  of  a  glove,  down  to  the  heel-joint.  You 
have  now  to  clear  off  the  flesh  and  leave  the  bone  there ;  you 
may  scrape  till  this  is  done,  but  there  is  a  better  way.  Stick 
the  dosed  points  of  the  scissors  in  among  the  nuiscles  just  be- 
low the  head  of  the  bone,  then  sei)arate  the  blades  just  wide 
enough  to  grasp  the  bone ;  snip  off  its  head  ;  draw  the  head  to 
one  side;  all  the  muscles  follow,  being  there  attached;  strip 
them  doitmu-ard  from  the  bone ;  the  bone  is  left  naked,  with 
the  muscle  hanging  by  a  bundle  of  tendons  ("leaders")  at  its 
foot ;  sever  these  tendons  collectively  at  a  stroke.*  Draw  the 
leg  bone  back  into  its  sheath,  and  leave  it.  Repeat  all  the 
foregoing  steps  on  the  other  side  of  the  bird.  If  you  are 
bothered  by  the  skin-flaps  settling  against  the  belly-Avalls,  in- 
sert a  fluff  of  cotton.  Kee}')  the  feathers  out  of  the  wound  ; 
cotton  and  the  moustache  movement  wjU  do  it.  Next  you 
must  sever  the  tail  from  the  body,  leaving  a  small  "pope's- 
nose"  for  the  feathers  to  stay  stuck  into.  Put  the  bird  in 
the  hollow  of  your  lightly  closed  left  hand,  tail  upward,  belly 
toward  you  ;  or,  if  too  large  for  this,  stand  it  on  its  breast  on 
the  table  in  similar  position.  Throw  j'our  left  forefinger  across 
the  front  of  the  tail,  pressing  a  little  backward  ;  take  the  scis- 
sors, cut  the  end  of  the  lower  bowel  free  first,  than  peck  away 
at  bone  and  muscle  with  cautious  snips,t  till  the  tail-stump  is 
dissevered  from  the  rump,  and  the  tail  hangs  only  by  skin. 
Now  you  have  the  rump-stump  protruding  naked ;   the  legs 

♦This  whole  perforninnce  will  occupy  about  three  seconds,  after  practice;  and 
you  may  soon  discover  you  can  nick  off  the  head  of  the  bone  of  a  small  bird  with 
the  thumb-nail. 

t  You  will  soon  learn  to  do  it  all  at  one  stroke ;  but  you  cannot  be  too  careful  at 
first;  you  are  cutting  right  down  on  to  the  skin  over  the  top  of  the  pope's-nose, 
aud  If  you  divide  this,  the  bird  will  part  Company  with  its  tail  altogether. 


i 


h 


ij 


\ 


ifl 


f 


t 


11 


no 


IIOAV   TO   3IAKK    A    niRDSKIN. 


dangling  on  cither  side  ;  tlio  tjiil  lianging  loose  over  the  bird's 
brtck  between  them.  Lay  down  scissors  ;  lake  up  forceps*  in 
your  left  hand  ;  with  them  seize  and  hold  the  stump  of  the 
rump  ;  and  with  })oint  or  handle  of  scalpel  in  the  other  hand, 
witli  linger  tips,  or  with  tliumb-nail  (l)est),  gently  press  down 
on  and  peel  away  slvin.f  No  cutting  will  he  reijuired  (usually) 
till  you  come  to  the  wings:  the  skin  peels  olf  (usuall}')  as 
easily  as  an  orange  I'ind  ;  as  fast  as  it  is  loosened,  evert  it ; 
that  is,  make  it  continuall}'  turn  itself  more  and  more  com- 
pletely inside  out.  Work  thus  till  you  are  stopped  by  the 
obtruding  wings. |  You  have  to  sever  the  wing  from  the  body 
at  the  shoulder,  just  as  you  did  the  leg  at  the  knee,  and  leave 
it  hanging  by  skin  alone.  Take  your  scissors, s  as  soon  as  the 
upper  arm  is  exposed,  and  cut  through  flesh  and  bone  alike  at 
one  stroke,  a  little  below  (outside  of)  the  shoulder-joint.  Do 
the  same  with  the  other  wing.  As  soon  as  the  wings  are 
severed  the  body  has  been  skinned  to  the  root  of  the  neck ; 
the  process  becomes  very  easy  ;  the  neck  almost  slips  out  of 
its  sheath  of  itself;  and  if  you  have  properly  attended  to 
keeping  the  feathers  out  of  the  wound  and  to  continual  ever- 


•Or  at  tliis  Htngo  you  may  instead  i-tiok  a  hook  into  a  linn  part  of  tlie  rump,  and 
hang  up  the  binl  about  tlie  level  of  your  breast;  you  thus  liave  both  hands  free  to 
work  with.  Tlii.s  is  advisable  with  all  birds  too  large  to  be  readily  taken  in  hand 
and  will  help  you  at  flrxt,  with  any  bird.  But  there  is  really  no  use  of  it  with  a 
small  bird,  and  you  may  as  well  learn  the  best  way  of  working  at  first  as  after, 
ward. 

t  Tlie  idea  of  the  whole  movement  is  exactly  like  ungloving  your  hand  fi'om  the 
wrist,  by  turning  the  glove  inside  out  to  the  very  linger  tips.  Simie  people  say, 
pull  off  the  skin;  I  say  never  pull  a  bird's  skin  under  any  circumstances  :  pu»h  it 
off,  always  operating  at  lines  of  contact  of  skin  with  body,  never  iipon  areas  of 
skins  already  detached. 


X  The  elbows  will  get  in  your  way  bcfi' 
shoulder,  unless  the  wings  worf  conn 
yon  measured  alar  expanse  cornet' 
were  you  skinning  a  mai 
stretched  above  liis  head.  i.  a  a, 

bird.    When  properly  rel a xc         •  wings  ii 
head,  so  that  the  shoidders  an  < ncountci . 


t'  point  of  attack,  viz.,  the 

IS  wjn  essential,  indeed.  If 

difference  it  would  make, 

till  y.  whether  his  arms  were 

Ids  ■  it  is  just  the  same  with  a 

.  oadily  luessed  away  toward  the  bird's 

il  before  the  elbows. 


§  Shears  will  be  required  to  crash  th  iigh  a  large  arm-bone.  Or,  you  may  with 
the  scalijel  unjoint  the  shouldor.  Tin  iiitwill  be  found  liigher  up  and  deeper 
among  the  breast  muscles  than  yon  miglit  suppose,  unless  you  an  "d  to  carving 
fowls  at  table.  With  a  small  bird,  you  may  snap  the  bone  with  th'  umb-nail  and 
tear  asunder  the  muscles  in  an  instant. 


PROCESS    or   SKINNING. 


01 


sion  of  tho  skin,  you  now  find  you  have  ji  nnkod  body  con- 
nected diunb-bell-wiHO  by  a  niik('(l  neck  to  ii  cap  of  reversed 
skin  into  wliicli  tlie  licud  litis  disjiinx'jired,  from  tlie  inside 
of  wliicli  tlic  le<fs  !iud  wings  dun}i,ie,  iind  iirountl  tlie  edges  of 
which  is  a  row  of  plumage  and  a  tail.*  Here  comes  up  an  im- 
portant consideration  :  tho  skin,  phnnage,  legs,  wings  and  tail 
together  wci(jb  something — enongh  to  ulrctrh-f  unduly  the  skin 
of  the  neck,  from  the  small  cylinder  of  whicli  they  are  now 
suspended  ;  the  whole  mass  must  be  tiitpitortinl.  For  small 
birds,  gather  it  in  the  hollow  qf  yonr  left  hand,  letting  the 
body  swing  over  the  back  of  your  hand  out  of  the  way  ;  for 
large  ones,  rest  the  alfair  on  the  table  or  your  lap.  To  skin 
the  head,  secure  the  l)ody  in  the  position  just  indicated,  by 
conllning  the  neck  between  your  left  thumb  and  forefuiger ; 
bring  the  right  lingers  and  thumb  to  a  cone  over  the  head,  and 
draw  it  out  with  gentle  force  ;  or,  holding  the  head  itself  be- 
tween the  left  thumb  and  forefuiger,  insert  the  handle  of  the 
scalpel  between  the  skin  and  skull,  and  pry  a  little,  to  enlarge 
the  neck-cylinder  of  skin  enough  to  let  the  head  pass.  It  will 
generally]:  slip  out  of  its  hood  ver}'  readily,  as  far  as  its 
greatest  diameter  ;§  there  it  sticks,  being  in  fact  pinned  by 
the  t'ars.  Still  holding  the  bird  as  before,  with  the  point  of 
the  scalpel  handled  like  a  nut-picker,  or  with  3'our  tlurnb-nail, 
detach  the  delicate  membrane  that  lines  the  ear-opening ;  do 
the  same  for  the  other  ear.  The  skull  is  then  shelled  out  to 
the  eyes,   and  will   skin  no  further  of  its  own  accord,  being 

*  You  llnd  tlint  tlic  liUle  striiiglit  cut  you  niaile  alons  tlie  belly  lias  somehow  be- 
come 11  hole  liirger  than  the  greatest  girth  of  the  bird;  be  undi^mayeil;  it  is  all 
riglit. 

t  If  you  have  U))  to  this  point  properly  ;j)/s/(«rf  off  tlio  ski,^  instead  n(  puUiny  it, 
there  is  as  yet  probably  no  stretching  of  any  consciiuence;  but  in  skinning  tho 
head,  which  comes  next,  it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  beginner  to  avoid  .-tretrhing 
to  an  extei.'.  involving  great  damage  to  the  good  looks  of  a  skin.  Try  your  utmost, 
by  delicacy  of  manipulation  at  the  lines  of  contact  of  skin  with  llesh  and  only 
there,  to  i)revent  lengthwiae  stretching.  Crosswise  distension  is  of  no  conse- 
quence—in  fact  more  or  less  of  it  is  usually  required  to  skin  the  head,  and  it  tends 
to  counteract  the  evils  of  undue  elongation. 

X  The  special  case  of  head  too  large  for  thecalibreof  the  neck  is  ti-eated  beyond. 

§  And  you  will  at  once  And  a  great  apparent  increase  of  amount  of  free  skin  In 
your  hand,  owing  to  release  and  extension  of  nil  that  was  before  shortened  in 
length  by  circular  distODsion,  in  enlargement  of  the  neck-cylinder. 


'I 

i 

ii! 

i 


62 


HOW   TO   M..KE    A   BIRDSKIN. 


-^ 


^1 


again  attached  by  a  membrane,  around  the  border  of  the  eye- 
socket.  Holding  the  scalpel  as  before,  run  its  edge  around  an 
arc  (a  semicircle  is  enough  to  let  you  into  the  orbit)  of  the 
circumference,  dissevering  the  membrane  from  the  bone.  Re- 
verse the  scalpel,  and  scoop  out  the  eyeball  with  the  end  of 
the  handle ;  you  bring  out  the  eye  betwixt  the  ball  of  your 
thumb  and  the  handle  of  the  instrument,  te.ring  apart  the 
optic  nerve  and  conjunctival  tissue,  but  taking  c-re  not  to  open 
the  eyeball*  nor  lacerate  the  eyelids.  Do  the  same  with  the 
other  eye.  The  head  is  then  j^kinned  far  enough  ;  there  is  no 
use  of  getting  quite  to  the  base  of  the  bill.  You  have  noAV  to 
get  rid  of  the  brain  and  flesh  of  the  nape  and  jaws,t  and  leave 
most  of  the  skull  in ;  the  cranial  dome  makes  the  only  perfect 
"  stufling"  for  the  skin  of  the  head.  This  is  all  done  at  once 
by  only  four  particular  cuts.  Hold  the  head  between  j'our  left 
thumb  and  fingers,  the  bill  pointing  towards  you,  the  bird's 
palate  facing  you  ;  jow.  observe  a  space  bounded  behind  by  the 
base  of  the  skull  where  the  neck  joins,  in  front  by  the  floor  of 
the  mouth,  on  either  side  by  the  prongs  of  the  under  jaw  — 
these  last  especiall}'  prominent.  Take  the  scissors  ;  stick  one 
blade  just  inside  one  branch  of  the  lower  jaw,  thence  into  the 
eye-socket  which  lies  below  (the  head  being  upside  dov/n) 
thence  into  the  brain-box ;  make  a  cut  parallel  with  the  jaw, 
just  inside  of  it,  bringing  th?;  upper  scissor  blade  perpendicu- 
larly downward  crashing  through  the  skull  just  inside  of  the 
angle  of  the  jaw.  Duplicate  this  cut  on  the  other  side.  Con- 
nect the  anterior  ends  of  these  cuts  by  a  transverse  one  across 
the  floor  and  roof  of  the  mouth.  Connect  the  posterior  ends 
of  the  side  cuts  by  one  across  the  back  of  the  skull  near  its 
base — just  where  the  nape-muscle  ceases  to  override  the  cra- 

*  An  eyeball  is  much  larger  Uinn  it  looks  from  the  outside;  if  you  stick  the 
instrument  strniglit  ii.to  the  socket,  you  may  punch  a  hole  in  the  ball  and  let  out 
the  water;  a  very  disagreeable  complication.  Ii'sinuate  the  knife-handle  close  to 
the  rim  of  the  socket,  and  hug  the  wall  of  the  c(>  v  ity  throughout. 

t  You  may  of  course  at  this  stage  cut  off  the  i.jck  at  the  nape,  punch  a  hole  in 
the  base  of  the  skull,  dig  out  the  brains,  and  scrape  away  at  the  jaw-i'mscles  till 
you  are  eatisfled  or  tired;  an  unnecessary  Job,  during  which  the  skin  may  have 
become  dry  and  shrivelled  and  hard  to  turn  right  side  out.  The  operation  de- 
scribed in  the  text  may  require  ten  seconds,  perhaps. 


PROCESS    OF    SKINNING. 


63 


ninm.  You  have  enclosed  and  cut  out  a  squarish-shaped  mass 
of  bone  and  muscle,  and  on  gently  pulling  the  neck  (to  which 
of  course  it  remains  attached),  the  whole  affair  comes  out, 
bringing  tlio  brain  with  it,  but  leaving  the  entire  roof  of  the 
skull  supported  on  a  scaffolding  of  jaw-bone.  It  only  remains 
to  skin  the  wings.  Seize  the  arm-5>tump  with  fingers  or  for- 
ceps ;  the  upper  arm  is  readily  drawn  from  its  sheath  as  lar  as 
the  elbow  ;  but  the  wing  must  be  skinned  to  the  wrist  (carpus 
—  "bend  of  the  wing") ;  yet  it  will  not  come  out  so  easi'y, 
because  the  secondary  quills  grow  to  one  of  the  forearm  bones 
(the  ulna)  pinning  down  the  skin  the  whole  way  along  a  series 
of  points.  To  break  up  these  connections,  hold  the  upper  arm 
firmly  Avith  the  left  thuml)  and  forefinger,  the  convexit\'  of  the 
elbow  looking  towards  you  ;  press  the  riglit  thumb-nail  closely 
against  the  back  edge  of  the  ulna,  and  strip  downward,  scrap- 
ing the  bone  with  the  nail  the  whole  way.*  If  yon  only  hit 
the  line  of  adhesion,  there  is  no  ti'ouble  at  all  about  this.  Now 
you  want  to  leave  in  one  of  the  two  forearm  bones,  to  preserve 
sufficiently  the  shape  of  the  limb,  but  to  remove  the  other,  with 
the  upper  arm  bone  and  all  the  flesh.  It  is  done  in  a  moment ; 
stick  the  point  of  the  scissors  between  the  heads  of  the  tvvo 
forearm  bones,  and  cut  the  hinder  one  (ulna)  away  from  the 
elbow;  then  the  other  forearm  bone  (radius),  bearing  on  its 
near  end  the  elbow  and  the  whole  upper  arm,  is  to  be  stripped 
away  from  the  ulna,  taking  with  it  the  flesli  of  the  forearm, 
and  to  be  cut  off  at  its  far  end  close  to  the  wrist-joint,  one 
stroke  severing  the  bone  and  all  the  tendons  that  pass  over  the 
wrist  to  the  hand ;  then  the  ulna,  bare  of  flesh,  is  alone  left  in, 
attached  at  the  wrist.  Draw  gently  on  the  wing  from  the  out- 
side till  it  slips  into  the  natural  position  whence  you  everted 
it.  Do  the  same  for  the  other  wing.  This  finishes  the  skin- 
ning process.  The  skin  is  now  to  be  turned  right  side  out. 
Begin  anyway  you  please,  till  jou  see  the  point  of  the  bill 
reappearing  among  the  feathers ;  seize  it  with  fingers  or  for- 
ceps as  convenient,  and  use  it  for  gentle  traction.  But  by  no 
means  pull  it  out  by  holding  on  to  the  rear  end  of  the  skin  — 

*  For  special  case  of  wing  too  large  to  be  handled  thus,  sei;  beyond. 


1 


= 


illilf 


I 
I 


I   1  i 


4 


■■!!    I 

liiiii  i 


if 


*" 


64 


HOW   TO  MAKE   A   BIRDSKIN. 


fii 


that  would  infallibly  stretch  the  skin.  Holding  the  bill,  make 
a  cylinder  of  your  left  hand  and  coax  the  skin  backward  with 
a  sort  of  milking  motion.  It  will  come  easily  enough,  until 
the  final  stage  of  getting  the  head  back  into  its  skull  cap  ;  this 
may  require  some  little  dextcritj'^ ;  but  you  •  cannot  fail  to  get 
the  head  in,  if  j^ou  remember  what  you  did  to  get  it  out. 
When  this  is  fairly  accomplished,  you  for  the  first  time  have 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  something  that  looks  like  a  birdskin. 
Your  next*  care  is  to  apply  arsenic.  Laj'  the  skin  on  its  back, 
the  opening  toward  you  and  wide  spread,  so  the  interior  is  in 
view.  Run  the.  scalpel-handle  into  the  neck  to  dilate  that  cj^- 
inder  until  you  can  see  the  skull ;  find  your  way  to  the  orifices 
of  the  legs  and  wings  ;  expose  the  pope's-nose  ;  thus  you  have 
not  only  the  general  skin  surface,  but  all  the  points  where  some 
traces  of  flesh  were  left,  fairly  in  view.  Shovel  in  arsenic ; 
dump  some  down  the  neck,  making  sure  it  reaches  and  plenti- 
fully besprinkles  the  whole  skull ;  drop  a  little  in  each  wing 
hole  and  leg  hole  ;  leave  a  small  pile  at  the  root  of  the  tail ; 
strew  some  more  over  the  skin  at  large.  The  simple  rule  is, 
put  in  as  much  arsenic  as  will  stick  anywhere.  Then  close 
the  opening,  and  shake  up  the  skin ;  move  the  head  about 
by  the  bill ;  rustle  the  wings  and  move  the  logs ;  this  distrib- 
utes the  poison  thoroughly.  If  you  have  got  in  more  than  is 
necessary,  as  you  may  judge  by  seeing  it  piled  up  dry,  any- 
where, hold  the  skin  with  the  opening  downward  over  the  poi- 
son-drawer, and  give  it  a  flip  and  let  the  superfluous  powder  fall 
out.  Now  for  the  "  make  up,"  upon  which  the  beauty  of  the 
preparation  depends.  First  get  the  empty  skin  into  good 
shape.  Let  it  lie  on  its  back  ;  draw  it  straight  out  to  its  nat- 
ural length.  See  that  the  skin  of  the  head  fits  snugly ;  that 
the  eyes,  ears  and  jaws  are  in  place.  Expand  the  wings  to 
make  sure  that  the  bone  is  in  place,  and  fold  them  so  that  the 
quills  override  each  other  naturally  ;  set  the  tail  feathers  shin- 

♦Some  QJrect  the  poisoning  to  be  done  while  the  sliin  is  still  wrong  side  out; 
and  it  may  be  very  thorouRlily  effeotcd  nt  tlint  stage.  I  wait,  because  the  arsenic 
generally  strews  over  tlic  table  in  the  operation  of  reversing  the  hkin,  if  you  use 
as  much  as  I  thinit  advisable;  and  it  is  better  to  have  a  cavity  to  put  it  into  than  a 
surface  to  strew  it  on. 


STUFFING. 


65 


glewise  also ;  draw  clown  the  legs  and  leave  them  straddling 
wide  apart.  Give  tlie  plumage  a  preliminary  dressing  ;  if  the 
skin  is  free  from  kinks  and  creases,  the  feathers  come  naturally 
into  place  ;  particular  ones  that  may  be  awry  should  be  set 
right,  as  may  be  generally  done  by  stroking,  or  by  lifting  them 
free  repeatedly,  and  letting  them  fall ;  if  any  (through  care- 
lessness) remain  turned  into  the  opening,  they  should  be  care- 
fully picked  out.  Remove  all  traces  of  gypsum  or  arsenic 
with  tlie  feather  duster.  The  stufling  is  to  be  put  in  through 
the  opening  in  the  belly ;  tlie  art  is  to  get  in  just  enough,  in 
the  right  places.  It  would  never  do  to  push  in  pellets  of  cot- 
ton, as  you  would  stuff  a  pill«w-case,  till  the  skin  is  filled  up ; 
no  subsequent  skill  in  setting  could  remove  the  distortion  that 
would  result.  It  takes  just  four*  pieces  of  stuffing  —  one  for 
each  eye,  one  for  the  neck,  and  one  for  the  body  ;  while  it  re- 
quires rather  less  tlian  half  as  much  stuffing  as  an  inexperienced 
person  might  suppose.  Take  a  shred  of  cotton  that  will  make  a 
tight  ball  as  large  as  the  bird's  eye  ;  stick  it  on  the  end  of  your 
knitting  needle,  and  by  twirling  the  needle  whilst  the  cotton  is 
confined  in  your  finger  tips,  j'ou  make  a  neat  ball.  Introduce 
this  through  the  bellj'-opening,  into  the  eyesocket ;  if  you  have 
cut  away  skull  enough,  as  already'  directed,  it  will  go  right  in ; 
disengage  the  needle  with  a  reverse  twirl,  nnd  withdraw  it. 
Take  hold  of  the  bill  with  one  hand,  and  with  the  forceps  in 
the  other,  dress  the  eyelids  neatly  and  naturall}'  over  the  elas- 
tic substance  within.  Repeat  for  the  other  eye.  Take  next  a 
shred  of  cotton  that  will  roll  into  a  firm  cylinder  rather  less 
than  the  size  of  the  bird's  neck.     Roll  it  on  the  needle  much 

♦  For  nny  ordinarj-  bird  up  to  tlie  size  of  a  crow.  It  is  often  directeil  thnt  the 
lej?  l)oiie8  and  wing  bones  be  wrapped  with  cotton  or  tow.  I  sliould  not  tliink  of 
putting  anything  around  the  wing  l)ones  of  any  bird  up  to  the  size  of  an  eagle, 
swan  or  pelican.  Exaniiration  of  a  skinned  wing  will  show  how  extremely  com- 
pact it  is,  except  just  at  the  slioubler.  What  you  remove  will  never  make  any  dif- 
ference from  the  outside,  while  you  would  almost  inevitably  get  in  too  much,  not 
of  the  right  shai)c,  and  make  an  awkward  bulging  no  art  would  remedy;  I  say, 
then,  leave  the  wings  of  all  but  the  largest  birds  empty,  and  i)ut  in  very  little  under 
any  circumstances.  As  for  legs,  the  whole  host  of  small  i)erching  birds  need  no 
wrapi'ing  whatever;  depend  upon  it  you  will  make  a  nicer  skin  without  wrapping. 
But  large  birds  and  those  with  very  muscular  or  otherwise  prominent  legs  must 
have  the  removal  of  flesh  compensated  for     I  treat  of  these  cases  beyond. 

MANUAL.        S 


n 

m 


I 


It 


66 


HOW   TO   MAKE    A   BIRDSKIN. 


as  you  did  the  ej'cball,  introduce  it  in  tlie  same  way,  and  ram 
it  firmly  into  the  base  of  tlie  skull ;  disengage  the  needle  bj'' 
twisting  it  the  other  way,  and  withdraw  it,  taking  care  not  to 
dislodge  the  cotton  neck.  If  now  you  peep  into  the  skin  30U 
will  see  the  end  of  this  artificial  neck  ;  push  it  up  against  the 
skin  of  the  breast  —  it  must  not  lie  down  on  the  back  between 
the  shoulders.*  The  body-Avad  comes  next ;  you  want  to  imi- 
tate the  size  and  shape  of  the  bird's  trunk.  Take  a  mass  of 
cotton  you  think  will  be  enough,  and  take  about  half  of  this  ; 
that  will  be  plenty  (cotton  is  \ery  elastic).  It  should  make  a 
tolerably  firm  ball,  rather  egg-shaped,  swelling  at  the  breast, 
smaller  behind.  If  you  simply  squeeze  up  the  cotton,  it  will 
not  stay  compressed  ;  it  requires  a  motion  something  like  that 
which  bakers  employ  to  knead  '^jugb  into  the  shape  of  a  loaf. 
Keep  tucking  over  the  borders  of  the  cotton  till  the  desired 
shape  and  fii'mness  are  attained.  Insert  the  ball  between  the 
blades  of  the  forceps  in  such  way  that  the  instruments  con- 
fine the  folded-over  edges,  and  with  a  wriggling  motion  insin- 
uate it  aright  into  the  body.  Before  relaxing  the  forceps,  put 
your  thumb  and  forefinger  in  the  bird's  armpits,  and  pinch  the 
shoulders  together  till  they  almost  touch  ;  this  is  to  make  sure 
that  there  is  no  stuffing  between  the  shoulders  —  the  whole 
mass  lying  breastwards.  Loosen  the  forceps  and  withdraw 
them.  If  the  ball  is  rightly  made  and  tucked  in,  the  elasticity 
of  the  cotton  will  chiefl}'  expend  itself  in  puffing  out  the  breast, 
which  is  just  what  is  wanted.  Be  careful  not  to  push  the  body 
too  few  in  ;  if  it  impacts  against  the  skin  of  the  neck,  this  will 
infallibly-  stretch,  driving  the  shoulders  apart,  and  no  art  will 
remedy  the  unsightly  gape  resulting.     You  see  I  dwell  on  this 

*  Althougli  aljivd's  neck  is  really,  of  course,  in  direct  continuation  of  tlie  l)ack- 
bone,  yettlic  natural  sifrnioiil  curve  of  the  neck  is  pucIi  that  it  virtually  takes  de- 
parture 1  .'ler  irom  the  brea-t,  its  lower  curve  beiuj?  received  between  the  prongs 
of  the  ni'j.  thought.  This  is  wliat  wo  must  imitate  in.stead  of  tlie  true  nnatouij^ 
If  you  let  the  end  of  the  neck  lii^  between  the  shoiddcrs,  it  will  infallibly  press 
tlicni  apart,  so  that  the  intorscaiuilar  i)Iumage  cannot  sldngle  over  the  scapular  as 
it  should,  and  a  Kajiiiig  place,  sliowing  down  or  even  naked  skin,  will  result, 
hikewist!  if  the  neck  be  made  too  large  (the  chances  are  that  way,  at  llrst),  the 
same  result  follows.  These  seemingly  trifling  points  are  very  important  indeed; 
I  never  made  a  decent  birdskin  till  I  learned  to  get  tlie  neck  small  enough,  and  to 
shove  the  end  of  it  against  the  breast. 


SETTING    IHE   SKIN. 


67 


nd  vam 
idle  bj'^ 
not  to 
iin  you 
nst  the 
)et\veen 
to  imi- 
niass  of 
jf  this  ; 
make  a 
breast, 
I,  it  will 
ike  that 
f  a  loaf, 
desired 
veeu  the 
nts  con- 
•n  iusin- 
;eps,  put 
inch  the 
ve  sure 
e  whole 
athdraw 
asticity 
breast, 
lie  body 
,his  will 
art  will 
on  this 

the  back- 
takes  (le- 
the  \iroiig8 
anutmny. 
libly  piops 
capillar  aw 
rill  result, 
flr.-t),  tho 
lit  i mired; 
igli,  and  to 


matter  of  the  shoulders  ;  the  whole  knack  of  stuffing  correctly 
focusses  just  over  the  shoulders.  If  you  find  you  have  made 
the  body  too  large,  pull  it  out  and  make  a  smaller  one ;  if  it 
fits  nicely  about  the  shoulders  but  is  too  long  to  go  in,  or 
too  puffy  over  the  belly,  let  it  stay,  and  pick  away  shreds  at 
the  open  end  till  the  redundancy  is  remedied.  Your  bird  is 
now  stuffed.  Close  the  opening  by  bringing  the  edges  of  the 
original  cut  together.  There  is  no  use  of  sewing*  up  the  cut, 
for  a  small  bird ;  if  the  stufTing  is  correct,  the  feathers  will 
hide  the  opening,  and  if  th«y  do  not,  it  is  no  matter.  You  are 
not  making  an  object  for  a  show  case,  but  for  a  naturalist's 
cabinet.  Supposing  you  to  have  been  so  far  successful,  little 
remains  to  be  done ;  the  skin  already  looks  very  much  like  a 
dead  bird  ;  you  have  only  to  give  the  finishing  touches,  and 
"set"  it.  Fixing  the  wings  nicely  is  a  great  point.  Fold 
each  wing  closely ;  see  that  the  carpal  bend  is  well  defined, 
that  the  coverts  show  their  several  oblique  rows  perfectly,  that 
all  the  quills  override  each  other  like  shingles.  Tuck  the 
folded  wings  close  up  to  the  body  —  rather  on  the  bird's  back 
than  along  its  sides  ;  see  that  the  wing  tips  meet  over  the  tail 
(under  the  tail  as  the  bird  lies  on  its  back)  ;  let  the  carpal 
angle  nestle  in  the  plumage  ;  have  the  shoulders  close  together, 
so  that  the  interscapulars  shingle  over  the  scapulars.  If  the 
Aving  be  pressed  in  too  tightly,  the  scapulars  will  rise  up  on 
end ;  there  must  be  neither  furrow  nor  ridge  about  the  inser- 
tion of  the  wings  ;  every  thing  must  lie  perfectly  smooth.  At 
this  stage  of  the  process,  I  generally  lift  up  the  skin  gingerly, 
and  let  it  slip  head  first  through  one  hand  after  the  other,  press- 
ing here  or  there  to  correct  a  deformity,  or  uniformly,  to  make 
the  whole  skin  compact.  The  wings  set,  next  bring  the  legs 
together,  so  that  the  bones  within  the  skin  lie  parallel  with 
each  other ;  bend  the  heel-joint  a  little,  to  let  the  tarsi  cross 
each  other  about  their  middle ;  lay  them  sidewise  on  the  tail, 


*But  sew  it  lip,  if  yoii  please,  though  you  may  bo  perhaps  giving  the  man  who 
subsequently  mounts  the  bird  the  trouble  of  ripping  out  the  stitches.  Stitches 
however,  will  not  come  amiss  with  a  large  bird.  I  generally,  in  such  cases,  piH  the 
edges  of  the  cut  in  one  or  more  places. 


hi 
I'.n 


2 


' 


lit! 


. 


't 


'  I 


•     ) 


,1    . 

I:; 


I'll 


■i  ■    i 


68 


HOW   TO   MAKE   A   BIRD8KIN. 


SO  that  the  naturally  flexed  toes  lie  flat,  all  the  claws  mutually 
facing  each  other.  See  that  the  neck  is  perfectly  straight,  and, 
if  anything,  shortened  rather  than  outstretched  ;  have  the  crown 
of  the  head  flat  on  the  table,  the  bill  pointing  straight  forward,* 
the  mandibles  shut  tightly.!  Never  attempt  any  "fancy"  atti- 
tudes with  a  birdskin ;  the  simpler  and  more  compactly  it  is 
made  up  the  better. J  Finally,  I  say,  hang  over  your  bird  (if 
you  have  time)  ;  dress  better  the  feathers  that  were  well 
dressed  before ;  perfect  every  curve  ;  flnish  caressingly,  and 
put  it  away  tenderly,  as  you  hope  to  be  shriven  yourself 
when  the  time  comes. 

There  are  several  ways  of  laying  a  birdskin.  A  common, 
easy  and  slovenly  way  is  to  thrust  it  head  flrs't  into  a  paper  co/je; 
but  it  makes  a  hoUow-cthested,  pot-bellied  object  unpleasant  to 
see,  and  renders  your  nice  work  on  the  make-up  futile.  A 
paper  cylinder,  corresponding  in  calibre  to  the  greatest  girth 
of  the  birdskin,  binds  the  wings  well,  and  makes  a  good  ordi- 
nary specimen — perhaps  better  than  the  average.  Remarking 
that  there  are  some  detestable  practices,  such  as  hanging  up 
a  bird  by  a  string  through  the  nose  (methods  only  to  be  men- 


*  Exceptions.  Woodpeckers,  ducks  and  some  other  birds  treated  of  in  §39,  are 
best  set  Mitli  the  head  flat  on  one  side,  the  bill  iioiiiting  ol)lif)uoly  to  the  riglit  or 
lefl;  owls,  with  tlie  bill  pointing  straight  up  in  tlie  air  aw  the  bird  lies  on  its  back. 

tif  tlie  mandibles  gape,  run  a  tliread  tlirough  tlie  nostrils  and  tie  it  tightly  under 
the  bill.  Or,  since  tliis  injures  tlie  nostriis  (and  we  fro(|uently  want  to  examine 
their  structure)  stick  a  pin  in  under  the  bill  close  to  the  gonys,  drawing  it  obliquely 
into  tlie  iialatc.  Sometimes  the  i^kiu  of  the  throat  looks  sunken  betwixt  the  sides 
of  the  jaw.  A  mere  shred  of  cotton  introduced  with  forceps  through  the  mouth 
Will  obviate  this. 

t  Don't  cock  up  tlie  head,  trying  to  impart  a  knowing  air — it  cannot  be  done,  and 
only  makes  the  poor  bird  look  ridiculous.  Don't  lay  the  skin  on  one  side,  with  the 
legs  in  perching  position,  and  don't  si)read  the  wings — the  bird  will  never  perch  nor 
fly  again,  and  the  suggestion  is  unartistic  because  incongruous.  The  only  pcrinis- 
Bible  departure  from  the  rule  of  severe  simplicity  is  when  some  special  ornament, 
as  a  flne  crest,  may  be  naturally  displayed,  or  some  hidden  markings  are  desired  to 
be  brought  out,  or  a  shape  of  tail  or  wing  to  be  perpetuated;  but  in  all  such  cases 
the  ''flowery"  inclination  should  be  sparingly  and  judiciously  indulged.  It  is, 
however,  frequently  desirable  to  give  some  special  set  to /uV/c  a  defect,  as  loss  of 
plumage,  etc.;  this  may  often  be  accomplished  very  cunningly,  with  excellent  re- 
sult. No  rules  for  this  can  be  laid  down,  since  the  details  vary  in  every  case;  but 
in  general  the  weak  spot  may  be  hidden  by  contracting  the  skin  of  the  place  and 
then  setting  the  bird  in  an  attitude  that  naturally  corresponds,  thus  making  a  vir- 
tue of  necessity. 


ii:    I 


DRYING   AND    PACKING    SKINS. 


69 


tioned  to  be  condcmnod),  I  will  tell  3'ou  the  easiest  and  best 
way,  by  whicli  the  most  elegant  an<l  tasteful  results  are  almost 
necessarily  secured.  The  skins  are  simply  laid  away  in  cotton, 
just  as  they  come  from  your  hands.  Take  a  considerable  wad 
of  cotton,  make  a  "  bed  "  of  it,  lay  the  specimen  in,  and  tuck 
it  up  nicely  around  the  edges.  'In  effect,  I  generally  take  a 
thin  sheet  of  cotton  wadding,  the  sizing  of  wljicli  confers  some 
textile  consistenc}',  and  wrap  the  bird  completely  but  lightly  in 
it.  By  loosening  or  tlghteuing  a  trifle  here  or  there,  lading 
down  a  "pillow  "or  other  special  slight  pressure,  tiie  most  deli- 
cate contour-lines  may  be  preserved  with  perfect  fidelity.  Un- 
necessary pother  is  sometimes  made  about  drying  skins ;  the 
fact  being  that  under  ordinary  circumstances  they  could  not  be 
kept  from  drying  perfectly  ;  and  they  dry  ii.  exactly  the  shape 
they  are  set,  if  not  accidental^'  pressed  upon.  At  sea,  how- 
ever, or  during  unusually  protracted  wet  weather,  they  of 
course  dry  slowly,  and  may  recpiire  some  attention  to  prevent 
mildew,  and  even  souring,  especially  in  the  cases  of  very  large, 
thick-skinned  or  greas}'  specimens.  Thorough  poisoning,  and 
drying  by  a  fire,  or  placing  in  the  sun,  will  always  answer. 
Very  close  packing  retards  drying.  When  travelling  or  oper- 
ating under  other  circumstances  requiring  economy  of  space, 
you  must  not  expect  to  turn  out  your  collection  in  elegant 
order.  Perfection  of  contour-lines  can  only  be  secured  by  put- 
ting each  specimen  away  by  itself ;  undue  pressure  is  always 
liable  to  produce  unhappily  oatrl-  configuration  of  a  skin. 
Trays  in  a  packing  box  arc  of  great  service  in  limiting  possi- 
l)ilities  of  pressure ;  they  should  be  shallow ;  for  one  four 
inches  deep  will  take  a  well  stuffed  hen  hawk,  for  example,  or 
accommodate  3-6  sparrows  a-top  of  each  other.  It  is  well  to 
sort  out  your  specimens  somewhat  according  to  size,  to  keep 
heavy  ones  oft"  little  ones ;  though  the  chinks  around  the 
former  may  usually  be  economized  with  advantage  by  packing 
in  the  less  valuable  or  the  less  neatly  prepared  of  the  latter. 
When  limited  to  a  travelling  chest,  I  generally  pass  in  the 
skins  as  fast  as  made,  packing  them  "solid"  in  one  sense,  yet 
hunting  up  a  nice  resting  place  for  each.     If  each  rests  in  its 


'A 

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70 


HOW   TO   MAKE   A    BIKIXSKIN. 


own  cotton  coffin,  it  is  astonishing  liow  close  they  may  be  laid 
without  harm  ;  and  how  many  will  go  in  a  given  space  —  a  troy 
30X1SX4  inches  will  easily'  hold  three  hundred  and  fifty  birds 
six  inches  long.  As  a  tray  fills  up,  the  drier  ones  first  put  in 
may  bo  submitted  to  more  pressure.  A  skin  originally  dried 
in  good  shape  may  subse(iuenfrly  be  pressed  perfectly  flat  with- 
out material  injury;  the  only  thing  to  avoid  being  contortion. 
The  whole  knack  of  packing  birds  corresponds  to  that  of  filling 
a  trunk  solidly  full  of  clothes  —  as  may  easily  be  done  without 
damage  to  an  immaculate  shirt-front.  Finally,  I  would  say, 
never  put  away  a  bird  unlabelled,  not  even  for  an  hour ;  you 
may  forget  it,  or  die.  Never  tie  a  label  to  a  bird's  bill,  wing 
or  tail ;  tie  it  securely  to  both  legs  where  they  cross,  and  it  will 
be  just  half  as  liable  to  become  detached  as  if  tied  to  one  leg 
only.  Never  paste  a  label,  or  even  a  number,  on  a  bird's  plu- 
mage. Never  put  in  glass  eyes  before  mounting.  Never  paint 
or  varnish  a  bird's  bill  or  feet.  Never  replace  missing  plumage 
of  one  bird  with  the  feathers  of  another — no,  not  even  if  the 
birds  came  out  of  the  same  nest. 

B,   Special  Processes ;   CompHcations  and  Accidents. 

§37.  The  foregoing  method  of  procedure  is  a  routine  prac- 
tice applicable  to  three-fourths  if  not  nine-tenths  of  the  "  gen- 
eral run"  of  birds.  But  there  are  several  cases  requiring  a 
modification  of  this  programme ;  while  several  circumstances 
may  tend  to  embarrass  your  operations.  The  principal  special 
conditions  may  therefore  be  separately  treated  to  your  advan- 
tage. 

§38.  Size.  Other  things  being  equal,  a  large  bird  is  more 
diflScult  to  prepare  than  a  small  one.  In  one  case,  you  only 
need  a  certain  delicacy  of  touch,  easily  acquired  and  soon  be- 
coming mechanical ;  in  the  other,  demand  on  your  strength 
may  be  made,  till  your  muscles  ache.     It  takes  longc/,  too  ;* 

•The  reader  may  be  curious  to  know  something  of  the  statistics  on  this  score 
—how  long  it  ought  to  take  him  to  prepare  an  ordinary  skin.  lie  can  scarcely 
imagine,  A'oni  his  first  tedious  operations,  how  expert  he  may  become,  not  only  in 


SPECIAL   PROCESSES. 


71 


I  could  put  away  a  dozen  sparrows  in  tlio  time  I  should  spend 
over  an  oai>lo,  and  I  would  rntlier  undertake  a  hundred  hum- 
ming birds  than  one  ostrich.  For"lar<>e"  birds,  say  anything 
from  a  hen  hawk  upward,  various  special  manipulations  1  liave 
directed  may  be  foregone,  while  however  you  observe  their  gen- 
crnl  drift  and  intent.  You  may  open  the  bird  as  directed,  or, 
turning  it  tail  to  3'ou,  cut  with  a  knife.*  Forceps  are  rarelj' 
recjuired  —  there  is  not  much  that  is  too  small  to  be  taken  in 
liiind.  As  soon  as  the  tail  is  divided,  hang  i\[)  the  bird  by  the 
rump,  so  you  will  liave  both  hands  free.  Let  it  swing  clear  of 
the  wall  or  table,  at  any  height  most  convenient.  The  steel 
hooks  of  a  dissecting  case  are  not  always  large  enough  ;  use  a 
stout  lish-hook  with  fhc  barb  filed  off.  Work  with  your  nails, 
assisted  by  the  scalpel  if  necessary.  1  know  of  no  bird,  and 
I  think  there  is  none  in  tliis  country  at  least,  the  skin  of  which 
is  so  internally  adiierent  by  fibrous  or  muscular  tissue  as  to 
require  actual  dissecting  throughout ;  a  pelican  comes  perhaps 
as  near  this  as  nny  ;  but  in  many  cases  the  knife  may  be  con- 
stantly employed  with  advantage.      Use   it  with   long    clean 


beauty  of  result,  but  iu  rapidity  of  execution.  Ihnve  seen  tnxidcrniistsni.'iki'  Rood 
Bmall  skins  at  tlie  rate  of  ten  an  liouv;  but  this  is  extraovdiiiiiry.  Tlio  (luickest 
AVdi'k  levovdidinysolf  wnscii^lit  an  hour,  or  an  avi'v.isc  of  soven  and  aliall  niiiiutOH 
ai>iO('e,  and  fairly  good  skins.  Hut  I  iiicked  my  birds,  all  small  ones,  well  shot, 
hil)ollud,  nioasuri'd  iind  iiltijrsrcd  lici'orcliand,  so  t!iat  tlio  rat(U)f  work  was  e.vcop- 
tional  besides  includinfronly  tlic  actual  niaiii|iulations  fniin  lii'stcut  tolayinL'away. 
No  one  «fC7V(f/e,v  eijfbt  birds  an  liour.  even  cxcludin;;'  tlio  necessary  preliminaries 
of  deansini?,  iilu^jring,  rti'.  Four  birds  an  hour,  everything  in<duded,  is  good 
work.  A  very  eminent  ornithologist  of  this  country,  and  an  expert  taxidermist, 
once  laid  a  whimsical  wager,  th.at  he  would  skin  and  stutf  a  bird  before  a  cert.'iin 
friend  of  his  could  pick  all  the  feathers  oil'  a  epecinien  of  tlie  same  kind,  I  forget 
the  time,  but  he  won,  and  Ids  friend  sup|ieii  that  night  on  some  very  tough  game  I 
♦Certain  among  larger  birds  are  often  upened  elsewhere  than  along  the  belly  — 
with  what  advantage  1  cannot  say  from  my  own  exiierlence.  Various  water  bii-ils. 
siu'h  as  loons,  grelies,  auks,  gulls  and  ducks  (in  fact  any  swimming  Ijird  with 
dense  under  plum;ige)  may  lie  opened  along  the  side  l»y  a  cut  under  the  wings  frnm 
the  slioulderover  the  hip  to  theruinp;  the  cut  is  completely  hidilen  by  tlie  make-up, 
and  the  plumage  is  never  milled.  Hut  I  see  no  necessity  for  this;  for,  as  a  rule, 
tlie  belly  opening  can,  if  desired,  be  completely  elfaced  with  duo  care;  though  a 
very  greasy  bird  with  wliite  under  plumage  generally  st:ains  where  opened,  in  spite 
of  every  i)recautioii.  Sucli  birds  as  loons,  grelies,  cormorants  anil  penguins  are 
often  opened  by  a  cut  across  the  fundament  from  one  leg  to  the  other;  their  con- 
formation in  fact  suggests  and  favcr.s  this  operation.  I  have  olleii  seen  water 
birds  slit  down  the  back;  but  I  consider  it  very  poor  practice. 


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72 


now   TO   MAKE    A   BIUD8K1N. 


sweeping  strokes,  hugging  the  skin  ratlier  than  the  body.  The 
knee  and  sljoulder  commonly  require  disarticulation,  unless 
you  use  bone-nippers  or  strong  shears;  the  four  cuts  of  the 
skull  may  presuppose  a  very  able-bodied  instrument  —  even  a 
chisel.  The  wings  will  give  you  the  most  trouble,  and  they 
require  a  special  process  ;  for  you  cannot  readily  break  up  the 
adhesions  of  the  secondary  quills  to  the  ulna,  nor  is  it  desi- 
rable that  very  large  feathers  should  be  deprived  of  this  natural 
support.  Hammer  or  nip  olf  the  great  head  of  the  upper  arm- 
bone,  just  below  the  insertion  of  the  breast  muscles  ;  clean 
the  rest  of  that  bone  and  leave  it  in.  Tie  a  string  around  it 
(what  sailors  call  "two  half  hitches"  gives  a  secure  hold  on 
the  bony  cylinder),  and  tie  it  to  the  other  humerus,  inside  the 
skin,  so  that  the  two  bones  shall  be  rather  less  than  their  natu- 
ral distance  apart.  After  the  skin  is  brought  right  side  out, 
attack  the  wings  thus :  spread  the  wing  under  side  uppermost, 
and  secure  it  on  the  table  l)y  driving  a  tack  or  brad  through 
the  wrist-joint ;  this  fixes  the  far  end,  while  the  weight  of  the 
skin  steadies  the  other.  Raise  a  whole  layer  of  the  under 
wing  coverts,  and  make  .a  cut  in  the  skin  thus  exposed,  from 
elbow  to  wrist,  in  the  middle  line  between  the  two  forearm 
bones.  Raise  the  flaps  of  skin,  and  all  the  muscle  is  laid  bare  ; 
it  is  to  be  removed.  This  is  best  done  by  lifting  each  nuiscle 
from  its  bed  separately,  slipping  the  handle  of  the  scalpel 
under  the  individual  bellies  ;  there  is  little  if  any  bony  attach- 
ment except  at  each  end,  and  this  is  readily  severed.  Strew 
in  arsenic  ;  a  little  cotton  may  be  used  to  fill  the  bed  of  mus- 
cle removed  from  a  very  large  bird  ;  bring  the  flaps  of  skin 
together,  and  smooth  down  the  coverts  ;  you  need  not  be  par- 
ticular to  sew  up  the  cut,  for  the  coverts  will  hide  the  opening  ; 
in  fact,  the  operation  does  not  show  at  all  after  the  make- 
up. Stuffing  of  large  birds  is  not  commonly  done  with  only 
the  four  pieces  already  directed.  The  eyeballs,  and  usually 
the  neck-cylinder,  go  in  as  before  ;  the  body  may  be  filled  any 
way  you  please,  provided  you  do  not  put  in  too  much  stuffing 
nor  get  any  between  the  shoulders.  All  large  birds  had  better 
have  the  leg  bones  wrapped  to  nearly  natural  size.     Observe 


LAUOE    HEADED    lilUDS. 


78 


that  the  leg-muscles  do  not  form  a  cylinder,  but  a  cone ;  let 
the  wra[)ping  taper  naturally  from  top  to  bottom.  Attention 
to  this  point  is  necessary  for  all  lar«jje  or  medium  sized  birds 
with  naturally  prominent  legs.  The  largo  finely  feathered  legs 
of  a  hawk,  for  example,  ougiit  to  be  well  disphiyed  ;  witli  these 
birds,  and  also  with  rails,  etc.,  moreover,  imitate  the  bulge  of 
the  thigh  with  a  special  wad  laid  inside  the  skin.  Large  birds 
commonly  recpiire  also  a  special  wad  introduced  by  the  mouth, 
to  make  the  swell  of  the  throat ;  this  wad  sliould  bo  ratlier 
flutty  than  firm.  As  a  rule  do  not  fill  out  large  birds  to  their 
natural  dimensions ;  they  take  up  too  mucli  room.  Let  the 
head,  neck  and  legs  be  accurately  prepared,  but  leave  the  main 
cavity  one-third  if  not  one-half  empty ;  no  more  is  rocpiired 
than  will  fairly  smootli  out  creases  in  the  skin.  Reduce  bulk 
rather  by  flattening  out  than  by  general  compression.  Use 
tow  instead  of  cotton  ;  and  if  at  all  short  of  tow,  economize 
with  paper,  hay,  etc.,  at  least  for  the  deeper  portions  of  the 
main  stuffing.  Large  birds  may  be  "set"  in  a  great  quantity 
of  tow ;  wrapped  in  paper,  much  like  any  other  parcel ;  or 
simply  left  to  dry  on  the  table,  the  wings  being  only  supported 
by  cushioning  or  other  suitable  means. 


'■' '  I 


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fr 


§39.  Shape.  Some  special  configurations  have  been  noticed 
in  the  last  paragraph,  prematurely  perhaps,  but  leading  di- 
rectly up  to  further  considerations  respecting  sha2:>e  of  certain 
birds  as  a  modifying  element  in  the  process  of  preparation. 
As  for  skinning,  there  is  one  extremely  important  matter. 
Most  ducks,  many  woodpeckers,  flamingoes,  and  doubtless 
some  others,  with  which  I  am  not  familiar,  cannot  be  skinned 
in  the  usual  way,  because  the  head  is  too  large  for  the  calibre 
of  the  neck  and  cannot  be  drawn  through.  In  such  cases,  skin 
as  usual  to  the  base  of  the  skull,  cut  off  the  head  there  (in- 
side the  skin  of  course),  and  operate  upon  it,  after  turning  the 
skin  right  side  out,  as  follows: — Part  the  feathers  carefully 
in  a  straight  line  down  the  back  of  the  skull,  make  a  cut 
through  the  skin,  just  long  enough  to  permit  the  head  to  pass, 
draw  out  the  skull  through  this  opening,  and  dress  it  as  already 


U 


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74 


now   TO    MAKK    A    UIUUSKIN. 


I  Wi 


'    II 


directed.  Return  it,  draw  ti»e  edj;e,s  of  the  cut  nieely  to- 
getlier,  and  sew  up  tiie  opcninj;  with  ii  ^reat  iimny  due  stitelies. 
Simiile  iiH  it  limy  iippcjir,  tliis  proee.sH  is  oltciii  enil)arr.*issiii<r, 
Cor  tlie  cut  liiis  iiii  iiiiliiippy  tciideiicy  to  wander  about  tlie  iiecli, 
eu!ar<fiuji;  itself  even  uiidcr  tlie  most  eareful  inaiiipulation  ; 
wliile  tlie  fcatiiers  of  tlie  parts  are  usually  so  short,  that  it  is 
didlcult  to  ellaee  all  traces  of  the  operation.  1  consider  it 
very  disaj^rceable ;  hut  for  ducks  I  know  of  no  alternative.  I 
have  however  found  out  a  way  to  avoid  it  with  woodpeckers, 
excepting  the  very  laro;est :  it  is  this  : — Before  skiniiinj;,  i)art 
the  eyelids,  and  pliiii<;c  the  scalpel  right  into  the  eyehalls; 
seize  the  cut  edge  of  the  ball  with  the  forceps,  and  pull  the 
eye  right  out.  It  may  be  dextrously  done  without  spilling  the 
eye  water  on  the  plumage  ;  but,  for  fear  of  this,  previously  put 
a  little  i)ile  of  plaster  on  the  spot.  Throw  arsenic  into  the 
socket,  and  then  fill  it  with  cotton  poked  in  between  the  lids. 
The  eyes  are  thus  disposed  of.  Then,  in  skinning,  when  you 
come  to  the  head,  dissever  it  from  the  neck  and  work  the  skull 
as  far  out  as  you  can ;  it  may  be  sutlicientl}'  exposed,  in  all 
cases,  for  you  to  gouge  out  the  base  of  the  skull  with  the  scis- 
sors, and  get  at  the  brain  to  remove  it.  A])i)ly  an  extra  large 
dose  of  arsenic,  and  you  will  never  hear  from  what  jaw-muscle 
has  been  left  in.  In  all  these  cases,  as  already  remarked,  the 
head  is  preferably  set  lying  on  one  side,  with  the  bill  pointing 
obliquely  to  the  right  or  left.  Certain  birds  require  a  special 
mode  of  setting ;  these  are,  birds  with  very  long  legs  or  neck, 
or  both,  as  swans,  geese,  pelicans,  cormorants,  snakebirds, 
loons,  and  especially  cranes,  herons,  ibises  and  flamingoes. 
Long  legs  should  be  doubled  completely  on  themselves  b}' 
bending  at  the  heel-joint,  and  either  tucked  under  the  wings, 
or  laid  on  the  under  surface  ;  the  chief  point  is  to  see  that 
the  toes  lie  flat,  so  that  the  claws  do  not  stick  np,  to  catch 
in  things  or  get  broken  off.  A  long  neck  should  be  carefully 
folded ;  not  at  a  sharp  angle  with  a  crease  in  the  skin,  but 
with  a  short  curve,  and  brought  round  cither  to  the  side  of 
the  bird  or  on  its  breast,  as  may  seem  most  convenient.  The 
object  is  to  make  a  "bale"  of  the  skin  as  nearly  as  may  be, 


THIN   8KINS,    ETC. — FAT. 


75 


nrifl  when  it  Is  properly  offoctod  it  is  siirpriHin<;  what  little  spnco 
II  cniiie,  for  iii.stiiiice,  oc(upi(>M.  Hut  it  in  nirciy,  if  ever,  admis- 
nilile  to  bciid  ii  tail  bacli  on  the  body  liowever  inconveniently 
long  it  nniy  he.  Special  dilationH  of  .siiin,  like  the  poiieh  of  n 
pelienn,  or  the  air  sacs  of  a  prairie-hen,  may  l)c  moderately 
(li.si)layed. 


SlO.  Thin  skin.  Loosk,  ri.iMAOK.  It  is  astoiiishin<.!j  how 
nnich  re.sistan(e  is  oll'ered  l»y  the  thin  skin  of  llie  smallest  bird. 
'J'hongh  no  thieker  than  tissue  |)aper,  it  is  not  very  liable  to  tear 
if  deftly  handled  ;  yet  a  rent  once  started  ofteu  enlarges  to  nn 
embarrassing  extent  if  the  skin  be  stretched  in  the  least. 
Accidental  rents,  and  enlargements  of  shot-holes,  shonid  be 
neatly  sewn  np,  if  occnrring  in  an  exi)osed  place  ;  but  in  most 
cases  the  plumage  may  be  sot  to  hide  the  ojMUiings.  The  tro- 
gons  are  said  to  have  remarkably  thin  and  delicate  skin  ;  I 
have  never  handled  one  in  the  tlesh.  Among  our  birds,  the 
cardinal  grosbeak  has,  I  think,  about  the  tenderest  skin.  The 
ol)vioU3  indication  in  all  such  cases  is  simply  a  little  extra 
delicacy  of  manipulation.  In  skinning  most  birds,  you  should 
not  loose  more  than  a  feather  or  two,  excepting  those  loos- 
ened by  the  shot.  Pigeons  arc  peculiar,  among  our  birds, 
for  the  very  loose  insertion  of  their  plumage ;  you  will  have 
to  bo  particularly  careful  with  them  and  in  spite  of  all  your 
precautions  a  good  many  feathers  will  probably  drop.  Strip- 
ping down  the  secondary  (piills  fron)  the  forearm,  in  the  manner 
already  indicated,  will  so  almost  invariably  set  these  feathers 
free  from  the  skin  that  I  recommend  you  not  to  attempt  it, 
but  to  dress  the  wings  as  prescribed  for  large  birds. 

§41.  Fatnf.ss.  Fat  is  a  substance  abhorred  of  all  dissec- 
tors ;  always  in  the  way,  embarrassing  operations  and  obscur- 
ing observations,  while  it  is  seldom  worth  examination  after 
its  structure  has  once  been  ascertained.  It  is  particularly 
obnoxious  to  the  taxidermist,  since  it  is  liable  to  soil  the  plu- 
mage during  skinning,  and  also  to  soak  into  the  feathers  after- 
wards ;  and  greasy  birdskins  are  never  pleasing  objects.     A 


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few  birds  never  seem  to  have  an}'  fat ;  some,  like  petrels,  are 
always  oily  ;  at  times,  especially  in  the  indolent  autumn  season, 
wiiou  birds  have  little  to  do  but  feed,  the  great  majority  ac- 
(jiMre  an  nnboiipouU  doubtless  to  their  own  satisfaction,  but  to 
the  taxidenuist's  discomfort.  In  all  such  cases,  gypsum  should 
be  l;i,vi.-.hly  employed.  Strew  plaster  plentifully  from  the  first 
cut,  all  through  the  operation  ;  dip  your  fingers  in  it  frequentl}', 
as  well  as  yoiu'  instruments.  The  invaluable  absorbent  will 
deal  v.ith  most  of  the  "  running"  fat.  When  the  skin  is  com- 
pletely reversed  remove  as  much  of  the  solid  fat  as  possible ; 
it  is  generally  found  occupying  the  areolar  tissue  of  particular 
deflrate  tracts,  and  most  of  it  may  usually  be  peeled  or  fiaked 
off  in  considerable  masses.  Since  the  soft  and  oozy  state  of 
most  birds'  fat  at  ordinary  temporalures  may  be  much  im- 
proved ])y  cold,  it  will  rei)av  you  to  leave  your  birds  on  ice  for 
a  wiiile  before  skinning,  if  you  ha\e  the  means  and  tino  to 
dot-o;  the  fat  will  become  quite  firm.  There  is  a  device  for 
preventing  or  at  an}'  rate  lessening  the  soiling  of  the  plumage 
so  apt  to  occur  along  the  line  of  your  incision  ;  it  is  invaluable 
in  all  cases  of  white  plum;tge.  Take  a  strip  of  cloth  of  greater 
Avidth  than  the  length  of  the  feathers,  long  enough  to  go  up 
ouo  side  of  the  cut  and  down  the  otlier.  Sew  this  closel}'^  to 
the  skin  all  around  the  cut,  and  it  will  form  an  apron  to  guard 
the  plumage.  You  will  too  frequently  And  that  a  bird,  pre- 
pared without  soiling  and  laid  away  apparently  safe,  after- 
wards grows  greasy ;  if  the  plumage  is  white,  it  soon  becomes 
worse  than  ever  by  shov-.i^  dus*^  that  the  grease  catches. 
Perhaps  the  majority  of  fuch  birds  iu  our  museums  show  the 
dirty  streak  along  the  l)ell3\  The  r.'ason  is,  that  the  grease 
has  oo'':ed  out  along  the  cut  and  wherever  else  the  skin  has 
been  broken,  and  infiltrated  the  plumage,  being  drawn  up  ap- 
parently by  capill'U'v  attra-^tion,  just  as  a  lampwick  "sucks 
np  "  oil.  Sometimes,  without  obviously  soiling  the  plumage, 
the  grease  will  run  along  the  thread  that  ties  the  label,  and 
make  a  i:niformly  transparent  piece  of  "oil-paper."  I  have 
no  remedy  to  ofiTer  for  this  gradual  infiltration  of  the  plumage, 
It  will  lici  wash  out,  oven  with   soap   and  water.      Tossibiy 


BLOODSTAINS,    ETC. 


77 


faroi'ul  and  persistent  treatment  with  an  ether  might  be  effec- 
tive, but  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  it  would  be.  Kenioval  of 
all  fat  that  can  be  got  off  during  skinning  with  a  liberal  use 
of  plaster  will  in  a  measure  prevent  a  difliculty  that  remains 
incurable. 


,-i; 


§42.  BLOonsTAiNs,  etc.  In  the  nature  of  the  case,  this  com- 
plication is  of  continual  occurrence  ;  fortunately  it  is  easier 
dealt  with  than  greasiness.  Much  may  be  done,  in  the  Held, 
tu  prevent  bloodying  of  the  plumage,  as  already  said.  A  little 
blood  does  not  show  much  on  a  dark  plumage ;  but  it  ib  of 
course  conspicuous  on  light  or  white  feather-  Dried  blood 
may  often  be  scraped  off",  in  imitation  of  the  natural  i)rocess 
by  which  a  bird  cleanses  its  plumage  with  the  l)ill ;  or  l)e  i)ul- 
verized  by  gently  twiddling  the  feathers  between  the  lingers, 
and  then  blown  off".  But  I'eiithers  mav'  by  due  care  be  iranliecl 
almost  as  readilj'  as  clothing  ;  and  we  must  ordinarily  resort 
to  this  to  remove  all  traces  of  blood,  especially  fiom  white 
surfaces.  If  properly  dried  they  do  not  show  the  operation. 
With  a  soft  rag  or  pledget  of  cotton  dipped  in  warm  water 
l)ai^he  the  place  assiduously,  pressing  down  pretty  hard,  only 
taking  care  to  stroke  the  feathers  tlie  right  way.  so  as  not  to 
crumple  them,  until  the  red  color  disappears ;  then  you  have 
simply  a  wet  place  to  deal  with.  Press  gypsum  on  the  si)ot ; 
it  will  cake ;  flake  it  olT  and  apply  more,  till  it  will  no  longer 
stick.  Then  raise  the  feathers  on  a  knife  blade  and  sprinkle 
gyi)sura  in  among  them ;  pat  it  down  and  shake  it  up, 
wrestling  with  the  spot  till  the  moisture  is  entirel}'  absorlied. 
Two  other  fluids  of  the  body  will  give  you  occasional  annoy- 
ance—  the  juices  of  the  alimentary  canal,  and  the  e^-e-water. 
Escipe  of  the  former  by  mouth,  nostrils  or  vent  5«  pnnental'le 

by  slugging  these  orifices,  and  its  occurii »»  is  inexcusMJ»|it. 

But  shot  often  lacerates  tiie  gullet,  crop  and  l)Owels.  i,  \>\  tb- ",,■•: 
nothing  may  flow  at  thi'  time,  subsequent  jolting  or  j-ri'ssure 
i'l  the  game  bag  causes  the  escape  of  fluids  :  a  seeniingh'  Hufe 
specimen  may  be  unwrapped  to  show  the  whole  bcllv  pliiumge 
a  sodden  browii  mass.     Such  accidents  shoulil  l>e  treated  pre- 


Sr! 


If  , 


1 

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i' 

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1 
1 

Ill 

I 

1 

1 

78 


now    TO   MAKE    A   BIUDSKIN. 


i-lii 


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i     ■? 


cisoly  like  bloodstains  ;  but  it  is  to  be  remjirketl  that  these 
stains  are  not  seUloni  indelible,  traces  usually'  persisting?  in 
white  plumage  at  least  in  spite  of  our  best  endeavors.  Eye- 
water, insignilicant  as  it  may  appear,  is  often  a  great  annoy- 
ance, this  liquor  is  slightly  glairy,  or  rather  glassy,  and  puts  a 
sort  of  sizing  on  the  plumage,  difficult  to  efface — the  more  so 
since  the  soiling  necessarily  occurs  in  a  conspicuous  place, 
where  tlu;  plumage  is  too  scanty  and  delicate  to  bear  much 
handling.  It  frc(iuently  happens  that  a  lacerated  e3'eball,  by 
the  elasticity  of  tiie  coats,  or  adhesion  of  the  lids,  retains  its 
fluid  till  this  is  pressed  out  in  manipulating  the  parts  ;  and' 
recollecting  how  the  head  lies  buried  in  plumage  at  that  stage 
of  the  process,  it  will  be  seen  that  not  onl}' the  head,  but  much 
of  the  neck  and  even  the  breast  may  become  wetted.  If  the 
parts  are  extensively  soaked,  the  specimen  is  almost  irrepa- 
rably damaged,  if  not  ruined.  Plaster  will  absorb  the  moist- 
ure, but  much  of  the  sizing  may  be  retained  on  the  plumage  ; 
therefore,  though  the  place  seems  simply  wet,  it  should  be  thor- 
oughly washci"  with  water  before  the  gypsum  is  applied.  I 
alwa^'s  endeavor  to  prevent  the  accident ;  if  I  notice  a  lacer- 
ated eyeball,  I  extract  it  before  skinning,  in  the  manner  <le- 
scribed  for  woodpeckers.  Miscellaneous  stains,  from  the  juices 
of  plants,  etc.,  may  be  received  ;  all  such  are  treated  on  gen- 
eral principles.  Blood  on  the  beak  and  feet  of  rapacious  birds, 
mud  on  the  bi'l  and  legs  of  waders,  etc.,  etc.,  ma}'^  be  washed 
ofi'  withor.t  t!\e  slightest  difficulty.  A  land  bird  that  has  fallen 
in  the  water  should  l>e  recovered  as  soon  as  possible,  picked 
up  b>/  the  billy  and  shaken  ;  most  of  the  water  will  run  off,  un- 
less the  plumage  is  completely  soaked.  It  should  be  allowed 
to  dry  just  as  it  is,  without  touching  the  plumage,  before  being 
wrapped  and  bagged.  If  a  bird  fall  in  soft  nnid,  the  dirt 
should  be  scraped  or  snai)po(l  off  as  far  as  this  can  be  done 
without  plastering  the  feathers  down,  and  the  rest  allowed  to 
dry  ;  it  may  afterward  bo  rultl)ed  fine  and  dusted  off,  when  no 
harm  will  ensue,  except  to  white  leathers  which  m.ay  require 
Avashing. 


MUTILATION. 


79 


§  13,  IMi  TiLATioN.  You  will  often  be  tron1)le(l,  early  in  your 
practice,  with  lirokon  legs  and  wings,  and  various  lacerations; 
but  the  injury  must  be  very  severe  (such  as  the  carrying  away 
of  a  limb,  or  blowing  o''  the  whole  top  of  a  head)  that  can- 
not be  in  great  measure  remedied  by  care  and  skill.  Sup- 
pose a  little  bird,  shot  through  the  neck  or  small  of  the  back, 
coinos  apart  while  being  skinned  ;  you  have  only  to  remove  the 
hinder  [)ortion,  be  that  much  or  little,  and  go  on  with  the  rest 
as  if  it  were  the  whole.  If  the  leg  bone  ol  u  small  bird  be 
broken  near  the  heel,  let  it  come  away  altogether  —  it  v.ill 
make  little  if  any  difference.  In  case  of  the  same  accid?nt  to 
a  large  bird  that  ought  to  have  the  legs  wrapped,  whittle  out 
a  peg  and  stick  it  in  the  hollow  stump  of  the  bone  ;  if  there 
is  no  stump  left  file  a  piece  of  stout  wire  to  a  point  and  stick 
it  into  the  heel  joint.  If  the  forearm  bone  that  you  usually 
leave  in  a  small  bird  is  broken,  remove  it  and  leave  the  other 
in  ;  if  both  are  broken,  do  not  clean  the  wings  so  thoroughly 
that  tl  ey  become  detached  ;  an  extra  pinch  of  arsenic  wid 
condoiie  the  omission.  In  a  large  bird,  if  both  bones  of  the 
forearm  are  broken,  splint  them  with  a  bit  of  wood  laid  in 
between  so  that  one  end  hitches  at  the  elbow,  the  other  at  the 
wrist.  A  humerus  may  be  replaced  like  a  leg  bone,  but  this  is 
rarely  required.  If  the  skull  be  smashed,  save  the  pieces,  and 
leave  them  if  you  can  ;  if  not,  imitate  the  arch  of  the  head 
witii  a  firm  cotton-ball.  A  broken  tarsus  is  readily  splinted 
with  a  pin  thrust  up  through  the  sole  of  the  foot :  if  too  large 
for  this,  use  a  pointed  piece  of  wire.  There  is  no  mending  a 
bill  when  part  of  it  is  shot  away,  for  I  think  the  replacing  of 
part  b}'  putty,  stucco,  etc.,  inadmissible  ;  but  if  it  be  only  frac- 
tured, the  pieces  may  usually  be  retained  in  place  by  winding 
with  thread,  or  with  a  touch  of  glue  or  mucilage.  It  is  singu- 
lar, by  the  way,  what  unsightliness  results  from  a  very  tritling 
injury  to  the  bill  —  much,  I  suppose,  as  a  boil  on  a  perstm's 
nose  is  peculiarly  deplorable.  I  have  already  hiutetl  how  art- 
fully various  weak  places  in  a  skin,  due  to  mutilation  or  loss 
of  plumage,  may  be  hiddtai. 


80 


HOW   TO   MAKE    A   BIRDSKIN. 


I  11      i 


^}   I 


§44.  Decomposition.  It  might  seem  unnecess.iry  to  speak 
of  what  may  be  smdled  out  so  roadil}-  as  animal  putrescence, 
but  there  are  some  useful  points  to  be  learned  in  this  connec- 
tion, besides  the  important  sanitary  precautions  that  are  to  be 
deduced.  Immediately  after  death  the  various  fluids  of  tlie 
body  begin  to  "settle"  (so  to  speak)  and  shortly  after,  the 
muscular  system  as  a  rule  becomes  flxed  in  what  is  technically 
called  rkjor  mortis.  This  stiffening  usually  occurs  as  the  ani- 
mal heat  dies  away  ;  but  its  onset,  and  especially  its  duration, 
is  very  variable,  according  to  circumstances,  such  as  cause  of 
death  ;  although  in  most  cases  of  sudden  violent  death  of  an 
animal  in  previous  good  health,  it  seems  to  depend  chiefly  upon 
temperature,  being  transient  and  imperfect,  or  altogether  want- 
ing in  hot  weather.  As  it  passes  off,  the  whole  system  re- 
laxes, and  the  body  soon  becomes  as  '"limp"  as  at  the  moment 
of  death.  This  is  the  period 'immediately  preceding  decompo- 
sition—  in  fact,  it  may  be  considered  as  the  stage  of  incipient 
putridity  ;  it  is  very  brief  in  warm  weather ;  and  it  should  be 
seized  as  the  last  opportunity  of  preparing  a  bird  without 
inconvenience  and  even  danger.  If  not  skinned  at  once, 
putrescence  becomes  established ;  it  is  indicated  b}^  the  efllu- 
vium  (at  the  outset  "sour,"  but  rapidly  acquiring  a  variety  of 
disgusting  odors)  ;  by  the  distension  of  the  abdomen  with 
gaseous  products  of  decomposition ;  bj  a  loosening  of  tiie 
cuticle,  and  consequently  of  the  feathers  ;  and  by  other  signs. 
If  you  part  the  feathers  of  a  bad-smelling  bird's  belly  to 
find  the  skin  swollen  and  livid  or  greenish,  wliile  the  feathers 
come  off  at  a  touch,  the  bird  is  too  far  gone  to  be  recovered 
without  trouble  and  risk  that  no  ordinary  specimen  warrants. 
It  is  a  singular  fact  that  this  early  putrescence  is  more 
poisonous  than  utter  rottenness  ;  as  physicians  are  aware,  a 
po^t-mortem  examination  at  this  stage,  or  even  before  it,  in- 
volves more  risk  than  th3ir  ordinary  dissecting-room  expe- 
rience. It  seems  that  both  natural  and  pathological  poisons 
lose  their  early  virulence  hj  resolution  into  other  products 
of  decay.  The  obvious  deduction  from  all  this  is  to  skin 
your  birds  soon  enough.     Some  say  they  are  best  skinned  per- 


DECOMPOSITION. 


81 


fcctly  fresh,  but  I  sec  no  reason  for  this  ;  when  I  have  time  to 
choose,  I  take  the  period  of  rigidity  as  being  preferable  on  the 
whole ;  for  the  fluids  have  then  "  settled,"  and  the  limb^  are 
readily  relaxed  by  manipulation.  If  j-ou  have  a  large  bag  to 
dispose  of,  and  are  pressed  for  time,  set  them  in  the  coolest 
place  you  can  find,  preferably  on  ice  ;  a  slight  lowering  of 
temperature  may  make  a  decided  difference.  Disembowelling, 
which  may  be  accomplished  in  a  moment,  will  materially  retard 
decomposition.  Injections  of  creosote  or  dilute  carbolic  acid 
will  arrest  decay  for  a  time,  for  an  indefinitely  long  period  if 
a  large  quantitj*  of  these  antiseptics  be  employed.  When  it 
becomes  desirable  (it  can  never  be  necessary)  to  skin  a  putres- 
cent bird,  great  care  must  be  exercised  not  only  to  accomplish 
the  operation,  but  to  avoid  danger.  I  must  not,  however,  un- 
consciousl}'  lead  you  to  exaggerate  the  risk,  and  will  add  that 
1  think  it  often  overrated.  I  have  probably  skinned  birds  as 
"  gamey  "  as  any  one  has,  and  repeatedly,  without  being  con- 
scious of  any  ill  effects.  I  am  sure  that  no  poison,  ordinarily 
generated  by  decomposition  of  a  body  healthy  at  death,  can 
compare  in  virulence  with  that  commonly  resulting  after  death 
by  many  diseases.  I  also  bel'eve  that  the  gaseous  products, 
however  offensive  to  the  smell,  are  innocuous  as  a  rule.  The 
danger  practically  narrows  down  to  the  absorption  of  fluids 
through  an  abraded  surface  ;  the  i>oison  is  rarely  taken  in  by 
natural  poi'es  of  healthy  skin,  if  it  remain  in  contact  but  a 
short  time.  Cats  and  scratches  may  be  closed  with  a  film  of 
collodion,  or  covered  with  isinglass  or  court  plaster,  or  pro- 
tected by  rubber  cots  on  the  fingers.  The  hands  should,  of 
course,  be  washed  with  particular  care  immediately  after  the 
operation,  and  the  nails  scrupulously  dressed.  Having  never 
been  poisoned  (to  my  knowledge),  I  cannot  give  the  symptoms 
from  personal  experience  ;  but  I  will  quote  from  Mr.  Maynard. 
"  In  a  few  days  numerou,^  pimples,  which  are  exceedingly 
painful,  appear  upon  the  skin  of  the  face  and  other  parts  of 
the  person  and,  upon  those  parts  where  there  is  chafing  or  rub- 
bing, become  large  and  deep  sores.  There  is  a  general  languor 
and,  if  badly  poisoned,  complete  prostration  results  ;  the  slight- 

MAMDAL.        6 


I 


mm 


i;  ■ 


;l 


!-« 


;   1 


|l> 


82 


HOW   TO   MAKE    A   RIUDSKIN. 


est  scratch  becomes  a  festering  sore.  Once  poisoned  in  this 
manner  (and  I  speak  from  experience),  one  is  never  afterward 
able  to  skin  any  animal  that  has  become  in  the  least  putrid, 
without  experiencing  some  of  the  symptoms  above  described. 
Even  birds  that  you  handled  before  with  impunity,  you  cannot 
now  skin  without  great  care.  The  best  remedy  in  this  case  is, 
as  the  Hibernian  would  say,  not  to  get  poisoned,  .  .  bathe  the 
parts  frequently  in  cold  water  ;  and,  if  chafed,  sprinkle  the  parts 
after  bathing,  with  wheat  flour.  These  remedies,  if  persisted  in, 
will  elfect  a  cure,  if  not  too  bad  ;  then,  medical  advice  should 
be  procured  without  delay."* 

§45.  How  TO  MOUNT  BIRDS.  As  some  may  not  improbably 
procure  this  volume  with  a  reasonable  expectation  of  being 
taught  to  mount  birds,  I  append  the  required  instructions, 
although  the  work  only  professes  '  treat  of  the  preparation 
of  skins  for  the  cabinet.  As  a  rule,  the  purposes  of  science 
are  best  subserved  by  not  mounting  specimens ;  for  display, 
the  only  end  attained,  is  not  required.  I  would  strongly  advise 
you  not  to  mount  your  rarer  or  otherwise  particularly  valuable 
specimens ;  select  for  this  purpose  nice,  pretty  birds  of  no 
special  scientific  value.  The  principal  objections  to  mounted 
birds  are,  that  they  take  up  altogether  too  much  room,  require 
special  arrangements  for  keeping  and  transportation,  and  can- 
not be  handled  for  study  with  impunit}'.  Some  might  suppose 
that  a  mounted  bird  would  give  a  better  idea  of  its  figure  and 
general  aspect  than  a  skin  ;  but  this  is  only  true  to  a  limited 
extent.  Faultless  mounting  is  an  art  really  diilicult,  acquired 
by  few  ;  the  a',  erage  work  done  in  this  line  shows  something 
of  caricature,  ludicrous  or  repulsive,  as  the  case  may  be.  To 
copy  nature  faithfully  by  taxidermy  requires  not  only  long 
and  close  study,  but  an  artistic  sense  ;    and  this  last  is  a  rare 


•Avoid  all  mechanical  irritation  of  the  inflamed  parts;  touch  the  parts  that 
have  uU'erated  with  a  istick  of  lunar  caustic;  take  a  dose  of  salts;  Ufe  syrup  of 
the  iodide  of  iron,  or  tincture  of  the  chloride  of  iron,  say  thirty  drop>  of  either,  in 
awiueglass  of  water,  thrice  daily ;  rest  ;it  lirst,  exercise  gradually  as  you  'jun  bear 
it;  and  skiu  no  birds  till  you  have  completely  recovered. 


MOUNTING    BIUDS. 


83 


gift.  Unless  you  .have  at  least  the  germs  of  tlie  faculty-  in 
your  composition  your  taxidermal  success  will  be  incommensu- 
rat(,'  witli  tlie  time  and  trouble  you  bestow.  ]My  own  taxiiler- 
mal  art  is  of  a  low  order,  decidedly  not  above  average ; 
altliougli  I  have  mounted  a  great  many  birds  that  would  look 
well  enough  by  the  side  of  ordinary  museum  work,  few  of  them 
have  entirely  answered  my  ideas.  A  live  bird  is  to  me  such  a 
beautiful  object  that  the  slightest  taxidermal  Haw  in  the  effort 
to  represent  it  is  painfully  offensive ;  perhaps  this  makes  me 
place  the  standard  of  excellence  too  high  for  practical  pur- 
poses. I  like  a  good  honest  birdskin  that  does  not  pretend  to 
be  anything  else  ;  it  is  far  preferable  to  the  ordinary  taxider- 
mal abortions  of  the  show-cases.  But  if,  after  the  warnings 
that  I  mean  to  convey  in  this  paragraph,  you  still  wish  to  try 
your  hand  in  the  higher  department  of  taxidermy,  I  will  ex- 
plain the  whole  process  as  far  as  manipulation  goes ;  the  art 
you  must  discover  in  yourself. 

The  operation  of  skinning  is  precisely  the- same  as  that 
already  given  in  detail ;  then,  instead  of  stutllng  the  skin  as 
directed  above,  to  lie  on  its  back  in  a  drawer,  you  have  to  stutl" 
it  so  that  it  will  stand  up  on  its  feet  and  look  as  nnich  like  a 
live  bird  as  possible.  To  this  end  a  few  additional  implements 
and  materials  are  required.  These  are  :  —  a,  annealed  wire 
of  various  numbers ;  it  may  be  iron  or  brass,  but  must  be 
perfectly  annealed,  so  as  to  retain  no  elasticity  or  ''  spring  ;" 
b,  several  files  of  different  sizes ;  c,  some  slender,  straight 
brad  awls ;  d,  cutting  pliers ;  e,  setting  needles,  merely  sew- 
ing or  darning  needles  stuck  in  a  'ght  wooden  handle,  for 
dressing  individual  feathers ;  j\  plenty  of  pins  *  and  sewing 
thread ;  y,  an  assortment  of  glass  ejes.  (The  fixtures  and 
decorations  are  noticed,  beyond,  as  occasion  for  their  use 
arises.) 

There  are  two  principal  methods  of  mounting,  which  may 
be  respectively  styled  soft  stutling,  and  hard  stutling.  In  the 
former,  a   wire   framework,   consisting  of  a   single   anterior 


*  The  loug,  sleuder  insect  pins  used  by  eDtomolcgisui  are  the  b«^C. 


I!    ' 


8« 


now    TO    MAKE    A   BIRDSKIN. 


piece  passing  in  the  middle  line  of  the  body  up  through  the 
neck  and  out  at  the  top  of  the  head,  is  immovably  joined 
behind  witli  two  pieces,  one  passing  through  each  leg :  around 
this  naked  forked  frame  soft  stufllng  is  introduced,  bit  by  bit, 
till  the  proper  contour  of  the  skin  is  secured.  I  have  seen 
very  pretty  work  of  this  kind,  particularly  on  small  birds  ;  but 
I  consider  it  much  more  diflicult  to  secure  satisfactory  results 
in  this  way  than  by  hard  stuJling,  and  I  shall  therefore  con- 
fine attention  to  the  latter.  This  method  is  applicable  to  uU 
birds,  is  readily  practised,  facilitates  setting  of  the  wings, 
arranging  of  the  plumage,  and  giving  of  an}'^  desired  attitude. 
In  hard  stufllng,  ^-ou  make  a  firm  ball  of  tow  rolled  upon  a 
wire  of  the  size  and  shape  of  the  bird's  body  and  neck  to- 
gether ;  you  introduce  this  whole,  afterwards  running  in  the 
leg  wires  and  clinching  them  immovably  in  the  mass  of  tow. 

Having  your  empty  skin  in  good  shape,  as  already  described, 
cut  three  pieces  of  wire  of  the  right*  size;  one  piece  some- 
what longer  than  the  whole  bird,  the  other  pieces  two  or  three 
times  as  long  as  the  whole  leg  of  fhe  bird.  File  one  end  of 
each  piece  to  a  fine  sharp  point,  try  to  secure  a  three-edged 
cutting  point  like  that  of  surgical  needles,  rather  than  the 
smooth,  punching  point  of  a  sewing  needle,  the  former  perfo- 
rates more  readily.  Have  these  wires  perfectly  straight. f 
Bend  a  small  portion  of  the  unfiled  end  of  the  longer  wire  ir- 
regularly upon  itself,  as  a  convenient  nucleus  for  the  ball  of 
tow. J  Take  fine  clean  tow,  in  loose  dossils,  and  wrap  it  round 
and  round  the  wire  nucleus,  till  you  make  a  firm  ball,  of  the 
size  and  shape  of  the  bird's  body  and  neck.  Study  the  con- 
tour of  the  skinned  body  :  notice  the  swelling  breast  muscles, 
the  arch  of  the  lower  back,  the  hollow  between  the  furcula  into 

*TI)e  right  sizo  is  the  smallest  that  will  support  the  whole  weight  of  the  stuff- 
ing and  skin  witliout  bending,  wlien  ii  piece  is  introduced  into  each  leg.  If  u^ing 
too  tliick  wire  you  may  have  trouble  in  tlirusting  it  through  the  legs,  or  may  burst 
the  tarsal  envelope. 

flf  accidentally  kinky,  the  liner  sizes  of  wire  may  be  readily  straightened  by 
drawing  strongly  upon  them  so  as  to  stretch  them  a  little.  Heavier  wire  must  be 
hammered  out  straight. 

J  Cotton  will  not  do  at  all ;  it  is  too  soft  and  elastic,  and  moreover  will  not  allow 
of  the  leg  wires  being  thrust  into  it  and  there  clinched. 


STUFFIXO   AXD   WIRING. 


85 


which  the  neck,  when  naturally  curved,  sinks.  Everything 
depends  upon  correct  shaping  of  the  artificial  body  ;  if  it  be 
misslinpen,  no  art  can  properly  adjust  the  skin  over  it.  Fii.a- 
nes9  of  the  tow  ball  and  accurate  contour  may  both  be  secured 
by  wrapping  the  mass  with  sewing  thread,  loosening  iiere, 
tigiitening  there,  till  the  shape  is  satisfactory.  Be  particular 
to  secure  a  smooth  superficies  ;  the  skin  in  drying  will  shrink 
close  to  the  stnfling,  disclosing  its  irregularities,  if  there  be 
any,  by  the  maladjustment  of  the  plumage  that  will  ensue. 
Observe  especially  that  the  neck,  thougii  the  direct  continua- 
tion of  the  backbone,  dips  at  its  lower  end  into  the  hollow 
of  the  merrythought,  and  so  virtually  begins  there  insteail  of 
directly  between  the  shoulders.  The  three  mistakes  most 
likely  to  be  made  by  a  beginner  are,  getting  the  body 
altogether  too  large,  not  firm  enough,  and  irregular.  When 
properly  made  it  will  closely  resemble  the  bird's  body  and 
neck,  with  an  inch  or  several  inches  of  sharp-pointed  vire  pro- 
truding from  the  anterior  extremity  of  the  neck  of  tow.  You 
have  now  to  introduce  the  whole  affair  into  the  skin.  With  the 
birdskin  on  its  back,  the  tail  pointing  to  your  right  elbow,  and 
the  abdominal  opening  as  witie  as  possible,  hold  the  body 
in  position  relative  to  the  skin  ;  enter  the  wire,  pass  it  up 
through  the  neck,  bring  the  sharp  point  exactly  against  the 
middle  of  the  skull,  pierce  skull  and  skin,  causing  the  wire  to 
protrude  some  distance  from  the  middle  of  the  crown.  Then 
by  gentle  means  insinuate  the  body,  partly  pushing  it  in, 
partly  drawing  the  skin  over  it,  till  it  rests  in  its  proper 
position.  This  is  just  like  drawing  on  a  tight  kid  glove,  and 
no  more  diflflcult.  See  that  the  body  is  completely  encased ; 
you  must  be  able  to  close  the  abdominal  aperture  entirely. 
You  have  next  to  wire  the  legs.  Enter  the  sharp  point  of 
one  of  the  leg  wires  already  prepared,  exactly  at  the  centre 
of  the  sole  of  the  foot,  thrusting  it  up  inside  the  tarsal  en- 
velope the  whole  length  of  the  "  shank,"  thence  across  the 
heel-joint*  and  up  along  the  next  bone  of  the  leg,  still  inside 

*Theve  is  occasionally  difllcnlty  in  getting  tiie  wire  across  tlii?  joint,  from  tbe 
point  sticking  into  tho  enlarged  end  of  the  shin-bone.    In  tuch  case,  take  stout 


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86 


HOW   TO    MAKE    A    DIUDSKIN. 


ir: 


the  8kii\.  The  point  of  !•  •  wire  will  tiioii  be  soon  within  the 
skin  anil  may  he  seized  unci  drawn  a  little  further  through, 
and  yon  will  have  passed  a  wire  entirely  out  of  si<2;ht  all  the 
way  alont^  the  leg.  The  end  of  the  wire  is  next  to  be  fixed 
immovably  in  the  tow  ball.  Thrust  it  in  at  the  point  where 
the  knee,  in  life,  rests  against  the  side  of  the  body.*  IJring 
the  point  to  view,-  bend  it  over  and  reinsert  it  till  it  stit-ks 
fast.  There  are  no  special  directions  to  be  given  here  ;  fasten 
tlie  wire  in  any  way  that  elfcetually  prevents  "  wabbling." 
You  may  liiul  it  convenient  to  wire  both  legs  before  fasten- 
ing either,  and  then  clinch  them  l)y  twisting  the  two  ends 
together.  But  remember  that  the  leg  wires  may  be  fixed  re- 
specting each  other,  yet  permit  a  see-saw  motion  of  the  body 
upon  them.  This  must  not  be,  the  bod}^  and  legs  nuist  be 
fixed  upon  a  jointless  frame.  Having  secured  the  legs,  close 
the  abdominal  opening  nicely,  either  by  sewing  or  pinning,  you 
may  stick  pins  in  anywhere,  as  freely  as  in  a  pin  cushion  ;  the 
feathers  hide  their  heads.  Stick  a  pin  through  the  pope's 
no3e,  to  fix  the  tail  in  place. 

All  this  while  the  bird  has  been  lying  on  its  back,  the  neck 
stretched  straight  in  continuation  of  the  body,  wired  stiflly, 
the  legs  straddling  wide  apart,  straight  and  stiff,  the  wings 
lying  loosely,  half-spread.  Now  bring  the  legs  together,  paral- 
lel with  each  other,  and  make  the  sharp  bend  at  the  heel  joint 
that  will  bring  the  feet  naturally  under  the  belly  (over  it  as 
the  bird  lies  on  its  back).  Pick  up  the  bird  by  the  wires  that 
project  from  the  soles  and  set  it  on  its  stand,  by  running  the 
wires  through  holes  bored  the  proper  distance  apart,  and  then 
securing  the  ends  by  twisting.  The  temporary  stand  that  you 
use  for  this  purpose  should  have  a  heavy  or  otherwise  firm  sup- 
port, so  as  not  easily  to  overturn  during  the  subsequent  manip- 
ulations. At  this  stage  the  bird  is  a  sorry  looking  object ;  but 
t , 

])lier8  and  pinch  the  jiiint  till  tlie  V)one  is  smaslicd  to  fragments.  The  wire  will 
tlieu  pat-s  and  the  connnliiution  will  not  sliow.  If  Uiere  is  any  trouble  in  passing 
tlie  wire  tlu'ougli  the  tarsus,  bore  a  hole  for  it  with  a  brad  awl. 

*This  point  is  further  forward  and  more  belly-ward  than  you  might  puppose. 
01)serve  tlie  skinned  body  again,  and  see  where  the  lower  end  of  the  thigh  lies.  If 
you  insert  the  wire  too  far  bai'k.  you  cannot  by  any  possibility  balauce  the  bird 
naturally  on  its  perch;  it  will  look  in  immineut  danger  of  toppling  over. 


SETTING   TJIE    BIUD. 


87 


I 


if  yon  have  stiiffbcl  correctly  und  wired  spctirol}',  it  will  soon 
improve.  Bo<i;in  by  makiii;^  it  stand  properly.  Tlie  eoimiion 
liuilt  here  1h  pliiein^j;  tlie  tiirsi  too  iieiuiy  perpeiidieuljir.  Perch- 
ing birds,  constituting  the  nmjority,  hiildtiuiily  stsiiid  with  the 
tarsi  more  nearly  horizontal  than  perpendicular,  anil  generally 
keep  the  tarsi  parallel  with  each  other.  Wading  and  most 
walking  birds  stand  with  the  legs  mere  nearly  upright  and 
straight.  Many  swimming  birds  straddle  a  little;  others 
rarely  if  ever.  See  that  the  toes  clasp  the  perch  naturally,  or 
are  properly  spread  on  the  Hat  surface.  Cause  the  flank  feath- 
ers to  be  correctly  adjusted  over  the  tibijc  (and  here  I  will 
remark  that  with  most  birds  little,  if  any,  of  the  tibiai  shows 
in  life)  the  heel  joint  barely,  if  at  all,  projecting  from  the  gen- 
eral plumage.  It  is  a  common  fault  of  stulling  not  to  draw 
the  legs  closely  enough  to  the  body.  Above  all,  look  out  for 
the  centre  of  gravity  ;  though  you  have  really  fastened  the  bird  to 
its  perch,  you  must  not  let  it  look  as  if  it  would  fall  olf  if  the 
wires  slipped  ;  it  must  appear  to  rest  there  of  its  own  accord. 
Next,  give  the  head  and  neck  a  preliminary  setting,  according 
to  the  attitude  you  have  determined  upon.  This  will  bring  the 
plumage  about  the  shoulders  in  proper  position  for  the  setting 
of  the  wings,  to  which  you  may  at  once  attend.  If  the  body 
be  correctly  fashioned  and  the  skin  of  the  shoulders  only  ad- 
justed over  it,  the  wings  will  fold  into  place  without  the  slight- 
est difficulty.  All  that  I  have  said  before  about  setting  the 
wings  in  a  skin  applies  here  as  well ;  but  in  this  case  they  will 
not  stai)  in  plaoo.  since  they  fall  by  their  own  weight.  They 
must  be  pinned  up.  Holding  the  wing  in  place  thrust  a  pin 
steadily  through,  near  the  wrist  joint,  into  the  tow  body. 
Sometimes  another  pin  is  required  to  support  the  weight  of  the 
primaries ;  it  may  be  stuck  into  the  tlank  of  the  bird,  the 
outer  quill  feather  resting  directly  upon  it.  With  large  birds 
a  sharp  pointed  wire  must  replace  the  pin.  When  properly  set 
the  wing  tips  will  fall  together  or  symmetrically  opposite  each 
other,  the  quills  and  coverts  will  be  smoothly  imbricated,  the 
scapular  series  of  feathers  will  lie  close,  and  no  bare  space 
will  show  in  front  of  the  shoulder.     Much  depends  upon  1!he 


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88 


HOW   TO   MAKE    A   BIRDSKIN. 


final  adjustment  of  the  head.  The  commonest  mistake  is  get- 
ting it  too  far  away  from  the  body.  In  the  ordinary  attitudes 
of  most  birds,  little  neck  shows,  the  head  appearing  nestled 
upon  the  shoulders.  If  the  neck  appears  too  long,  it  is  not 
to  be  contracted  by  pushing  the  head  directly  down  upon  it, 
but  by  making  an  S  curve  of  the  neck.  No  precise  direc- 
tions can  be  given  for  the  set  of  the  head  but  you  may  be 
assured  it  is  a  delicate,  difficult  matter ;  the  slightest  turn  of 
the  bill  one  way  or  another  may  alter  the  whole  expression  of 
the  bird.  You  will  of  course  have  determined  beforehand 
upon  your  attitude — upon  what  you  wish  the  bird  to  appear 
to  be  doing ;  then,  let  your  meaning  be  pointed  by  the  bird's 
bill. 

On  the  general  subject  of  striking  an  attitude,  and  giving 
expression  to  a  stuffed  bird,  little  can  be  said  to  good  purpose. 
If  you  are  to  become  proficient  in  this  art,  it  will  come  from 
your  own  study  of  birds  in  the  field,  your  own  good  taste  and 
appreciation  of  bird  life.  The  manual  processes  are  easily 
described  and  practised  —  it  is  easy  to  grind  paint,  I  suppose, 
but  not  so  to  be  an  arti«t.  I  shall  therefore  only  follow  the 
above  account  of  the  general  processes  with  some  special 
practical  points.  After  "attitudinizing"  to  your  satisfaction,  or 
to  the  best  of  your  ability,  the  plumage  is  to  be  carefully 
"  dressed."  Feathers  awry  may  be  set  in  place  with  a  light 
spring  forceps,  or  needles  fixed  in  a  handle — one  by  one  if 
necessary.  When  no  individual  feather  seems  out  of  place,  it 
o:ten  occurs  that  the  general  plumage  has*  a  loose,  slovenly 
aspect.  This  is  readily  corrected  by  wrapping  with  fine  thread. 
Stick  a  pin  into  the  middle  of  the  back,  another  into  the  breast, 
and  perhaps  others  elsewhere.  Fasten  the  end  of  a  spool  of 
sewing  cotton  to  one  of  the  pins,  and  carry  it  to  another, 
winding  the  thread  about  among  the  pins,  till  the  whole  surface 
is  'hovered  with  an  irregular  network.  Tighten  to  reduce  an 
undue  prominence,  loosen  over  a  depression ;  but  let  the  wrap- 
ping as  a  whole  be  light,  firm  and  even.  This  procedure,  nicely 
executed,  will  give  a  smoothness  to  the  plumage  not  otherwise 
attainable,  and  may  be  made  to  produce  the  most  exquisite 


SPREADING   TAILS,    ETC. 


89 


curves  particularly  about  the  head,  neck  and  breast.  The 
thread  should  be  left  on  till  the  bird  is  perfectly  dry ;  it 
may  then  be  unwound  or  cut  off,  and  the  pins  withdrawn. 
When  a  particular  patch  of  skin  is  out  of  place,  it  may  often 
be  pulled  into  position  and  pinned  there.  You  need  not  be 
afraid  of  sticking  pins  in  anywhere  ;  they  may  be  buried  in  the 
plumage  and  left  there,  or  withdrawn  when  the  skin  is  dry. 
In  addition  to  the  main  stuffing,  a  little  is  often  required  in 
particular  places.  As  for  the  legs,  they  should  be  filled  out 
in  all  such  cases  as  I  indicated  earlier  in  this  chapter ;  small 
birds  require  no  such  stuffing.  It  is  necessary  to  fill  out  the 
eyes  so  that  the  lids  rest  naturally  ;  it  may  be  done  as  hereto- 
fore directed,  or  by  putting  in  pledgets  of  cotton  from  the  out- 
side. A  little  nice  stuffing  is  generally  required  about  the 
upper  throat.  To  stuff  a  bird  with  spread  wings  requires  a 
special  process,  in  most  cases.  The  wings  are  to  be  wired, 
exactly  as  direct*. ;"  for  the  legs ;  they  may  then  be  placed  in 
any  shape.  But  wi<.h  t;  st  ^maXi  birds,  and  those  with  short 
wings,  simple  pinning  .  >  the  half  spread  position  indicating 
fluttering  will  suffice ;  it  is  ret.dily  accomplished  with  a  long, 
slender  insect  pin.  I  have  already  spoken  of  fixing  the  tail  by 
pinning  or  wiring  the  pope's  nose  to  the  tow  body  ;  it  may  be 
thus  fixed  at  any  desired  elevation  or  depression.  There  are 
two  ways  of  spreading  the  tail.  One  is  to  run  a  pointed  wire 
through  the  quills,  near  their  base,  where  the  wire  will  be 
hidden  by  the  coverts ;  each  feather  may  be  set  at  any  required 
distance  from  the  next  by  sliding  it  along  this  wire.  This 
method  is  applicable  to  large  birds ;  for  small  ones  the  tail 
may  be  fixed  with  the  desired  spread  by  enclosing  it  near  its 
base,  in  a  split  match,  or  two  slips  of  card-board,  with  the  ends 
tied  together.  This  holds  the  feathers  until  they  dry  in  posi- 
tion, when  it  is  to  be  taken  off.  Crests  may  be  raised,  spread 
and  displayed  on  similar  principles.  A  small  crest,  like  that 
of  a  cardinal  or  cherry  bird,  for  instance,  may  be  held  up  till  it 
dries  in  position  by  sticking  in  behind  it  a  pin  with  a  little  ball 
of  cotton  on  its  head;  It  is  sometimes  necessary  to  make  a 
bird's  toes  grasp  a  support  by  tying  them  down  to  it  till  they 


90 


HOW   TO   MAKE   A   BIRD8KIN. 


I 


dry.  The  toes  of  waders  that  do  not  lie  evenly  on  the  surface 
of  the  stand  may  be  tacked  down  with  small  brads.  The  bill 
may  be  pinned  open  or  shut,  as  desired,  by  the  method  already 
given.     Never  paint  or  varnish  a  bird's  bill  or  feet. 

Substitution  of  an  artificial  e^'e  for  the  natural  one  is  essen- 
tial for  the  good  looks  of  a  specimen.  Glass  eyes,  of  all  sizes 
and  colors,  may  be  purchased  at  a  moderate  cost.  The  pupil  is 
always  black  ;  the  iris  varies.  You  will,  of  course,  secure  the 
proper  color  if  it  is  known,  but  if  not,  put  in  a  dark  brown  or 
black  eye.  It  is  well  understood  that  this  means  nothing — it 
is  purely  conventional.  Yellow  is  probably  the  next  most  com- 
mon color ;  then  come  red,  white,  blue  and  green,  perhaps 
approximately  in  this  order  of  frequenc3^  But  do  not  use  these 
striking  colors  at  hap-hazard,  sacrificing  truth  perhaps,  to 
looks.  Eyes  are  generally  inserted  after  the  specimen  is  dry. 
Remove  a  portion  of  the  cotton  from  the  orbit,  and  moisten 
the  lids  till  they  are  perfectly  pliable ;  fix  the  eye  in  with 
putty  or  wet  plaster  of  Paris,  making  sure  that  the  lids  are 
naturally  adjusted  over  it.  It  goes  in  obliquely,  like  a  button 
through  a  button-hole.  Much  art  may  be  displayed  in  this 
little  matter,  making  a  bird  look  this  way  or  that,  to  carry  out 
the  general  "expression." 

On  finishing  a  specimen,  set  it  away  to  dry — the  time  re- 
quired varies,  of  course,  Avith  the  weather,  the  size  of  the  bird, 
its  fatness,  etc.  The  more  slowly  it  dries,  the  better ;  there  is 
less  risk  of  the  skin  shrinking  irregularly.  You  will  often  find 
that  a  specimen  set  away  with  smooth  plumage  and  satisfac- 
tory curves  dries  more  or  less  out  of  shape,  perhaps  with  the 
feathers  raised  in  places.  I  know  of  no  remedy ;  it  may,  in  a 
measure,  be  prevented  by  scrupulous  care  in  making  the  body 
smooth  and  firm,  and  in  securing  slow,  equable  drying.  When 
perfectly  dry  remove  the  wrapping,  pull  out  the  superfluous 
pins  or  wires,  nip  off  the  others  so  short  that  the  ends  are  con- 
cealed, and  insert  the  eyes.  The  specimen  is  then  ready  to 
be  transferred  to  its  permanent  stand. 

Fixtures  for  the  display  of  the  object  of  course  vary  inter- 
minably.   We  will  take  the  simplest  case,  of  a  large  collection 


STANDS   AND   ORNAMENTAL    SUPPORTS. 


91 


of  mounted  birds  for  public  exhibition.  In  this  instance,  uni- 
formity and  simplicity  are  desiderata.  "Spread  eagle"  styles 
of  mounting,  artificial  rocks  and  flowers,  etc.,  are  entirely  out 
of  place  in  a  collection  of  any  scientific  pretensions,  or  de- 
signed for  popular  instruction.  Besides,  they  take  up  too  much 
room.  Artistic  grouping  of  an  extensive  collection  is  usually 
out  of  the  question ;  and  when  this  is  unattainable,  half-way 
efforts  in  that  direction  should  be  abandoned  in  favor  of  severe 
simplicity.  Birds  look  best  on  the  whole  in  uniform  rows,  as- 
sorted according  to  size,  as  far  as  a  natural  classification  allows. 
They  are  best  set  on  the  plainest  stands,  with  circular  base 
and  a  short  cylindrical  crossbar  lightly  turned  upright.  The 
stands  should  be  painted  dead-white  and  be  no  larger  than  is 
necessary  for  secure  support ;  a  neat  stiff  paper  label  may 
be  attached.*  A  small  collection  of  birds,  as  an  ornament  to  a 
private  residence,  offers  a  different  case  ;  here,  variety  of  atti- 
tude and  appropriate  imitation  of  the  birds'  natural  surround- 
ings, are  to  be  secured.  A  miniature  tree,  on  which  a  number 
of  birds  may  be  placed,  is  readily  made.  Take  stout  wire,  and 
by  bending  it,  and  attaching  other  pieces,  get  the  framework 
of  the  tree  of  the  desired  size,  shape  and  number  of  perches. 
Wrap  it  closely  with  tow  to  a  proper  calibre,  remembering  that 
the  two  forks  of  a  stem  must  be  together  only  about  as  large 
as  the  stem  itself.  Gather  a  basket  full  of  lichens  and  tree 
moss ;  reduce  them  to  coarse  powder  by  rubbing  with  the 
hands ;  besmear  the  whole  tree  with  mucilage  or  thin  glue,  and 
sift  the  lichen  powder  on  it  till  the  tow  is  completely  hidden. 
This  produces  a  very  natural  effect,  which  may  be  heightened 
by  separately  affixing  larger  scraps  of  lichen,  or  little  bunches 
of  moss ;  artificial  leaves  and  flowers  may  be  added  at  your 
taste.  The  groundwork  may  be  similarly  prepared  with  a  bit 
of  board,  made  adhesive  and  bestrewn  with  the  same  substance  ; 

*  A  very  simple  and  neat  wny  of  attaching  the  label  to  the  stand  is  that  used  in 
the  Peabody  Academy  of  Science  and  otiier  museums.  It  consists  of  narrow 
strips  of  tin- bent  over  at  each  end  so  as  to  hold  the  label,  hnd  fixed  to  the  stand  by 
a  small  tack  at  any  desired  angle.  Those  tins  and  neat  red-lined  labels  can  be  had 
at  the  NHturalimts'  Agency,  or  the  printed  names  can  be  cut  trom  the  "  Check  List " 
and  used  for  labels  for  North  American  birds. 


II 
11 


1 


HOW   TO   MAKE   A   BIRD8KIN. 


grasses  and  moss  may  be  added.  If  a  flat  surface  is  not  de- 
sired soak  stout  pasteboard,  till  it  can  be  moulded  in  various 
irregular  elevations  and  depressions  ;  lay  it  over  the  board  and 
decorate  it  in  the  same  way.  Rocks  may  bo  thus  nicely  imi- 
tated, with  the  addition  of  powdered  glass  of  various  colors. 
Such  a  lot  of  birds  is  generally  enclosed  in  a  cylindrical  glass 
case  with  arched  top.  As  it  stands  on  a  table  to  be  viewed 
from  different  points,  it  must  be  presentable  on  all  sides.  A 
niche  in  parlor  or  study  is  often  fitted  with  a  wall-case,  which* 
when  artistically  arranged,  has  a  very  pleasing  efl'ect.  As  such 
enses  may  be  of  considerable  size,  there  is  opportunity  for  the 
display  of  great  taste  in  grouping.  A  place  is  not  to  be  found 
for  a  bird,  but  a  bird  for  the  place — waders  and  swimmers 
below  on  the  ground,  ptrchers  on  projecting  rests  above.  The 
surroundings  may  be  prepared  by  the  methods  just  indicated. 
One  point  deserves  attention  here — since  the  birds  are  only 
viewed  from  the  front,  they  may  have  a  "  show-side  "  to  which 
everything  else  may  be  sacrificed.  Birds  are  represented  flying 
in  such  cases  more  readily  than  under  other  circumstances  — 
supported  on  a  concealed  wire  inserted  in  the  back  of  the  case. 
I  have  seen  some  very  successful  attempts  to  represent  a  bird 
swimming,  the  duck  being  let  down  part  way  through  an  oval 
hole  in  a  plate  of  thick  glass,  underneath  which  were  fixed 
stuffed  fishes,  shells  and  seaweed.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to 
add  that  in  all  ornamental  collections,  labels  or  other  scien- 
tific machinery  must  be  rigorously  suppressed. 

Transportation  of  mounted  birds  offers  obvious  diflflculty. , 
Unless  very  small,  they  are  best  secured  immovably  inside  a 
box  by  screwing  the  foot  of  the  stands  to  the  bottom  and  sides, 
BO  that  they  stay  in  place  without  touching  each  other.  Or, 
they  may  be  carefully  packed  in  cotton,  with  or  without  re- 
moval of  the  stands.  Their  preservation  from  accidental 
injury  depends  upon  the  same  care  that  is  bestowed  upon  ordi- 
DPry  fragile  ornaments  of  the  parlor.  The  ravages  of  insects 
are  to  be  prevented  upon  the  principles  to  be  hereafter  given 
in  treating  of  the  preservation  of  birdskius. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


MISCELLANEOUS  PARTICULARS. 


§46.  Determination  of  sex.  This  is  an  important  matter, 
which  must  never  be  neglected.  For  although  many  birds 
show  unequivocal  sexual  distinctions  of  size,  shape  and  color, 
like  those  of  the  barnyard  cock  and  hen  for  instance,  yet  the 
outward  characteristics  are  more  frequently  obscure,  if  not 
altogether  inappreciable  on  examination  of  the  skin  alone. 
Young  birds,  moreover,  ai-e  usually  indistinguishable  as  to  sex, 
although  the  adults  of  the  same  species  may  be  easily  recog- 
nized. The  rule  results,  that  the  sexual  organs  should  be  ex- 
amined, as  the  only  infallible  indices.  The  essential  organs  of 
masculinitj'  are  the  testicles;  similarly,  the  ovaries  contain  the 
essence  of  the  female  nature.  However  similar  the  accessory 
sexual  structures  may  be,  the  testicles  and  ovaries  are  always 
distinct.  The  male  organs  of  birds  never  leave  the  cavity  of 
the  bell}'  to  fill  an  external  bag  of  skin  (scrotum)  as  they  do 
among  mammalia,  they  remain  within  the  abdomen,  and  lie  in 
the  same  position  as  the  ovaries  of  the  female.  Both  these 
organs  are  situated  in  the  belly  opposite  what  corresponds  to 
the  "  small  of  the  back,"  bound  closely  to  the  spine,  resting  on 
the  front  of  the  kidneys  near  their  fore  end.  The  testicles  are 
a  pair  of  subspherical  or  rather  ellipsoidal  bodies,  usually  of 
the  same  size,  shape  and  color ;  and  are  commonly  of  a  dull 
opaque  whitish  tint.  They  always  lie  close  together.  A  re- 
markable fact  connected  with  them  is,  that  they  are  not  always 
of  the  same  size  in  the  same  bird,  being  subject  to  periodical 
enlargement  during  the  breeding  season,  and  corresponding 
atrophy  at  other  seasons.  Thus  the  testicles  of  a  house  spar- 
row, no  bigger  than  a  pin's  head  in  winter,  swell  to  the  size  of 
peas  in  April.  The  ovary  (for  although  this  organ  is  paired 
originally,  only  one  is  usually  functionally  developed  in  birds) 
will  be  recognized  as  a  flattish  mass  of  irregular  contour,  and 
usually  whitish  color ;  when  inactive,  it  simplj'  appears  of  finely 
granular  structure  which  may  require  a  hand  lens  to  be  made 

(93) 


94 


MISCELLANEOUS    PAKTICULARS. 


out ;  when  producing  eggs,  its  appearance  is  unniistai\able. 
Botli  testis  and  ovary  may  furtlicr  be  recognized  by  a  thread 
leading  to  tlie  end  of  tlie  lower  bowels — in  one  case  the  sperm- 
duct,  in  the  other  the  oviduct ;  the  latter  is  usually  much  the 
more  conspicuous,  as  it  at  times  transmits  the  perfect  egg. 
There  is  no  dilllculty  in  reaching  the  site  of  these  organs.  Lay 
the  bird  on  the  right  side,  its  belly  toward  you  :  cut  with  the 
scissors  through  the  belly- walls  diagonally  from  anus  to  the 
root  of  the  last  rib — or  further,  snipping  across  a  few  of  the 
lower  ribs,  if  these  continue  far  down,  as  the}'  do  in  a  loon  for 
instance.  Press  the  whole  mass  of  intestines  aside  collectively, 
and  3'ou  at  once  see  to  the  small  of  the  back.  There  you  ob- 
serve the  kidneys — large,  lobular,  dark  reddish  masses  moulded 
into  the  concavity  of  the  sacrum  (or  back  middle  bone  df  the 
pelvis)  and  on  their  surface,  towards  their  fore  end,  lie  testes 
or  ovary,  as  just  described.  The  only  precaution  required  is, 
not  to  mistake  for  testicles  a  pair  of  small  bodies  capping  the 
kidneys.  These  are  the  adrenals  or  "  supra-renal  capsules  " — 
organs  whose  function  is  unknown,  but  with  which  at  any  rate 
we  have  nothing  to  do  in  this  connection.  They  occur  in  both 
sexes,  and  if  the  testicles  are  not  immediately  seen,  or  the 
ovary  not  at  once  recognized,  they  might  easily  be  mistaken 
for  testicles.  Observe  that  instead  of  lying  in  front,  they 
cap  the  kidneys :  that  they  are  usually  yellowish  instead  of 
opaque  whitish  ;  and  that  they  have  not  the  firm,  smooth,  reg- 
ular sphericity  of  the  testicles.  The  sex  determined,  use  the 
sign  (J  or  9  to  designate  it,  as  alreatly  explained.  In  the  very 
rare  cases  of  impotence  or  sterility  among  birds,  of  course  no 
organs  will  be  observed  ;  but  I  should  dislike  to  become  respon- 
sible for  such  labelling  without  very  careful  examination.  The 
organs  of  a  small  bird  out  of  the  breeding  season  are  never 
conspicuous,  but  may  always  be  found  on  close  scrutiny,  unless 
the  parts  are  disintegrated  by  a  shot. 


§47.  Recognition  of  age  is  a  matter  of  ornithological  ex- 
perience requiring  in  many  or  most  cases  great  familiarity  with 
birds  for  its  even  approximate  accomplishment.    There  are, 


EXAMINATION    OF   THE    STOMACH. 


95 


however,  some  umnistiikal)le  signs  of  imnmtiirity,  even  after  a 
bird  has  become  fiiU-fcntliereci,  that  perHist  for  at  least  one 
season.  Tliese  are,  in  the  first  place,  a  peculiar  soft  tluffy 
"feel"  of  the  plumage  —  the  feathers  lack  a  certain  smooth- 
ness, density  and  slilfening  which  they  subsequently  acquire. 
Secondly,  the  bill  and  feet  are  softer  than  those  of  the  adults ; 
the  corners  of  the  mouth  are  pulfy  and  flabby,  the  edges  and 
point  of  the  bill  are  dull,  and  the  scales,  etc.,  of  the  legs  are 
not  sharply  cut.  Thirdly,  the  flesh  itself  is  tender,  and  pale 
colored.  These  are  some  of  the  points  common  to  all  birds, 
and  are  independent  of  the  special  markings  that  belong  to  the 
youth  of  particular  species.  Some  birds  are  actually  larger  for 
a  while  after  leaving  the  nest,  than  in  after  years  when  the 
frame  seems  to  shrink  somewhat  in  acquiring  the  compactness 
of  senility.  On  the  other  hand,  the  various  members,  espe- 
cially the  bill  and  feet,  are  proportionally  smaller  at  first. 
Newly  growing  quills  are  usually  recognized  on  sight,  the 
barrel  being  dark  colored  and  full  of  liquid,  while  the  vanes 
are  incomplete.  In  studying,  for  example,  the  shape  of  a  wing 
or  tail,  there  is  always  reason  to  suspect  that  the  natural  pro- 
portions are  not  yet  presented,  uidcss  the  quill  is  dry,  colorless 
and  empty,  or  only  occupied  with  shrunken  white  pith. 


§48.  Examination  of  the  stomach  frequently  leads  to  inter- 
esting observations,  and  is  always  worth  while.  In  the  first 
place,  we  learn  most  unquestionably  the  nature  of  the  bird's 
food,  which  is  a  highl}'  important  item  in  its  natural  history, 
Secondly,  we  often  secure  valuable  specimens  in  other  depart- 
ments of  zoology,  particularly  entomology.  Birds  consume 
incalculable  numbers  of  insects,  the  harder  kinds  of  which, 
such  as  beetles,  are  not  seldom  found  intact  in  their  stomachs  ; 
and  a  due  percentage  of  these  represent  rare  and  curious  spe- 
cies. The  gizzards  of  birds  of  prey,  in  particular,  should 
always  be  inspected,  in  search  of  the  small  mammals,  etc., 
they  devour ;  and  even  if  the  creatures  are  unfit  for  preserva- 
tion, we  at  least  learn  of  their  occurrence,  perhaps  unknown 
before  in  a  particular  region.     MoUusk-feeding  and  fish-eating 


'1^1 


m 


H 


MISCELLANEOUS   PARTICULARS. 


birds  yield  tlieir  slmrc  of  specimens.  The  ftlimcntary  cnnnl  is 
often  the  seat  of  parasites  of  various  kinds,  interesting  to  the 
helmintliologist ;  other  species  are  to  be  found  under  tlie  skin, 
in  tlie  body  of  muscle,  in  the  brain,  etc.  Most  birds  are  also 
infested  with  external  parasites  of  many  kinds,  so  various, 
that  almost  every  leading  species  has  its  own  sort  of  louse, 
tick,  etc.  Since  those  creatures  are  only  at  home  with  a  live 
host,  they  will  be  found  crawling  on  the  surface  of  the  plu- 
mage, preparing  for  departure,  as  soon  as  the  body  cools  after 
death.  There  is  in  etti'ct  much  to  learn  of  a  bird  aside  from 
what  the  prepared  specimen  teaches,  and  moreover  apart  from 
regular  anatomical  investigations.  Whenever  practicable,  brief 
items  should  be  recorded  on  the  label,  as  already  mentioned. 


§49.  Rkstoration  of  poor  skins.  If  your  cabinet  be  a 
"general"  one,  comprising  specimens  from  various  sources, 
you  will  frequently  happen  to  receive  skins  so  badly  prepared 
as  to  be  unpleasant  objects,  besides  failing  to  show  their  spe- 
cific characters.  There  is  of  course  no  supplying  of  missing 
parts  or  plumage ;  but  if  the  defect  be  simply  deformity,  this 
may  usually  be  in  a  measure  remedied.  The  point  is  simply 
to  relax  the  skin,  and  then  proceed  as  if  it  were  freshly  removed 
from  the  bird  ;  it  is  what  bird  stuffers  constantly  do,  in  mount- 
ing birds  from  prepared  skins.  The  relaxation  is  effected  by 
moisture  alone.  Remove  the  stufHng ;  All  the  interior  with 
cotton  or  tow  saturated  with  water,  yet  not  dripping :  put  pads 
of  the  same  under  the  wings ;  wrap  the  bill  and  feet,  and  set 
the  specimen  in  a  damp  cool  place.  Small  birds  soften  very 
readily  and  completely  ;  the  process  may  be  facilitated  by  per- 
sistent manipulation.  This  is  the  usual  method,  but  there  is 
another,  more  thorough  and  more  effective ;  it  is  exposure  to  a 
vapor-bath.  The  appointments  of  the  kitchen  stove  furnish  all 
the  apparatus  required  for  an  extempore  "  steamer  ;"  the  regu- 
lar fixture  is  a  tin  vessel  much  like  a  wash-boiler,  with  closed 
lid,  false  bottom  and  stopcock  at  lower  edge.  On  the  false 
bottom  is  placed  a  heavy  layer  of  gypsum,  completely  satu- 
rated with  water ;  the  birds  are  laid  on  a  perforated  tray  above 


ALCOHOLIC   fJPECrMKXS. 


97 


it ;  and  n  fiontlo  lioat  is  nminluiiied  over  a  stove.  Tlio  vapor 
poiH'tniti'H  every  |):irt  ol'  the  skin,  and  eoniiiletely  relaxes  it, 
witiiout  actually  wettinj?  the  feathers.  The  time  required  varies 
greatly  of  course  ;  observation  is  the  best  guide.  The  chief 
precaution  is  not  to  let  the  thing  get  too  hot.  IVofi'ssor  Haird 
has  remarked  that  crumpled  or  bent  feathers  may  have  much  of 
their  original  elasticity  restored  by  dipping  in  hot  water.  Im- 
mersion for  a  few  seconds  sulllces,  when  the  feathers  will  be  ob- 
served to  straighten  out.  Shaking  off  superfluous  water,  they 
may  be  simply  left  to  dry  or  they  may  bo  dried  with  plaster. 
The  metliod  is  chielly  applicable  to  the  large  feathers  of  the 
wings  and  tail.  Soiled  plumage  of  dried  skins  may  be  treated 
exactly  as  in  the  case  of  fresh  skins. 

§50.  Mummification.  As  before  mentioned,  decay  may  be 
arrested  by  injections  of  carbolic  acid  and  other  antiseptics ; 
if  the  tissues  be  sufllciently  permeated  with  these  substances, 
the  body  will  keep  indefinitely  ;  It  dries  and  hardens,  becoming, 
in  short,  a  "mummy."  Injection  should  be  done  by  the  mouth 
and  A'cnt,  be  thorough,  and  be  repeated  several  times  as  the 
fluid  dries  in.  It  is  an  improvement  on  this  to  disembowel, 
and  fdl  the  bell}'  with  saturated  tow  or  cotton.  Due  care 
should  be  taken  not  to  soil  the  feathers  in  any  case,  nor  should 
the  carbolic  solution  come  in  contact  with  the  hands,  for  it  is  a 
powerful  irritant  poison.  I  mention  the  process  chiefly  to  con- 
demn it  as  an  atrocious  one ;  I  cannot  imagine  what  circum- 
stances would  recommend  it,  while  only  an  extreme  emergency 
could  justify  it.  It  is  further  objectionable  because  it  appears 
to  lend  a  dingy  hue  to  some  plumages,  and  to  dull  most  of 
theih  perceptibly.  Birds  prepared  —  rather  unprepared  —  in 
this  way,  may  be  relaxed  by  the  method  jnst  described,  and 
then  skinned  ;  but  the  operation  is  rather  difl3cult. 


§51.  Wet  preparations.  By  this  term  is  technically  under- 
stood an  object  immersed  in  some  preservative  fluid.  It  is 
highly  desirable  to  obtain  more  information  of  birds  than  their 
stuffed  skins  can  ever  furnish,  and  their  structure  cannot  be 


MANUAL. 


98 


MISCELLANEOUS    PARTICULAU8. 


always  examined  by  dissection  on  tiie  spot.  In  fact,  a  certain 
smail  proportion  of  tlie  l)irds  of  any  protracted  or  otiierwise 
"lieavy"  collecting  may  be  preferably  and  very  profitably  pre- 
serveil  in  this  way.  Specimens  in  too  poor  plumage  to  be 
worth  skinning  may  be  thus  utilized  ;  so  may  the  hmUea  of 
skinned  birds,  Avhich,  although  necessarily  defective,  retain  all 
the  viscera,  antl  also  afford  osteological  material.  Alcohol  is 
the  liquid  usually  employed  and,  of  all  tlic  various  articles 
recommended,  seems  to  answer  best  on  the  whole.  1  have 
used  a  very  weak  solution  of  chloride  of  zinc  with  excellent 
results ;  it  should  not  be  strong  enough  to  show  the  slightest 
turbidity.  As  glass  bottles  are  liable  to  break  when  travelling, 
do  not  tit  corners,  and  offer  practical  annoyance  about  corkage  ; 
rectangular  metal  cans,  preferably  of  copper,  with  screw-lid 
opening,  are  advisable.  They  are  to  be  set  in  smail,  strong 
wooden  boxes,  made  to  leave  a  little  room  for  the  liil  wrench, 
muslin  bags  for  doing  up  separate  parcels,  parchment  for 
labels,  etc.  Unoccupied  space  in  the  cans  should  be  filled  with 
tow  or  a  similar  substance,  to  prevent  the  specimens  from 
swashing  about.  Labelling  should  be  on  parchment :  the  writ- 
ing should  be  perfectly  dry  before  immersion  :  india-ink  is  the 
best.  Skinned  bodies  should  be  numbered  to  correspond  \vith 
the  dried  skin  from  which  taken ;  otherwise  they  may  not  be 
identifiable.  Large  birds  thrown  in  unskinned  should  have 
the  belly  opened,  to  let  in  the  alcohol  freely.  Birds  may  be 
skinned,  after  being  in  alcohol,  by  simply  drying  them  :  they 
often  make  fair  specimens.  They  are  best  withdrawn  by  the 
bill,  that  the  "swash"  of  the  alcohol  at  the  moment  of  emer- 
sion may  set  the  plumage  all  one  way,  and  hung  up  to  dry, 
untouched.  Watery  moisture  that  may  remain  after  evapora- 
tion of  the  alcohol  may  be  dried  with  plaster. 

§52.  Osteological  preparations.  While  complete  skele- 
tonizing of  a  bird  is  a  special  art  of  some  difHculty,  and  one 
that  does  not  fall  within  the  scope  of  this  treatise,  I  may  prop- 
erly mention  two  bony  preparations  very  readily  made,  and 
susceptible  of  rendering  ornithology  essential  service.    I  refer 


SKULLS  AND  BREAST   BONES. 


99 


to  the  skull,  and  to  the  breast  bone  witii  ita  principal  attach- 
ments. Tiiese  parts  of  the  skeleton  are,  as  a  rule,  .so  iiifjjhly 
characteristic  that  they  alFord  in  most  eases  invaluable  zoo- 
logical items.  To  save  a  skull  is  of  course  to  sacrlHfc  a  skin, 
to  all  intents  ;  but  you  ollen  have  mutilated  or  decayed  speci- 
mens that  are  very  profitably  utilized  in  this  way.  The  breast 
bone,  excepting  when  nuitilated,  is  always  preserval)le  with 
the  skin,  and  for  "  choice "  invoices  may  form  its  natural  ac- 
companiment. You  want  to  remove  along  with  it  the  cora- 
coida  (the  stout  bones  connecting  the  breast  bone  with  the 
shoulders),  the  merrythought  intervening  between  these  bones, 
and  the  shoulder-blades,  all  without  detachment  from  each 
other.  Slice  off  the  large  breast  nuiseles  close  to  the  bone ; 
and  divide  their  insertions  with  the  wing  bones,  scrape  or  cut 
away  the  muscles  that  tie  the  shoulder-blades  to  the  chest ; 
snip  off  the  ribs  close  to  the  side  of  the  breast  bone  ;  sever  a 
tough  membrane  usually  found  between  the  prongs  of  the  wish- 
bone ;  then,  by  taking  hold  of  the  shoulders,  you  can  litl  out 
the  whole  artair,  dividing  some  slight  connections  underneath 
the  bone  and  behind  it.  The  following  points  recjuiro  atten- 
tion :  the  breast  bone  often  has  long  slender  processes  behind 
and  on  the  sides  (the  common  fowl  is  one  of  the  extreme  illus- 
trations of  this)  liable  to  be  cut  by  mistake  for  ribs,  or  to  be 
snapped :  the  shoulder-blades  usually  taper  to  a  point,  easily 
broken  off;  the  merrythought  is  sometimes  very  delicate,  or 
defective.  When  travelling,  it  is  generally  not  advisable  to 
make  perfect  preparations  of  either  skull  or  sternum  :  they  are 
best  dried  with  only  superfluous  flesh  removed,  and  besprin- 
kled with  arsenic.  The  skull,  if  perfectly  cleaned,  is  particu- 
larly liable  to  lose  the  odd-shaped  pronged  bones  that  hinge 
the  jaw,  and  the  freely  movable  pair  that  push  on  the  palate 
from  behind.  Great  care  should  be  exercised  respecting  the 
identification  of  these  bones,  particularly  the  sternum,  which 
should  invariably  bear  the  number  of  the  specimen  to  which  it 
belongs.  A  skull  is  more  likely  to  be  able  to  speak  for  itself, 
and  besides,  is  not  usually  accompanied  by  a  skin ;  neverthe- 
less, any  record  tending  to  facilitate  its  recognition  should  be 


1 

Ml 


100 


miscellaneous;  particulars. 


duly  onterocl  on  the  register.  There  are  methods,  with  which  I 
am  not  lamiliiir,  of  making  elegant  bony  preparations.  You 
may  secure  very  good  results  by  simply  boiling  the  bones 
or,  what  ih  perhaps  better,  macerating  them  in  water  till  the 
flesh  is  completely  rotted  away,  and  then  bleaching  them  in 
the  sun.  A  little  potassa  or  soda  hastens  the  process.  With 
breast  bones,  if  yon  can  stop  the  process  just  when  the  flesh 
is  completely  dissolved  but  the  tougher  ligaments  remain,  you 
secure  a  "natural"  preparation,  as  it  is  called;  if  the  liga- 
ments go  too,  the  associate  parts  of  a  large  specimen  ma}  be 
wired  together,  those  of  a  small  one  glued.  I  think  it  best, 
with  skulls,  to  clean  them  entirely  of  ligament  as  well  as 
muscle ;  for  the  underneath  parts  are  usually  those  conveying 
the  most  desirable  information,  and  they  should  not  be  in  the 
slightest  degree  obscured.  Since  in  such  case  the  anvil-shaped 
bones,  the  palatal  c\iinders  already  mentioned,  and  sometimes 
other  i)ortions  come  apart,  the  whole  arc  best  kept  in  a  suitable 
box.  1  prefer  to  see  a  skull  with  the  sheath  of  the  beak  re- 
moved, though  in  some  cases,  particularly  of  hard  billed  birds, 
it  may  profitably  be  left  on.  Tlie  completed  preparations 
should  be  full}'  labelled,  by  writing  on  the  bone,  in  i)reference 
to  an  accompanying  or  attached  paper  slip,  which  may  be  lost. 
Some  object  to  this,  as  others  do  to  writing  on  eggs,  that  it 
"defaces"  the  specimen  ;  but  1  confess  I  S'^e  in  dry  bones  no 
beaut}'  but  that  of  utility.* 

§53.  Nests  and  Eoos-t  A  few  words  upon  this  subject  will 
not  come  amiss.  Ornithology  and  oology  are  twin  studies,  or 
rather  one  includes  the  other.  A  collection  of  nests  and  eggs 
is  indispensable  in  a  thorough  study  of  birds :  and  many  persons 
find  peculiar  pleasure  in  forming  one.  Some,  however,  shrink 
from  "robbing  birds'  nests"  as  something  particularly  cruel, 
a  sentiment  springing,  no  doubt,  from  the  sympathy  and  def- 

*  Prof.  Newton's  excellent  suggestions  for  saving  parts  of  the  skeleton  are  repub- 
lished  in  one  of  the  Sintthso.iian  Reports,  and  mny  also  be  hail  separately. 

t  Complete  instructions  for  collecting  and  preserving  nests  unci  eggs  are  pub- 
lished l)y  the  Siuithsuniau  Institution  and  can  be  obtuiucd  from  the  Naturalists' 
Agency, 


<? 


NESTS   AND  EGGS. 


101 


ercnce  that  the  tondor  olllce  of  maternity  inspires ;  bnt  with 
all  proper  respect  for  the  hnmane  emotion,  it  may  be  said 
simply,  that  birds'-nesting  is  not  nearly  so  crnel  as  bird- 
shooting.  What  I  said  in  a  former  section,  in  endeavoring  to 
guide  search  for  birds,  applies  in  substance  to  hunting  for  their 
nests ;  the  essential  dillerencc  is,  that  the  latter  are  of  course 
essential  objects,  and  consequentl}-  more  liable  to  be  over- 
looked, other  things  being  e(iual,  than  birds  themselves.  I  have 
not  myself  proven  a  very  successful  finder  of  eggs,  for  no  other 
reason  than  that  a  motionless  object  does  not  arrest  my  atten- 
tion, when  the  swaying  of  a  leaf,  or  the  faintest  chirp,  would  be 
instantly  noted.  Most  birds  nest  on  trees  or  bushes  ;  many 
on  the  ground  and  on  rocks ;  otliers  in  hollows.  Some  build 
elegant,  elaborate  structures,  endlessly  varied  in  details  of 
form  and  material ;  otiiors  make  no  nest  whatever.  In  this 
countr}^  egging  is  chietly  practicable  in  INIay  and  during  the 
summer ;  but  some  species,  particularlj'  birds  of  pre}',  begin 
to  lay  in  January  while,  on  our  southern  border  at  least,  the 
season  of  reproduction  is  protracted  through  September ;  so 
there  is  really  a  long  period  for  search.  I'articular  nests,  of 
course,  like  the  birds  that  build  them,  can  onl}'  be  found 
through  ornithological  knowledge ;  but  general  search  is  usu- 
allj'  rewarded  witli  a  varied  assortment.  The  best  clew  to  a 
hidden  nest  is  the  actions  of  the  parents ;  patient  watchful- 
ness is  commonly  successful  in  tracing  the  birds  home.  As 
the  science  of  oology  has  not  progressed  to  the  point  of  deter- 
mining from  the  nests  and  eggs,  to  what  bird  they  belong,  in 
even  a  majority  of  cases,  the  utmost  care  in  authentication  is 
indispensable.  To  be  worth  anything,  not  to  be  worse  than 
worthless  in  fact,  an  egg  must  be  identified  beyond  question  ; 
must  be  not  only  unsuspected,  but  above  suspicion.*  It  is 
often  extremely  difficult  to  make  an  unquestionable  determi- 
nation, as  for  instance  when  numbers  of  birds  of  similar  hab- 
its are  breeding  close  together ;  or  even  impossible,  as  in  case 


*A  shiulo  of  suspicion  is  oftpiiattaohotl  to  dealers' eggs  — not  necessarily  im- 
plying bad  faith  or  even  uoglii:jencti  on  tho  dealers'  part,  but  ft'om  the  uuture  of  the 
OMe. 


I 
I 


102 


MISCELLANEOUS  PARTICULARS. 


the  parent  eludes  observation.  Sometimes  the  most  acute  ob- 
server may  be  mistaken,  circumstances  appearing  to  prove  a 
parentage  when  such  is  not  the  fact.  It  is  in  general  advis- 
able to  secure  the  parent  with  the  eggs ;  if  shot  or  snared  on 
the  nest,  the  identification  is  simply  unquestionable.  If  j'ou 
do  not  yourself  know  the  species,  it  then  becomes  necessary  to 
secure  the  specimen,  and  retain  it  with  the  eggs. 

It  is  not  required  to  make  a  perfect  preparation  ;  the  head, 
or  better,  the  head  and  a  wing,  will  answer  the  purpose. 
"When  egging  in  downright  earnest,  a  pair  of  climbing  irons 
becomes  practically  indispensable ;  these  are  the  only  field  im- 
plements required  in  addition  to  those  already  specified.  For 
blowing  eggs,  a  set  of  special  tools  is  needed.  These  are  "  egg- 
drills" —  steel  implements  with  a  sharp  pointed  conical  head 
of  rasping  surface,  and  a  slender  shaft ;  several  such,  of  differ- 
ent sizes,  are  needed  ;  also  blow-pipes  of  different  sizes ;  a  deli- 
cate thin  pair  of  scissors ;  light  spring  forceps ;  and  a  small 
syringe.*  Eggs  should  never  be  blown  in  the  old  way  of 
making  a  hole  at  each  end  ;  nor  are  two  holes  anj'where  usu- 
ally required.  Opening  should  be  effected  on  one  side,  prefer- 
ably that  showing  least  conspicuous  or  characteristic  markings. 
If  two  are  made,  they  should  be  rather  near  together ;  on  the 
same  side  at  any  rate.  But  one  is  generally  sufficient,  as 
the  fluid  contents  can  escape  around  the  blow-pipe.  Holding 
the  egg  gently  but  steadily  in  the  fingers,  apply  the  point  of 
the  drill  perpendicularly  to  the  surface,  unless  it  be  preferred 
to  prick  with  a  needle  first.  A  twirling  motion  of  the  instru- 
ment gradually  enlarges  the  opening  by  filing  away  the  shell, 
and  so  bores  a  smooth  edged  circular  hole.  This  should  be  no 
larger  than  is  required  to  insert  the  blow-pipe  loosely,  with 
room  for  the  contents  to  escape  around  it.  The  blowing 
should  be  continuous  and  equable,  rather  than  forcible ;  a 
strong  puff  easily  bursts  a  delicate  egg.  Be  sure  that  all 
the  contents  are  removed ;  then  rinse  the  interior  thoroughly 
with  clean  water,  either  by  taking  a  mouthful  and  sending  it 

*We  notice  an  advertisement  in  tlie  American  Naturalist  to  the  effect  that 
these  various  iastruments  can  be  had  at  the  Naturalistit'  Agency,  Salem,  Mass. 


•1  il 


BLOWING    EGGS. 


103 


through  the  blow-pipe,  or  with  the  syringe.  Blowing  eggs  is 
a  rather  fatiguing  process  —  more  so  than  it  might  seem  ;  the 
cheelc  muscles  soon  tire,  and  the  operator  actually  becomes 
"blown"  himself  before  long.  The  operation  had  better  be 
done  over  a  basin  of  water,  both  to  receive  the  contents,  and 
ta  catch  the  egg  if  it  slip  from  the  fingers.  The  membrane 
lining  the  shell  should  be  removed  if  possibly.  It  may  be 
seized  by  the  edge  around  the  hole,  with  the  forceps,  and 
drawn  out,  or  picked  out  with  a  bent  pin.  Eggs  that  have 
been  inoubated  of  course  offer  difficulty,  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  embryo.  The  hole  may  be  drilled,  as  before,  but 
it  must  be  larger ;  and  as  the  drill  is  apt  to  split  a  shell  after 
it  has  bored  beyond  a  certain  size  of  hole,  it  is  often  well  to 
prick,  with  a  fine  needle,  a  circular  series  of  minute  holes 
almost  touching,  and  then  remove  the  enclosed  circle  of  shell. 

* 

This  must  be  very  carefully  done,  or  the  needle  will  indent  o^ 
crack  the  shell,  which,  it  may  be  remembered,  grows  more 
brittle  towards  the  time  of  hatching.  Well  formed  embryos 
cannot  be  got  bodily  through  any  hole  that  can  be  made  in  an 
egg :  they  must  be  extracted  piecemeal.  They  may  be  cut  to 
pieces  with  the  slender  scissors  introduced  through  the  hole, 
and  the  fragments  be  picked  out  with  the  forceps,  hooked  out, 
or  blown  out.  No  embryo  should  be  forced  through  a  hole  too 
small ;  there  is  every  probability  that  the  shell  will  burst  at 
the  critical  moment.  When  emptied  and  rinsed,  eggs  should 
be  gently  wiped  dry,  and  set  hole  downward  on  blotting  paper 
to  drain.  Broken  eggs  may  be  neatly  mended,  sometimes  with 
a  film  of  collodion,  or  a  bit  of  tissue  paper  and  paste,  or  the 
edges  may  be  simply  stuck  together  with  any  adhesive  sub- 
stance. Even  when  fragmentary  a  rare  egg  is  worth  preserv- 
ing. Eggs  should  ordinarily  be  left  empty ;  indeed,  the  only 
case  in  which  any  filling  is  admissible  is  that  of  a  defective 
specimen  to  which  some  slight  solidit}'  can  be  imparted  with 
cotton.  It  is  unnecessary  even  to  close  up  the  hole.  It  is 
best,  on  all  accounts,  to  keep  eggs  in  sefs,  a  "  set"  being  the 
natural  clutch,  or  whatever  less  number  were  taken  from  a 
nest.    The  most  scrupulous  attention  must  be  paid  to  accu- 


tl^i; 


I J 


I 


''  i) 


104 


MISCELLANEOUS   PARTICULARS. 


rate,  complete,  and  permanent  labelling.  So  important  is  this, 
.that  the  undeniable  defacing  of  a  specimen,  by  writing  on 
it,  is  no  offset  to  the  advantages  accruing  from  sucli  fixity  of 
record.  It  is  practically  impossible  to  attach  a  label  as  is 
done  with  a  birdsl<in,  and  a  loose  label  is  always  in  danger  of 
being  lost  or  misplaced.  Write  on  the  shell,  then,  as  many 
items  as  possible  ;  if  done  neatly,  on  the  side  in  which  the  hole 
was  bored,  at  least  one  good  "  shovv  side"  remains.  An  egg 
should  always  bear  the  same  number  as  the  parent,  in  the  col- 
lector's record.  In  a  general  collection,  where  a  separate 
ornithological  and  oological  register  is  kept,  identification  of 
egg  with  parent  is  nevertheless  readily  secured,  by  making  one 
the  numerator  the  other  the  denominator  of  a  fraction,  to  be 
simply  inverted  in  its  respective  application.  Thus  bird  No. 
456,  and  egg  No.  123,  are  identified  by  makinjj  the  former  ^|f, 
the  latter  ]f^.  All  the  eggs  of  a  clutch  sh'  .1  have  the  same 
number.  If  the  shell  be  large  enough,  the  ...»me  of  the  species 
should  be  written  on  it ;  if  too  small,  it  should  be  accompanied 
by  a  label  and  may  have  the  name  indicated  by  a  number 
referring  to  a  certain  catalogue.  According  to  the  present 
"Check  List"  for  example,  "  No.  1 "  would  indicate  Tardus  mi- 
gmtorius.  The  date  of  collection  is  a  highly  desirable  item  ;  it 
may  be  abbreviated  thus;  3  |  6  |  72  means  June  3,  1872.  It 
is  well  to  have  the  egg  authenticated  b}'  the  collector's  initials 
at  least.  Since  "  sets  "  of  eggs  may  be  broken  up  for  distribu- 
tions to  other  cabinets  yet  permanent  indication  of  the  size  of 
the  clutch  be  wanted,  it  is  well  to  have  some  method.  A  good 
one  is  to  write  the  number  of  the  clutch  on  each  egg  compos- 
ing it,  giving  each  egg  of  the  set,  moreover,  its  individual  num- 
ber. Supposing  for  example  the  clutch  No.  {^^  contained  five 
eggs ;  one  of  them  would  be  l^^  |  5  |  1 :  the  next  ^f§  |  5  |  2, 
and  so  on.  But  it  should  be  remembered  that  all  such  arbi- 
trary memoranda  must  be  systematic,  and  be  accompanied  by 
a  ke}'.  Eggs  may  be  kept  in  cabinets  of  shallow  drawers  in 
little  i-usteboard  trays,  each  holding  a  set,  and  containing  a 
paper  labe^  '^^  which  various  items  that  cannot  be  traced  on 
the  shell  itten  in  full.     Such  trays  should  all  be  of  the 


KEEPING   EGGS   AND  NESTS. 


105 


same  depth  —  half  an  inch  is  a  convenient  depth  for  general 
purposes ;  and  of  assorted  sizes,  sa^'  from  one  inch  by  one  and 
one-half  inches  up  to  three  by  six  inclies  ;  it  is  convenient  to 
have  the  dimensions  regularly  graduated  by  a  constant  factor 
of,  say  half  an  iiich,  so  that  the  little  boxes  may  be  set  side 
by  side,  either  lengthwise  or  crosswise,  without  interference. 
Eggs  may  also  be  kept  safely,  advantageously,  and  with  at- 
tractive effect,  in  the  nests  themselves,  in  which  a  fluff  of 
cotton  may  be  placed  to  steady  them.  When  not  too  bulky, 
too  loosely  constructed,  or  of  material  unsuitable  for  preser- 
vation, nests  should  always  be  collected.  Those  that  are  very 
closely  attached  to  twigs  should  not  be  torn  off.  Nests  threat- 
ening to  come  to  pieces,  or  too  frail  to  be  handled  without 
injury,  may  be  secured  by  sewing  through  and  through  with 
fine  thread :  indeed,  this  is  an  advisable  precaution  in  most 
cases.  Packing  eggs  for  transportation  requires  much  care, 
but  the  precautions  to  be  taken  are  obvious.  I  will  only 
remark  that  there  is  no  safer  way  than  to  leave  them  in  their 
own  nests,  each  enwrapped  in  cotton,  with  which  tlie  whole 
cavity  is  to  be  lightly  filled ;  the  nests  themselves  being 
packed  close  enough  to  be  perfectly  steady.  Single  eggs  may 
be  safely  mailed  to  any  distance  in  auger-holes  bored  in  wood. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


CARE  OF  A  COLLECTION. 


§.'34.  Well  preserved  specimens  will  last  "forever  and  a 
day,"  so  far  as  natural  decay  is  concerned.  I  have  handled 
birds  in  good  state,  shot  back  in  the  twenties,  and  have  no 
doubt  that  some  eighteenth  century  preparations  are  still  ex- 
tant. The  precautions  against  defilement,  mutilation  or  other 
mechanical  injur}',  are  self-evident,  and  may  be  dismissed  with 
the  remark,  that  white  plumages,  especially  if  at  all  greasy, 
require  the  most  care  to  guard  against  soiling.  "We  have, 
however,  to  fight  for  our  possessions  against  a  host  of  ene- 
mies, individually  despicable  but  collectively  formidable,  foes 
so  determined  that  untiring  vigilance  is  required  to  ward  off 
their  attacks  even  temporarily,  whilst  in  the  end  they  prove 
invincible.  It  may  be  said  that  to  be  eaten  up  by  insects  is 
the  natural  end  of  all  birdskins  not  sooner  destroyed.  The 
matter,  therefore,  demands  particular  attention. 


I 


§55.  Insect  pests  with  which  we  have  to  contend  belong 
principally  to  the  two  families  Tineidce  and  Dermestidce  —  the 
former  are  moths,  the  latter  beetles.  The  moths  are  of  species 
identical  with,  and  allied  to,  the  common  clothes  moth,  Tinea 
Jlavifrontella,  the  carpet  moth,  T.  tapetzella,  etc., — small  species 
observed  flying  about  our  apartments  and  museums,  in  May  and 
during  the  summer.  The  beetles  are  several  rather  small  thick- 
set species,  principally  of  the  genera  Dermestes  and  Anthrenus. 
The  larvae  ("caterpillars"  of  the  moths,  and  "gi'ubs"  of  the 
beetles)  appear  to  be  the  chief  agents  of  the  destruction.  The 
presence  of  the  mature  insects  is  usually  readily  detected  ;  on 
disturbing  an  infested  suite  of  specimens  the  moths  flutter 
about,  and  the  beetles  crawl  as  fast  as  they  can  into  shelter,  or 
simulate  death.  The  insidious  larvae,  however,  are  not  so  easily 
observed,  burrowing  as  they  do  among  the  feathers,  or  in  the 

(106) 


INSECT  PESTS  —  CASES  FOR  STORING  SKINS. 


107 


interior  of  a  sliin ;  wliilst  tlie  minute  eggs  are  commonly 
altogether  overlooked.  But  the  "  bugs"  are  not  long  at  work 
without  leaving  their  unmistakable  traces.  Shreds  of  feathers 
float  off  when  a  specimen  is  handled,  or  fly  out  on  flipping  the 
skin  with  the  fingers,  and  in  bad  cases  even  whole  bundles  of 
plumes  come  away  at  a  touch.  Sometimes,  leaving  the  plu- 
mage intact,  bugs  eat  away  the  horny  covering  of  the  bill  and 
feet,  making  a  peculiarly  unhappy  and  irreparable  mutilation. 
I  suppose  this  piece  of  work  is  done  by  a  particular  insect,  but 
if  so  I  do  not  know  what  one.  It  would  appear  tliat  when  the 
bugs  etfect  lodgment  in  any  one  skin,  they  usually  finish  it 
before  attacking  another,  unless  they  are  in  great  force.  We 
may  consequently,  b}'  prompt  removal  of  an  infested  specimen, 
save  further  depredations  ;  nevertheless  the  rest  become  "sus- 
picious," and  the  whole  drawer  or  box  should  at  any  rate  be 
quarantined,  if  not  submitted  to  any  of  the  processes  described 
beyond.  Our  lines  of  defence  are  several.  We  may  mechan- 
icall}'  oi^pose  entrance  of  the  enemy ;  we  may  meet  him  with 
abhorrent  odors  that  drive  him  off,  sicken  or  kill  him,  and 
finally  we  may  cook  him  to  death.  I  will  notice  these  methods 
successively,  taking  occasion  to  describe  a  cabinet  under  head 
of  the  first. 


§56.  Cases  for  storage  or  transportation  should  be  rather 
small,  for  several  reasons.  They  are  easier  to  handle  and 
pack.  There  are  fewer  birds  pressing  each  other.  Particular 
specimens  are  more  readily  reached.  Bugs  must  etfect  just  so 
many  more  separate  entrances  to  infest  the  whole.  Small  lids 
are  more  readily  fitted  tight.  For  the  ordinary  run  of  small 
birds  I  should  not  desire  a  box  over  18  X  18  X  18,  and  should 
prefer  a  smaller  one ;  for  large  birds,  a  box  just  long  enough 
for  the  biggest  specimen,  and  of  other  proportions  to  corres- 
pond fairly,  is  most  eligible.  Whatever  the  dimensions,  a  proper 
^  *x  presupposes  perfect  jointing ;  but  if  any  suspicion  be  en- 
tertained on  this  score,  stout  paper  should  be  pasted  along 
all  the  edges,  both  inside  and  out.  We  have  practically  to  do 
with  the  lid  only.    If  the  lot  is  likely  to  remain  long  untouched, 


M,    1  ■ 


II 


i  ii 


108 


CARE   OP  A   COLLECTION. 


the  cover  may  be  screwed  very  close  and  the  crack  pasted  like 
the  others.  Under  other  and  usual  cux'umstances  the  lid  may 
be  provided  with  a  metal  boss  fitting  a  groove  lined  with  india 
rubber  or  filled  with  wax.  An  excellent  case  may  be  made  of 
tin  with  the  lids  secureil  in  this  manner,  and  further  fortified 
with  a  wooden  casing.  Uirdskins  entirel}'  free  from  insects  or 
their  eggs,  encased  in  some  such  secure  manner,  will  remain  in- 
tact indefinitel}' ;  but  there  is  misery  in  store  if  any  bugs  or  nits 
be  put  away  with  them.  When  many  boxes  are  stored  or 
forwarded,  much  time  and  inconvenience  may  be  saved  by 
labelling  each  with  a  summary  of  contents,  or  with  a  number 
referring  to  an  inventory. 

§57.  Cabinets.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  most  collections  are 
kept  readily  accessible  for  examination,  displa}'  or  other  im- 
mediate use,  and  this  precludes  any  disposition  of  tlu"ii  in 
"hermetical"  cases.  The  most  we  can  do  is  to  secure  tight 
fitting  of  movable  woodwork.  The  "cabinet"  is  most  eligible 
for  private  collections.  This  is,  in  effect,  simply  a  bureau,  or 
chest  of  drawers,  protected  with  folding  doors,  or  a  front  that 
may  be  detached,  either  of  plain  wood  or  sashing  for  panes  of 
glass.  It  is  simply  astonishing  how  many  birdskins  of  average 
size  can  be  accommodated  in  a  cabinet  that  makes  no  incon- 
venient piece  of  furniture  for  an  ordinary  room.  A  cabinet 
may  of  course  be  of  any  desired  size,  shape  and  style.  In  gen- 
eral it  will  l)e  better  to  put  money  into  excellence  of  fitting 
rather  than  elegance  of  finish :  the  handsomest  front  does  not 
compensate  for  a  crack  in  the  back  or  for  a  drawer  that  hitches. 
There  should  not  be  the  slightest  flaw  in  the  exterior,  and  doors 
should  fit  so  tightly  that  a  puff  of  air  may  be  felt  on  closing 
them.  The  greatest  desideratum  of  the  interior  work,  next 
after  close  fitting  yet  smooth  running  of  the  drawers,  is  econ- 
cm}'  of  space.  This  is  secured  by  making  the  drawers  as  thin 
as  is  consistent  with  stability ;  by  having  them  slide  by  a  boss 
at  each  end  fitting  a  groove  in  the  side  wall,  instead  of  resting 
on  horizontal  pai'titions  ;  and  by  hinged  countersunk  handles 
instead  of  knobs.     I  do  not  recommend,  except  for  a  suite  of 


CABINET   FOR   SKIXS. 


109 


ing 


ng 

les 

of 


the  smallest  birds,  a  multiplicity  of  shallow  drawers,  accom- 
modating each  one  hi3'er  of  specimens ;  it  is  better  to  have 
fewer  deeper  drawers,  into  which  light  shallow  movable  trays 
are  fitted.  These  trtt3's  never  need  be  of  stuff  over  ono-oighth 
or  one-fourth  thick,  and  may  have  stilf  pasteboard  bottoms 
glued  or  tacked  on.  Tho\'  may  vary  fioin  oiiu-liali"  incii  to  two 
inches  in  depth,  but  this  dimension  should  always  be  some 
factor  of  the  depth  of  the  drawer,  so  that  a  certain  number  of 
trays  may  exactly  fill  it.  They  should  be  Just  as  long  as  one 
transverse  dimension  of  the  drawer,  and  rather  narrow,  so  that 
two  or  more  are  set  side  b}'  side.  Finally,  though  the}'  may 
be  of  different  depths,  they  should  be  of  the  same  length  and 
breadth,  so  as  to  be  interchangeable.  They  may  simply  rest 
on  top  of  each  other,  or  slide  on  separate  projections  inside  the 
drawer.  Such  trays  are  extremel}'  handy  for  holding  partic- 
ular sets  of  species,  to  be  carried  to  the  study  table  without 
disturbing  the  rest  of  the  collection. 

If  a  collection  be  so  extensive  that  any  particular  specimen 
may  not  be  readily  hunted  up  it  will  be  found  convenient  to 
have  the  drawers  themselves  labelled  with  the  name  of  the 
group  within.  A  collection  should  always  be  methodically 
an'anged  —  preferably  according  to  some  approved  or  sup- 
posed natural  classification  of 'birds ;  this  is  also  the  readiest 
mode,  since,  with  some  conspicuous  exceptions  birds  of  the 
same  natural  group  are  approximately  of  the  same  size.  If  I 
were  desired  to  suggest  proportions  for  a  private  cabinet  of 
most  general  eligibility,  I  should  say  four  feet  high,  by  three 
feet  wide,  by  two  feet  deep,  in  the  clear ;  this  makes  a  portly 
yet  not  unwieldy  looking  object.  It  is  wide  enough  for  fold- 
ing doors,  to  be  secured  by  bolts  at  top  and  bottom,  and  lock ; 
not  so  high  that  the  top  drawer  is  not  readily  inspected  ;  and 
of  proportionate  depth.  Such  a  case  will  take  seven  drawers 
six  inches  deep  eitner  of  the  full  width,  or  in  two  series  with  a 
median  partition ;  these  drawers  will  hold  anything  up  to  an 
eagle  or  crane.  A  part  of  them  at  least  should  have  a  full 
complement  of  such  trays  as  I  have  described  —  say  three  or 
four  tiers  of  the  shallower  trays,  three  trays  to  a  tier,  each 


110 


CARE   OF  A   COLLECTION. 


about  two  feet  long  by  aboJit  a  foot  wide  ;  and  one  or  two 
tiers  of  deeper  trays.  Tlierc  are  about  forty  tliousand  cubic 
inches  in  such  a  cabinet,  of  whicli  perlmps  one-tenth  is  occu- 
pied witii  woodworit;  and  I  shouUl  judge  tliat  some  eight  or 
ten  tliousand  iiuininingbirds,  for  instance  (and  otlier  birds  in 
proportion),  could  be  accommodated  in  layers,  a  single  bird 
deep.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I  have  kept  all  the  birds,  excepting  a 
few  of  the  largest,  that  I  ever  cared  to  have  at  my  elbow  at 
any  one  time,  in  one  cabinet  of  such  dimensions. 


§58,  To  DESTROY  BUGS.  In  our  present  case  prevention 
is  not  the  best  remedy,  simply  because  it  is  not  alwa3's  practi- 
cable ;  in  spite  of  all  mechanical  precautions  the  bugs  will  get 
in.  \Vc  have,  therefore,  to  see  what  will  destroy  tliem,  or  at 
least  stop  their  ravages.  It  is  a  general  riUc  that  any  pun- 
gent aromatic  odor  is  obnoxious  to  them,  and  that  any  very 
light  powdery  substance  restrains  their  movements  bj'  getting 
into  the  joints  and  breathing  pores.  Both  these  qualities  are 
secured  in  the  ordinary  "  insect  powder,"  to  be  had  of  any  lead- 
ing druggist.  It  should  be  lavishly  strewn  on  and  among  the 
skins,  and  laid  in  the  corners  of  the  drawers  and  traj-s.  Thus 
used  it  proves  highly  effective,  and  is  on  the  whole  the  most 
eligible  substance  to  use  when  a  collection  is  being  constantly 
handled.  Camphor  is  a  valuable  agent.  Small  fragments  may 
be  strewn  about  the  drawers,  or  a  lump  pinned  in  mosquito 
netting  in  a  corner.  Benzine  is  also  very  useful.  A  small 
saucer  full  may  be  kept  evaporating,  or  the  I'quid  may  be 
sprinkled — even  poured — directly  over  the  skins  ;  it  is  very  vol- 
atile and  leaves  little  or  no  stain.  It  is,  however,  obviously 
ineligible  when  a  collection  is  in  constant  use.  My  friend  Mr. 
Allen  informs  me  he  has  used  sulphide  of  carbon  with  great 
success.  The  objection  to  this  agent  is,  that  it  is  a  stinking 
poison ;  should  be  used  in  the  open  air,  to  escape  the  ineffa- 
bly disgusting  and  deleterious  odors,  and  its  employ  is  prob- 
ably restricted  to  cases  for  storage.  When  the  bill  or  feet 
show  they  are  attacked,  further  depredation  may  be  prevented 
by  pencilling  with  a  strong  solution  of  corrosive  sublimate ;  a 


DESTROYING    BUGS  —  CONCLUDING    ITEMS. 


Ill 


weaker  solution,  one  that  leaves  no  white  film,  on  drying,  on  a 
black  feather,  may  even  be  brushed  over  the  whole  plumage  in 
certain  cases.  But  rcmemljcr  that  this  is  a  deadly  poison  and 
must  be  used  witli  care.  Specimens  may  be  buried  in  coarse 
refuse  tobacco  leaves.  One  or  another  of  these  linos  of  de- 
fence will  commonly  prove  successfid  in  destroying  or  driving 
off  mature  insects,  and  even  in  stopping  the  ravages  of  the 
larvfc ;  but  I  doubt  that  any  such  means  will  kill  the  ''nits." 
With  these  we  must  deal  otherwise;  and  their  destruction  no 
less  than  that  of  their  parents  is  assured,  if  we  subject  them  to  a 
high  temperature.  Baking  birdskins  is  really  the  only  process 
that  can  make  us  feel  perfectly  safe.  Infected  specimens,  along 
with  suspected  oneS;  should  be  subjected  to  a  dry  heat,  from 
212°  F.  up  to  any  degree  short  of  singeing  the  plumage.  This 
is  readily  done  by  putting  the  birds  in  a  wooden  tra}'  in  any 
oven — they  must  however  be  watched,  unless  you  have  special 
contrivances  for  regulating  the  temperature.  How  long  a  time 
is  required  is  probably  not  ascertained  with  precision  ;  it  will 
be  well  to  bake  for  several  hours.  When  the  beetles  and  larva? 
are  found  completely  parched,  it  ma}'  be  confidently  believed 
that  the  unseen  eggs  are  out  of  the  hatching  way  forever.  The 
specimens  may  be  immediately  replaced  in  the  cabinet,  after 
flipping  or  brushing  oil'  loosened  feathers. 

§59.  Two  Items.  One  is,  that  arsenic  helps  to  keep  out 
the  bugs,  besides  preventing  decay  —  a  fact  that  should  never 
be  forgotten,  and  that  should  give  sharper  edge  to  my  advice 
respecting  lavish  use  of  the  substance  at  the  outset.  If  it  be 
true,  as  some  state,  that  bugs  can  eat  arsenic  without  dying,  it 
is  also  true,  that  they  do  not  relish  it ;  and  in  entering  a  case 
of  skins  they  will  burrow  by  preference  in  those  holding  the 
least  of  it.  This  fact  is  continually  exhibited  in  large  collec- 
tions, where,  if  two  birds  be  side  by  side,  one  being  duly  or- 
senicized  and  the  other  not  so,  one  will  be  taken  and  the  other 
left.  My  second  item,  with  its  proper  deduction,  will  form,  I 
think,  a  fitting  conclusion  to  this  treatise.  It  is  a  fact  in  the 
natural  history  of  these  our  pests,  that  they  ore  fond  of  peace 


I 


112 


CAKE   OF   A   COLLECTION. 


and  quiet  —  they  do  not  like  to  bo  disturbed  at  their  mcnls, 
nor  even  between  times.  So  it  reHults,  tiiat  tliey  rarely  etlbct 
pernmnent  lodgment  in  ii  colloction  tluit  is  Iteing  constantly 
handled  —  though  the  doors  stand  open  for  hours  (lailj*,  they 
will  seek  elsewhere.  As  a  con8e(iuence,  the  degree  of  our 
diligence  in  utitdi/iiKj  birdskins  is  likely  to  become  the  measure 
of  our  success  in  preserving  them.  1  once  read  a  work,  by  an 
eminent  and  learned  divine,  on  the  ''Moral  Uses  of  Dark 
Things,"  under  which  head  the  author  included  everything 
from  earthquakes  to  mostjuitoes.  If  there  be  a  moral  use  in 
the  "  dark  thing "  that  museum  pests  certainly  are  to  us,  wc 
have  it  liere.    The  very  bugs  urge  on  our  work. 


(§, 


APPENDIX 


TO  TIIK 


MANUAL  OF  INSTRUCTION^. 


ADDITIONS  AND  CORRECTIONS. 

As  the  author's  absence  on  a  collecting  tour  during  the  printing  of 
this  volume  rcnilercd  revision  of  proof-sheets  Impracticable,  some 
notes  since  received  from  him  are  apfiended.  A  few  self-correcting 
typographical  errors,  notably  In  punctuation,  are  passed  over. 

The  comparatively  few  technical  tern*s  used  In  the  treatise  for  the 
parts  and  organs  of  birds  are  defined  and  explained  In  the  "Key  to 
North  American  Birds,"  obviating  the  necessity  of  a  separate  glossary. 
Familiarity  with  the  "Topography"  of  birds  will  facilitate  taxidermy; 
the  subject  Is  treated  at  length  In  the  work  just  mentioned.  (F.  W.  P.) 


Page  7.  Further  experience  changes  my  former  preference  for  metal 
instead  of  paper  cartridges  for  breech-loaders.  The  latter  may  of 
course  be  loaded  according  to  circumstances  with  the  same  facility, 
and  even  reloaded  If  desired.  It  Is  a  good  deal  of  trouble  to  take 
care  of  the  metal  shells,  to  prevent  loss,  keep  them  clean,  and  avoid 
bending  or  indenting;  while  there  Is  often  a  practical  difficulty  In  re- 
capping— at  least  ^'  ";h  the  common  styles  that  take  a  special  primer. 
Those  fitted  with  a  oirew  top  holding  a  nipple  for  ordinary  caps  are 
expensive.  Paper  cartridges  come  already  capped,  so  that  this  bother 
is  avoided,  au  it  is  not  ordinarily  worth  while  to  reload  them.  They 
are  made  of  different  colors,  distinguishing  various  sizes  of  shot  used 
Manual.         8  (113) 


114 


APPENDIX  TO  MANUAL. 


without  employ  of  colored  wads  as  suggested  in  the  text.  They  may 
be  taken  into  the  Held  empty,  and  loaded  on  occasion  to  suit;  but  it  is 
better  to  pay  a  trifle  extra  to  have  them  loaded  at  the  shop.  In  such 
case,  about  four-flftlis  of  the  stock  should  contain  nnistard-seed,  nearly 
all  tiie  rest  about  No.  7,  a  very  few  being  reserved  for  about  No.  4. 
Cost  of  ammunition  is  hardly  appreciably  increased ;  its  weight  is  put 
in  tlie  most  conveniently  portable  shape ;  the  whole  ipparatus  for 
carry .;ig  it,  and  loading  the  shells,  is  dispensed  with;  much  time  is 
saved,  the  entire  drudgery  (excepting  gun-cleaning)  of  collecting 
being  avoided.  I  was  prepared  in  this  way  during  the  past  summer 
for  the  heaviest  work  I  have  yet  succeeded  in  accomplishing  during 
tlie  same  lengtli  of  time.  In  June,  when  birds  were  plentiful,  I  easily 
averaged  fifteen  skins  a  day,  and  occasionally  made  twice  us  nuiny. 
As  items  serving  to  base  calculations,  I  may  mention  that  in  four 
months  I  used  about  two  thousand  cartriilges,  loaded,  at  .$42  per  M., 
with  seven-eighths  of  an  ounce  of  shot  and  two  and  three-fourths 
drachms  of  powder;  only  about  three  hundred  were  charged  with  shot 
larger  than  mustard-seed.  In  estimating  tlie  size  of  a  collection  that 
may  result  from  use  of  a  given  numlier  of  cartridges,  it  may  not  be 
safe  for  even  a  good  shot  to  count  on  much  more  than  half  as  many 
specimens  as  cartridges.  The  number  is  practically  reduced  by  the 
following  steps  -.—  Cartridges  lost  or  damaged,  or  originally  defective  ; 
shots  missed ;  birds  killed  or  wounded,  not  recovered ;  specimens 
secured  unfit  for  preservation,  or  not  preserved  for  any  reason ;  speci- 
imens  accidentally  spoilt  in  stuffing,  or  subsequently  damaged  so  as 
to  be  not  worth  keeping;  and  Anally,  use  oi"  cartridges  to  supply  the 
table.  I  will  add,  that  my  preference  for  central-flre  cartridges  con- 
tinues. 

Page  10,  line  7  from  bottom,  for  where  read  when. 
"  13;  "at  half-cock."  Some  guns  are  now  fitted  with  a  "re- 
bounding" lock,  as  it  is  called ;  an  arrangement  by  which  the  hammer 
flies  back  to  half-cock  as  soon  as  it  has  delivered  the  blow.  This 
device  enhances  safety,  and  is  particularly  eligible  for  breech-loaders, 
since  the  gun  may  at  once  be  broken  down,  reloaded  and  relocked, 
wltliout  fingering  the  hammer. 

Page  28 ;  rarity  of  birds.  In  striking  illustration  of  the  text  may  be 
cited  the  cases  of  IJaird's  Bunting  and  the  Missouri  Skylark,  both 
birds  which  remained  for  many  years  among  our  special  desiderata, 
but  which  are  two  of  the  most  abundant  and  characteristic  species  of 
Northern  Dakota,  •where  I  lately  took  as  many  of  each  as  I  wanted. 
(See  Am.  Nat.  vii,  1873,  p.  695.) 

Page  28.  Treating  of  the  suite  of  each  species  that  It  is  desirable 
to  secure,  I  neglected  to  speak  particularly  of  the  care  that  should  be 
taken  to  procure  full  series  ot females.    Most  miscellaneous  collections 


APPENDIX   TO   MANUAL. 


115 


contain  four  or  more  males  to  every  female  — a  disproportion  that 
should  be  as  far  reduced  us  possible.  The  occasion  of  the  disparity  Is 
obvious  —  females  are  usually  more  shy  and  retiring;  In  disposition, 
and  consequently  less  frequently  noticed,  while  their  smaller  size,  as 
a  rule,  and  plainer  plumage,  further  favor  their  eluding  observation. 
The  difference  In  coloring  is  greatest  among  those  groups  where  the 
males  are  most  richly  clad,  and  the  shyness  of  the  mother  birds  is 
most  marked  during  the  breeding  season,  just  when  the  males,  full  of 
song  and  in  thei,r  nuptial  attire,  become  most  conspicuous.  It  Is  often 
worth  while  to  neglect  the  gay  Benedicts,  to  trace  out  and  secure  the 
plainer  but  not  less  interesting  females.  This  pursuit,  moreover,  often 
leads  to  discovery  of  the  nests  and  eggs  —  an  imporlant  consideration. 
Although  both  sexes  are  generally  found  together  when  breeding,  and 
mixing  Indiscriminately  at  other  seasons,  they  often  go  in  separate 
flocks,  and  often  migrate  independently  of  each  other  —  in  this  case 
the  males  usually  In  advance.  Towards  the  end  of  the  passage  of 
some  warblers,  for  Instance,  we  may  get  almost  nothing  but  females, 
all  our  specimens  of  a  few  days  before  having  been  males.  Tlic  not- 
able exceptions  to  the  rule  of  smaller  size  of  the  female  are  among 
rapacious  birds  and  many  waders — though  in  tliese  last  the  disparity 
is  not  so  marked.  I  do  not  recall  an  instance,  among  American  birds, 
of  the  female  being  more  I'ichly  colored  than  the  male.  When  the 
sexes  are  notably  dlftfercnt  in  adult  life,  the  yoiou;  of  both  sexes  resem- 
ble the  adult  female  —  the  young  males  gradually  assuming  their  dis- 
tinctive characters.  When  the  adults  of  both  sexes  are  alike,  the 
young  commonly  differ  from  them. 

In  the  same  connection  I  wish  to  urge  a  point,  the  Importance  of 
which  is  often  overlooked;  it  is  our  practical  interpretation  of  the 
adage,  "a  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the  bush."  Always  keep 
the  first  specimen  you  secure  of  a  species  till  you  get  another;  no 
matter  how  common  the  species,  how  poor  the  specimen,  or  how  cer- 
tain you  may  feel  of  getting  other  better  ones,  keep  it.  Your  most 
reasonable  calculations  may  come  to  naught,  from  a  variety  of  cir- 
cumstances, and  a7i)j  specimen  is  better  than  no  specimen,  on  general 
principles.  Arid  in  general  do  not,  if  you  can  help  it,  discard  any 
specimen  in  the  field.  No  tyro  can  tell  what  will  prove  valuable  and 
what  not;  while  even  the  expert  may  regret  to  llnd  that  a  point  comes 
up  which  a  specimen  he  Injudiciously  discarded  might  have  determined. 
Let  a  collection  be  "weeded  out,"  if  at  all,  only  after  deliberate  and 
mature  examination,  when  the  sclentillc  results  It  affords  have  been 
elaborated  by  a  competent  ornithologist;  and  even  then,  the  refuse 
(with  certain  limitations)  had  better  be  put  where  it  will  do  some 
good,  than  be  destroyed  utterly.  For  instance,  I  myself  once  valued, 
and  used,  some  Smithsonian  "sweepings";  and  I  know  very  well  what 


116 


APPENDIX  TO  MANUAL. 


to  do  with  specimens,  now,  to  which  I  would  not  give  houseroom  in 
my  own  cabinet.    If  forced  to  reduce  bullc,  owing  to  limited  facilities 
for  transportation  in  the  field  (as  too  often  happens),  throw  away  ac- 
cording to  size,  other  things  being  equal.     Given  only  so  many  cubic 
inches  or  feet,  eliminate  the  few  large  birds,  which  taJce  up  the  space 
that  would  contain  fifty  or  a  hundred  difi'erent  little  ones.    If  you  have 
a  fine  large  bald  eagle  or  pelican,  for  instance,  throw  it  away  first,  and 
follow  it  with  your  ducks,  geese,  etc.    In  this  way,  the  bulk  of  a  large 
miscellaneous  collection  may  be  reduced  one-half,  perhaps,  with  very 
little  depreciation  of  its  actual  value.    The  same  principle  may  be  ex- 
tended to  other  collections  in  natural  history  (excepting  fossils,  which 
are  always  weighty,  if  not  also  bulky") ;  very  few  bird-skins,  indeed, 
being  as  valuable  contributions  to  science  as,  for  example,  a  vial  of 
miscellaneous  insects  that  occupies  no  more  room  may  prove  to  be. 
Page  34,  line  7  from  bottom,  for  drawn  read  driven. 
"    41,    "  3, /or  drop  read  drip. 
««    46,    "  15, /or  toed  read  told. 
"    49,  obverse  of  diagram,  for  Butes  read  Buteo. 
"    62,  line  12  from  bottom, /or  answers  read  answering. 
"    60,    "  5  from  bottom,  omit  is  6e/orc  from. 
"  8,  for  only  read  duly. 

"  n,for  instruments  confine  read  instrument  confines. 
"  6  of  footnote, /or  drawing  read  driving. 
"  10  from  bottom,  omit  for  before  one. 
"  4  from  bottom,  for  internally  read  Intimately. 
Mentioning  the  thin-skinned  cardinal  grosbeak,  I  over- 
looked the  night-hawks  and  whippoorwills  (^Caprimulgidw),  in  which 
the  skin  is  still  more  tender  and  liable  to  be  torn. 
Page  87,  line  15  from  bottom,  for  only  read  duly. 
"    91,    **  12,  after  crossbar  insert  on  a. 

"    94.  Testes  vary  more  in  shape  and  color  than  may  be  inferred 
from  the  text,  being  sometimes  rather  linear  or  oblong,  and  grayish, 
livid  bluish,  or  even  reddish.    I  lately  found,  in  a  bay-winged  bunting, 
only  one  testis,  twice  as  large  as  natural  to  compensate  for  want  of 
the  other. 
Page  94,  line  3,  for  bowels  read  bowel. 
•'    101,"  7,  first  word, /or  essential  rea<i  stationary. 
"    108,  •♦  5,  for  lids  read  lid. 


54, 

66, 

68, 

69, 

71, 

75. 

oom  in 
icilities 
yay  ac- 
y  cubic 
i  space 
pu  liave 
'St,  and 
a  large 
ih  very 
be  ex- 
wliich 
ndeed, 
vial  of 
)  be. 


nes. 


over- 
whlch 


CHECK  LIST 


OF 


j^ORTH       AyVlERICAN      BiRDS. 


["erred 
aylsh, 
Qting, 
ant  of 


II 


!l 


1; 


%. 


Check  List  of  North  Americaiv  Birds. 


Note.  —  The  species  are  numbered  consecutively  ftora  1  to  635. 
Stragglers  have  the  number  iu  brackets.  Varieties  bear  the  number 
of  the  species  to  which  they  belong,  with  a,  b,  c,  etc.,  unless  a  variety 
is  our  only  representative  of  the  species,  when  it  is  separately  enu- 
merated. Obscure  or  doubti\il  species  are  marked  with  a  note  of 
interrogation  after  the  number.  Each  species  is  followed  by  the 
original  describer's  name;  Avhen  this  is  not  also  the  authority  for 
the  nomenclature  adopted  the  name  of  such  authority  is  added,  the 
former  being  retained  in  parenthesis.  A  similar  practice  is  observed 
in  the  cases  of  varieties;  when,  as  in  most  instances,  they  were  origi- 
nally described  as  species  they  are  followed  by  the  authority  for  their 
reduction  to  varieties,  as  well  as  by  the  name  of  the  describer;  the 
latter  in  parenthesis. 

The  List  contains  a  very  few  species  discovered  since  the  "Key" 
was  printed;  otherwise,  it  is  an  exact  reflection  of  that  work,  the 
arrangement  and  nomenclature  being  identical.  The  numbers  of  the 
genera  as  used  iu  the  Key  are  given  in  the  head  lines  of  the  List  in 
order  to  facilitate  reference. 

Authors  are  at  variance  in  the  formation  of  the  genitive  of  Latinized 
proper  names ;  in  the  absence  of  any  universally  observed  rule,  euphony 
may  perhaps  be  advantageously  consulted.  In  the  Key,  the  i  was 
doubled  in  all  cases  of  words  ending  in  a  consonant,  the  nominative 
being  considered  to  end  in  -ius ;  this  practice  is  preferably  applicable 
to  monosyllables,  as  Bairdii,  and  polj'syllables,  as  Aitduhonii.  But  it 
is  necessarj'  to  use  single  i  in  words  ending  in  r,  as  GonpeH,  and  best 
to  do  so  in  most  cases  of  dissyllables,  as  Wilsoni,  Cassini,  Swainsorii, 
The  same  is  the  case  with  all  words  ending  in  a  vowel. 

The  following  ai'e  the  abbreviations  used  for  authors'  names  occur- 
ring most  frequently ;  others  are  for  the  most  part  written  in  full : — 
All.,  Allen;  Aud.,  Audubon;  Bd.,  Baird;  Bodd.,  Boddaert;  Bp.,  Bona- 
parte; C'aft.,  Cabanis;  Cas.'?.,  Cassin;  Cs.,  Cones;  Gam6.,  Gambel;  Gm., 
Gmelin;  (rr..  Gray;  Z,.,  Linnajus;  Z«/r.,  Lafi-esuaye;  Lath.,  TLiitham; 
iatcr.,  Lawrence;  Licht.,  Lichtenstein ;  i\rw«.,  Nuttall;  JBei'cA.,  Reich- 
enbach;  Bidg.,  Ridgway;  iScl..  Sclater;  Steph.,  Stephens;  Sic,  Swain- 
son;  Temm.,  Temminck;  Toicns.,  Townsend;  F.,  Vieillot;  Vig,, 
Vigors;   TFa^/?.,  Wagler;   Tfi7s.,  Wilson. 


11- 


i: 


GEN.    1-3   OF   KEY. 

1.  TURDUS  MIQRATORIUS  L. 

Robin. 

la.  TUBDUS  MIQRA.TORIUS  L., 
var.  CONFINI8  (Bd.)  Cs. 
St.  Iducas  Robin. 

2.  TURDUS  NiEVIUS  Gm. 

Tarledl  Ttarusli. 

3.  TURDUS  MUSTELINUS  Gm. 

fVood  Thrush. 

4.  TURDUS  PALLASI  Cab. 

Hermit  Thrush. 

4a.  TURDUS  FALLASI  Cab., 
var.  AUDUBONU  (Bd.)  Cs. 
Audubon's  Thrush. 

4b.  TURDUS  PALLASI  Cab., 
var.  NANtJS  (Aud.)   Cs. 
Dwarf  Thrush. 

5.  TURDUS  SWAINSONI  Cab. 

Olive-backed  Thrush. 

6a.  TURDUS  SWAINSONI  Cab., 
var.  alicue  (Bd.)   Cs. 
Alice's  Thrush. 

6b.  TURDUS  SWAINSONI  Cab., 

var.  U8TULATU8  (Nutt.)  Cs. 

Oregon  Thrush. 

6.  TURDUS  FUSCESCENS  Steph. 

fVllson's  Thrush.  Teery. 

7.  OREOSCOPTES  MONT  ANUS  (Towns.)  Bd. 

mountain  mochlnrblrd. 

8.  MIMUS  POLYQLOTTUS  (L.)  Boib. 

9Iochln§rblrd. 


i 


GEN.    3-6   OF   KEY. 

9.   MIMUS  CABOLINENSIS  (L.)  Gr. 
Catbird. 

10.  HARPORHYNCHUS  RUPUS  (L.)  Cab. 

BroiM^n  TbruMh.    Xliraslier. 

lOa.  HARPORHYNCHUS  RUPUS  (L.)  Cab., 
var.  LONGiuosTKis  (Lafr.)  Cs. 
liOngr-bllled  Tbrusli. 

11.  HARPORHYNCHUS  CURVIROSTRIS  (Sw.)  Cab., 

var.  PALMKRi  Ridg. 
Curve-billed  Ttarusta. 

llbis.*  HARPORHYNCHUS  BENDIREI  Cs. 
Bendlre's  Ttarusta. 

12.  HARPORHYNCHUS  CINEREUSBd. 

Cinereous  Tlirusli. 

13.  HARPORHYNCHUS  REDIVIVUS  (Gamb.)  Cab. 

Slckle-bllied  Tlirusta. 

13a.  HARPORHYNCHUS  REDIVIVUS  (Gamb.)  Cab., 
var.  LECONTKi  (Lawr.)  Cs. 
I<eConte's  Tbrusb. 

14.  HARPORHYNCHUS  CRISSALIS  Henry. 

Red-vented  Thrusli. 

[15].  SAXICOLA  CENANTHE  (L.)  Bechstein. 
Stone  Cliat.   IfVlieat-ear. 

16.  SIALIA  SIALIS  (L.)  Haldeman. 

Eastern  Wueblrd. 

17.  SIALIA  MEXICANA  Sw. 

fFestem  Bluebird. 

18.  SIALIA  ARCTICA  Sw. 

Arctic  Bluebird. 


•llbis.    Not  In  the  Key.    See  Am.  Nat,  Vol.  vii,  p.  330, 1873. 


ill  a 


GEN.    7-13    OF   KEY. 

19.   OINCLUS  MEXICANITS  Sw. 
'Wnteir  Ouzel.  Dipper. 

[20].  PHYLLOPNEUSTE  BOBEALIS  Blasius. 
Kennlcotr»  Hylvla. 

,  21.  BEQUIiUS  CALENDULA  (L.)  Light. 
Ruby-crofrned  Klnylet. 

22.  REQULUS  SATRAPA  Light. 
Oolden-crested  K.in§:let. 

23.  POLIOPTILA  CJBRULEA  (L.)  Sol. 

Blue-gray  Onatcatclier. 

24.  POLIOPTILA  MELANTTRA  Lawr. 
Black-lieaded  <^natcatclier. 

26.  POLIOPTILA  PLUMBEA  Bd. 
Plumbeous  Crnatcatclier. 

26.  CHAMiEA  FASCIATA  Gamb. 
Fasclated  Tit.  Crround  UTren. 

27.  LOPHOPHANES  BICOLOR  (L.)  Bp. 

Tufted  Titmouse. 

28.  LOPHOPHANES  INORNATUS  (Gamb.)  Cass. 

Plain  Titmouse. 

29.  LOPHOPHANES  ATRICRISTATUS  Cass. 

Black-crested  Titmouse. 

30.  LOPHOPHANES  WOLLWEBERI  Bp. 

Bridled  Titmouse. 

81.  PARUS  ATRICAPILLUS  L. 
Black-capped  Chickadee. 

31a.  PARUS  ATRICAPILLUS  L., 
var.  SEPTENTRiONALis  (Harris)  All. 
I^onr-talled  Chickadee. 


9 


hM 


I  ir 


I 


0 

I 


GEN.    13-17    OP  KEY. 


11 


31b.  FABUS  ATBIOAFILLUS  L., 

Var.  CAROI.INKN8I8  (Auil.)  Cs. 

Cai'ollun  ClilckMdov. 

31c.  PARUSATRIOAPILLUSL., 

var.  OCCIDKNTALIS  (Bd.)   Cs. 

fV^Cfitcrn  Clilchadee. 

82.  PARUS  MONTANUS  Gamb. 
Mountuln  C'hickudee. 

33.  PARUS  HUDSONICUS  Fcms ier. 

Hudtonlan  Chickadee. 

34.  PARUS  RUPBSCENS  Towns. 
Ctaestnut-baeked  C'liickadee. 

35.  PSALTRIPARUS  MINIMUS  (Towns.)  Bp. 

I^east  Titmouse. 

86.  PSALTRIPARUS  PLUMBEUS  Bd. 

Plumbeous  Titmouse. 

87.  AURIPARUS  PLAVICEPS  (Sund.)Bd. 

Ifellow-lieadcd  Titmouse. 

38.  SITTA  CAROLINENSIS  Gm. 
^riilte-bellled  Wiittaatcta. 

38a.  SITTA  CAROLINENSIS  Gm., 
var.  ACULEATA  (Cass.)  All. 
Slender-billed  Wuthatcli. 

39.  SITTA  CANADENSIS  L. 
Red-bellied  IVutbatcli. 

40.  SITTA  PUSILLA  Lath. 
Broivn-taeaded  Muttaatclt. 

41?  SITTA  PYQMiEA  ViG. 
Pygmiy  IVuttaatcb. 

42.  CERTHIA  FAMILIARIS  L. 
Brown  Creeper. 


I 


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r« 


'!•; 


f-.. 


' 


: 


GEN.    18-23   OF   KET. 


13 


48.  CAMPYLORHYNCHUS 

BRUNNEICAPILLUS  (Lafr.)  Gr. 
Brovm-beaded  Creeper-vrren. 

44.  CAMPYLORHYNCHUS  APPINIS  Xantus. 

Allied  Creeper-vrren. 

45.  SALFINCTES  OBSOLETUS  (Say)  Cab. 

Bock  ^Tren. 

46.  CATHERPES  MEXICANTTS  (Sw.)  Bd. 

'Whlte-tliroated  ^Tren. 

47.  THRYOTHORUS  LUDOVICIANUS  (Gm.)  Bp. 

Crreat  Carolina  ffren. 

47a.  THRYOTHORUS  LUDOVICIANUS  (G:a.)  Bp., 

Var.   BERLANDIERI   (CoUCll)    Cs. 

Berlandier's  fVren. 

48.  THRYOTHORUS  BEW.    K3I  (Aud.)  Bp. 

Beifrick's  ff^ren. 

48a.   THRYOTHORUS  BEWICKII  (Aud.)  Bp. 
var.  LEUCOGASTER  (Goulcl)  Bd. 
irhlte-bellied.  ^fTren. 

48b.  THRYOTHORUS  BEWICKII  (Aud.)  Bp., 
var.  spiLURUS  (Vig.)  Bd. 
Speckled-tailed  ITren. 

49.  TROGLODYTES  AEDON  V. 

House  ^Vren. 

49a.  TROGLODYTES  AEDON  V., 
var.  PARKMANNi  (Aud.)  Cs. 
^Testem  House  IfTren. 

60.  ANORTHURA  TROGLODYTES  (L.)  Cs., 
var.  HYEMALIS  (Wils.)  Cs. 

irinter 'Wren. 


:3» 


? 


■I' 


m 

M 


ill 


GEN.    23-34   OP   KEY. 


15 


60a.  AWORTHURA  TROGLODYTES  (L.)  Cs., 
var.  ALASCENSis  (Bd.)  Cs. 
Alaskan  ITren. 

51.  TELMATODYTES  PALUSTRIS  (Wils.)  Cab. 
i:<ong--billed  91arsli  fVren. 

62.  CISTOTHORUS  STELLARIS  (Light.)  Cab. 

Short-billed  HHarsli  ^f  ren. 

63.  EREMOPHILA  ALPESTRIS  (Forst.)  Boie. 

Homed  liark;    Shore  XiUrk. 

53a.  FREMOPHILA  ALPESTRIS  (Fokst.)  Boie, 
var.  CHRYSOLiEMA  (Wagl.)  Bd. 
South-ivestern  I^ark. 

54.  BUDYTES  PLAVA  (L.)  Cuv. 
'Velloir  l^'agrtall. 

65.  ANTHUS  LUDOVICIANUS  (Gm.)  Light. 
Brown  I^ark;  Titlark;  Pipit. 

56.  NEOCORYS  SPRAGUEI  (Aud.)  Scl.  *«• 

IfHssourl  Skylark. 

67.  MNIOTILTA  VARIA  (L.)  V. 
Black-and-irhlte  Creeper. 

68.  PARULA  AMERICANA  (L.)  Bp. 
Blue  yellovr-hacked  ^ff^arbler. 

59.  PROTONOTARIA  CITRiEA  (Bodd.)  Bi>. 

Prothonotary  ^il^arbler. 

60.  HELMITHERUS  VERMIVORUS  (Gm.)  Bp. 

^fVorm-eatlng-  Ifarbler. 

6L  HELMITHERUS  SWAINSONI  (Aud.)  Bp. 
Svralnson's  lif^arbler. 

62.  HELMINTHOPHAGA  PINUS  (L.)  Bd. 
Blue-ivlng-ed  Tellovt"  'Vf'^arbler. 


I* 

.5'. 

i 


I 


i 


11 


"M 


GEN.  34-35   OF  KEY. 

63.  HELMHTTHOFHAGA  CHBYSOFTEBA  (L.)  Bd. 

Slue  CrOlden-ivlnired  Ifl'arbler. 

64.  HELMHTTHOFHAGA  BACHMANI  (Aud.)  Cab. 

Bachnmn'A  'Warbler. 

65.  HELMHTTHOFHAGA  LUCL2B  Coop. 

liucy's  m^arbler. 

66.  HELMINTHOPHAOA  VIBaiiniB  Bd. 

Tlrrlnla's  DTarbler. 

67.  HELMINTHOPHAOA  BUFICAFILLA  (Wils.)  Bd. 

IVaslivllle  l^arbler. 

68.  HELMINTHOFHAGA  CELATA  (Say)  Bd. 

Orang-e-crowned  Ifl^arbler. 

69.  HELMINTHOFHAGA  FEBEGBINA  (Wils.)  Cab. 

Tennessee  Ifl^arbler. 

70.  DENDBCECA  -JBSTIVA  (Gm.)  Bd. 

Summer  TTarbler. 

71.  DENDBCECA  VIBENS  (Gm.)  Bd. 
Black-throated  Careen  fVarbler. 

72.  DENDBCECA  OCCIDENTALIS  (Towns.)  Bd. 

IfV^estem  'W^arbler. 

73.  DENDBCECA  TOWNSENDII  (Nutt.)  Bd. 

Tonrnsend's  IfTarbler. 

74.  DENDBCECA  CHBTSOFABEIA  Scl.  et  Sai.v. 

Crolden-cheeked  fTarbler. 

75.  DENDBCECA  NIGBESCENS  (Towns.)  Bd. 

Black-throated  Oray  IfTarbler. 

76.  DENDBCECA  CiBBULESCENS  (L.)  Bd. 

Black-throated  Blue  'Warbler. 

77.  DENDBCECA  CiEBULEA  (Wils.)  Bd. 

Cierulean  W^arbler. 

CHECK  LIST  BIRDS.        2 


17 


•■ 


I 


III 


III 


I 

it 


js 


:  f  •: 


|>i 


GEN.   35-36    OF   KEY. 

78.  DENDBCECA  COBONATA  (L.)  Gb. 
Ifelloir-ruinped  ^f  arbler ;  Myrtle  Bird. 

79.  DENDBCECA  AUDUBONII  (Towns.)  Bd. 

Audubon's  If^arbler. 

80.  DENDBCECA  BLACEBUBNI^  (Gm.)  Bo. 

Blackburnlan  liVarbler. 

81.  DENDBCECA  STBIATA  (Fokst.)  Bd. 

Ulack-poll  Iff^arbler. 

82.  DENDBCECA  CASTANEA  (Wils.)  Bu. 

Bay-breasted  ^f^arbler. 

83.  DENDBCECA  FENNSYLVANICA  (L.)  Bd. 

Chestnut-sided  'Vfarbler. 

84.  DENDBCECA  MACULOSA  (Gm.)  Bd. 

Black-and-lTellonv  l>Varbler. 

86.  DENDBCECA  TIQBINA  (Gm.)  Bd. 
Cape  Jtlay  l^arbler. 

86.  DENDBCECA  DISCOLOB  (V)  Bd. 

Prairie  ^IVarbler. 

87.  DENDBCECA  GBACIiB  Coues. 

Orace's  H^arbler. 

88.  DENDBCBCA  DOMINICA  (L.)  Bd. 

Yellow-tbroated  IfTarbler. 

89.  DENDBCECA  EIBTLANDI  Bd. 

Klrtland's  IfTarbler. 

90.  DENDBCECA  PALMABUM  (Gm.)  Bd. 

Yellow  Bed-poll  IfTarbler. 

91.  DENDBCECA  PINUS  (Wils.)  Bd. 

Plne-creeplng*  IfTarbler. 

92.  SBITJBUS  AITBOCAPILLTTS  (L.)  Sw. 

Crolden-crowned  Ttarusii. 


19 


m 


I 


w^ 


GEN.   36-41    OF  KEY. 

93.  SEIURUS  NOVEBORACENSIS  (Gxi.)  Nutt. 

"VTMter  ^Tag-tall;  IfTater  ThruHta. 

94.  SEIXJBUS  LUDOVICIANUS  (V.)  Bp. 

lia'rg-e-blllcd  ^fTater  Ttaru»h. 

96.  OPORORNIS  AQILIS  (Wils.)  Bd. 
Connecticut  IfTarbler. 

96.  OFOBOBNIS  POBMOSUS  (Wils.)  Bd. 

Kentucky  DTarbler. 

97.  GEOTHLYPIS  TBIOHAS  (L.)  Cab. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat. 

98.  QEOTHLYPIS  PHILADELPHIA  (Wils.)  Bd. 

Mourning:  ^I'arbler. 

99?*  GEOTHLYPIS  MACQILLIVRAYI  (Aud.)  Bd. 
Macg'llllvray's  li^arbler. 

100    ICTEBIA  VIRENS  (L.)  Bd. 
Yellow-breasted  Chat. 

lOOa.  ICTEBIA  VIEENS  (L.)  Bd., 
var.  longicauda  (Lawr.)  Cs. 
liOng-talled  Chat. 

101.  MYIODIOCTES  MITRATUS  (Gm.)  Aud. 

Hooded  Fly  catching-  ^Tarbler. 

102.  MYIODIOCTES  PUSILLUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 
Oreen  niach-capped  Flycatching-  IfTarbler. 

103.  MYIODIOCTES  CANADENSIS  (L.)  Add. 

Canadian  Flycatchlng-  IfTarbler. 

104.  SETOPHAGA  RUTICILLA  (L.)  Sw. 

Redstart. 

105.  SETOPHAGA  PICTA  Sw. 

Painted  Flycatcher. 

♦  This  is  probably  only  a  variety  of  88.  * 


21 


t ) 


««f  : 


: 


r 


I 


OEN.   42-50   OF   KEY. 

106.  CERTHIOLA  PLAVEOLA  (L.)  Sund. 

Honey  CVevper. 

107.  PYRANQA  RUBRA  (L.)  V. 

lilcurlet  Tanag'or. 

108.  PYRANOA  JBSTIVA  (L.)  V. 

MHiumcr  Medblrd. 

108a.  PYRANGA  JBSTIVA  (L.)  V., 
var.  CooPERi  (llldg.)  Cs. 
Cooper's  Tunairer. 

109.  PYRANGA  HEPATICA  Sw. 

Hepntie  Tanaver. 

no.  PYRANGA  LUDOVICIANA  (Wils.)  Bp. 
lioulslana  Tanarer. 

111.  HIRUNDO  HORREORUM  Baiiton. 

Barn  Hwalloir.      • 

112.  TACHYCINETA  BICOLOR  (V.)  Cs. 

l^hlte-bellled  S^vallow. 

113.  TACHYCINETA  THALASSINA  (Sw.)  Cab. 

¥lolet-8'reen  Svralloiv. 

lU.  PETROCHELIDON  LUNIPRONS  (Say)  Cab. 
Cllir  Hwallow;  Eare  Swallow. 

115.  COTYLE  RIPARIA  (L.)  Boib. 
Bank  Sirallow;  Hand  Jllarttn. 

116.  STELGIDOPTERYX  SERRIPENNIS  (Aud.)  Bd. 

Boug'li-ifinK-ed  tiwallowt 

117.  PROGNE  PURPUREA  (L.)  Boie. 

Purple  Martin. 

118.  AMPELIS  GARRULUS  L. 
Bohemian  'Waxwlng*. 

119.  AMPELIS  CEDRORUM  (V.)  Bd. 

Cedar  Bird;  Cherry  Bird. 


23 


11 

1 : 


I; 


^):1 


I 


:ilf 


QEN.   51-53   OF   KEY. 

120.  FHJaNOPEFLA  NITENS  (Sw.)  Sen. 

Ulack  Ptlloronya. 

121.  MTIADESTES  TOWNSENDII  (Aud.)  Cah. 

To-vnsend's  Flycntcbln§r  Thruith. 

i22.  VIBEO  OLIVACEUS  (L.)  V. 
ned-eyed  Vlreo. 

123.  VIBEO  ALTILOQUUS  (V.)  Git.. 

Var.  BAKBATUI.UH  (Cub.)  C8. 

Ulack-whlBkered  Tireo. 

124.  VTBEO  PHILADELPHICUS  Cash. 

Urorcherly-lore  ¥lreo. 

125.  VIBEO  GILVTJS  (V.)  Bp. 

fVarbllng-  Tlreo. 

a.  VIBEO  QILVUS  (V.)  B»-. 

var.  8WAIN80NI  (Bd.)  Cs. 
fl^eiitem  ll^arbllng-  f'lreo. 

126.  VIBEO  PLAVIPBONS  V. 
Yellow-tliroated  Ylreo. 

127.  VIBEO  SOLITABIUS  (Wita.)  V. 
Blue-headed  Vlreo ;  flolltary  VIreo. 

127a.  VIBEO  SOLITABIUS  V., 
var.  FLUMBEUS  (Cs.)  All. 

Plumbeous  Tlreo. 

128?  VIBEO  VICnnOB  CouKS. 
Oray  Yireo. 

129.  VIBEO  NOVEBOBACENSIS  (Gm.)  Bp. 
fTblte-eyed  VIreo. 

180?  VIBEO  HUTTONI  Cass. 
Hutton's  Vlreo. 


25 


\ 


' 


I 


I: 


i 


I 


'in. . 

II 


i 

1 

1* 

m  i 

11     1  ^ 

if 


GEN.    5o-58   OF  KEY. 

131.  VIBEO  BELLII  AuD. 
Heirs  Yireo. 

182.  VIREO  PUSILLUS  CpuKS. 
lieant  Tlreo. 

133.  VIREO  ATRICAPILLITS  Woodh. 

lBlack-i>eaded  Ylreo. 

134.  COLLXJRIO  BOREALIS  (V.)  Bd. 
Cireat  JVorthcrn  Hhrlke;  Butclierblrd. 

135.  COLLURIO  LUDOVICIANUS  (L.)  Bd. 

liOg'g'erliead  Shrike. 

135a.  COLT.URIO  LUDOVICIANUS  (L.)  Bd., 
var.  EXCUBITOROIDK8  (Sw.)  Cs. 

ira^hlte-rumped  (Shrike. 

136.  HESPBRIPHONA  VESPERTINA  (Coop.)  Bv. 

Kvenlnir  Cirosbeak. 

137.  PIinCOLA  ENUCLEATOR  (L.)  V. 

Pine  Crrosbeak* 

[138.]?  PYRRHULA  CASSINI  (Bd.)  Tkistii. 
Caitsln's  Bullflnch. 

139.  OARPODACUS  PURPUREUS  (Gm.)  Gk. 

Purple  Finch. 

140.  CARFODACUS  CASSINI  Bd. 

Cassln'B  Purple  Finch. 

141.  OARPODACUS  FRONTALIS  (Say)  Gr. 
Crlni8oii-fronted  Finch;  House  Finch. 

141a.*  OARPODACUS  FRONTALIS  (Say)  Cab., 
var.  HiEAioimiious  (Wagl.)  liidg. 
MesLlcan  Purple  Finch. 

•Not  in  the  Key.    8ee  Rldgway,  Am.  Jour.  Sol.  Arti  v,  p.  80. 


27 


? 


t. 


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:'; 

■;  iMfi. 

n*     ' 

t\    ^ 

n*     } 

iff . 

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;   '^i..  , 

«« 

ni3U 

li^ 

1 

f|fc 

rt  i 


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-■>>. 


m 

m 


vr 


U 


m 


LI 


I  I 


GEN.    59-62   OF  KEY. 

142.  LOXIA  LEUCOFTEBA  (Wils.). 

TThlte-wlng-ed  Crossbill. 

143.  LOXIA  CUBVIBOSTBA  L., 

Var.  AMERICANA  (WUs.)  Cs. 

Common  Crossbill. 

14»a.  LOXIA  CUBVIBOSTBA  L., 
var.  MExiCANA  (Strickl.)  Cs. 
I<arg'e-bllled  Crossbill. 

144.  LEUCOSTICTE  TEFHBOCOTIS  Sw. 

Oray-croimed  Flncb. 

144a.  LEUCOSTICTE  TEFHBOCOTIS  Sw., 
var.  GRiv«'a5rNUCHA  (Brandt)  Cs. 
Or0>jr.eared  Finch. 

145.  LEUCOSTICTE  ABCTOA  (Pall.)  Bp. 

Siberian  Finch. 

146.  iEGIOTHUS  LINABIA  (L.)  Cab. 

Red-poll  I<lnnet. 

146a.  iBGIOTHUS  LINABIA  (L.)  Cab. 

var.  FUSCESCENS  Cs. 

Dusky  Red-poll. 

146b.  JEOIOTHUS  LUTABIA  (L.)  Cab. 
var.  EXILIPE8  Cs. 
American  Healy  Red-poll. 

[147.]   LINOTA  PLAVIBOSTBIS  (L.)  Bp. 
var.  BREW8TERI  (Ridg.)  Cs. 

Brew^ster's  lilnnet. 

148.  CHBYSOMITBIS  FUTUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 

Pine  lilnnet. 

149.  CHBYSOMITBIS  TBISTIS  (L.)  Bp. 
American  Coldflnch;  Tellowblrd. 


29 


I 


; 


I 


■■;>i 


HI 


,    } 


|H  II 


GEN.    62-65    OP   KEY.  81 

150.  CHBYSOMITBIS  LAWBENCEI  (Cass.)  Bp. 

litt^jt^rence's  Croldfluclt* 

151.  CHBYSOMITBIS  PSALTBIA  (Sav)  Bp. 

ArKansas  Ooldflncli. 

151a.  CHBYSOMITBIS  PSALTBIA  (Say)  Bp., 
var.  AiuzonJE  Cs. 
Arizona  Ooldflnch. 

151b.   CHBYSOMITBIS  PSALTBIA  (Say)  Bp., 
var.  mkxicana  (Sw.)  Cs. 
mexlcan  Croldflnch. 

152.  PLECTBOPHANES  NIVALIS  (L.)  Meyer. 

Snow  Bik.:  ^ing*. 

153.  PLECTBOPHANES  LAPPONICUS  (L.)  Selby. 

liapland  liOng-spiir. 

15i.  PLECTBOPHANES  PICTUS  Sw. 
Painted  liark  Bunting*. 

155.  PLECTBOPHANES  OBNATUS  Towns. 
Chestnut-colored  I^ark  Buntlnif. 

156.  PLECTBOPHANES  MACCOWNII  Lawk. 

lIcCown'8  Jjark  Bunting:. 

157?  CENTEONYX  BAIBDII  (Auu.)  Bd. 
Balrd'H  Bunting*. 

157bis.*  CENTBONYX  OCHBOCEPHALUS  Aiken. 
Ochr eons-headed  Bunting*. 

158.  PASSBBCULUS  PBINCEPS  Maynard. 

naynard's  Sparroir. 

159.  PASSBBCULUS  SAVANNA  (Was.)  Bp. 

Savanna  Sparrovr. 

*  Not  in  the  Key.    See  Aiken,  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  237. 


1 

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u  ., 

w 


m 


i 

m  1 4 


(^te 


ij,.i 


GEN.    65-69   OF  KEY. 


33 


159a.  PASSERCULUS  SAVANNA  (Wils.)  Bp., 
var.  ANTHiNus  (Bp.)  Cs. 
Titlark  Sparroiv. 

159b.  PASSERCULUS  SAVANNA  (Wils.)  Bp., 
var.  8ANDVICRNSI8  (Gm.)  Cs. 
IVorttawestem  dparrovr. 

160.  PASSERCULUS  ROSTRATUS  (Cass.)  Bd. 

neaked  Sparroiv. 

160a.  PASSERCULUS  ROSTRATUS  (Cass.)  Bd., 
var.  GUTTATUS  (Lawr.)  Cs. 
St.  I<uca»  Sparrovr. 

161.  POOECETES  QRAMINEUS  (Gm.)  Bd. 
Kay-vrliiB-ed  hunting-;  Cri-ass  Flncli. 

161a.  POOECETES  QRAMINEUS  (Gm.)  Bd., 
var.  coNFiNis  Bd. 
fl^estem  Orass  Flncli. 

162.  COTURNICULUS  PASSERINUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 

ITelloit'-vvlngred  Uparrofr. 

162a.   COTURNICULUS  PASSERINUS  (Wils.)  Bp., 
var.  PKRPALLIDU8  Riclg. 
Bleached  Yelloit-wlng-ed  Sparrow. 

163.  COTURNICULUS  HENSLOWI  (Aud.)  Bp. 

Hensloiv's  Sparrovr. 

164.  COTURNICULUS  LECONTEI  (Aud.)  Bp. 

lieConte's  flparroi« . 

165.  AMMODROMUS  MARITIMUS  (Wils.)  Sw. 

Seaside  Finch. 

166.  AMMODROMUS  CAUDACUTUS  (Gm.)  S,v. 

Sharp-tailed  Finch. 

167.  MELOSPIZA  LINCOLNI  (Aud.)  Bd. 

lilncoln's  Finch. 

Check  List  Birds.      3 


'1 


t 


I 


'A 


O'M 


lOl 


GEN.   69-70   OF  KEY.  85 

168.  MELOSPIZA  PALUSTRIS  (Wils.)  Bd. 

Siramp  Sparrovr. 

169.  MELOSPIZA  MELODIA  (Wils.)  Bd. 

Song-  Sparrow. 

169a.  MELOSPIZA  MELODIA  (Wils.)  Bd., 
var.  FALLAX  (Bd.)  Rldg. 
Oray  Song-  Sparrow. 

169b.  MELOSPIZA  MELODIA  (Wils.)  Bd., 
var.  GUTTATA  (Nutt.)  Ridg. 
Cinereous  Song-  Sparrow. 

169c.  MELOSPIZA  MELODIA  (Wils.)  Bd., 
var.  RUFiNA  (Brandt.)  Ridg. 
Rufous  Song-  Sp^rrow^. 

]69d.  MELOSPIZA  MELODIA  (Wils.)  Bd., 
var.  HKERMANNi  (Bd.)  Ridg. 
Heermann's  Song*  Sparrow^. 

!69e.  MELOSPIZA  MELODIA  (Wils.)  Bd., 
var.  gouldii  (Bd.)  Ridg. 
Crould'ft  Song-  Sparrow. 

169f.  MELOSPIZA  MELODIA  (Wils.)  Bd., 
var.  iNsiGNis  (Bd.)  Ridg. 
BlsclioflT's  Song-  Sparroir. 

170.  PEUCiEA  JESTIVALIS  (Light.)  Cab. 

.  Bactaman's  Finch. 

170a.  PEUCJEA  AESTIVALIS  (Light.)  Cab., 
var.  cassini  (Woodli.)  AU. 
Cassln's  FIncIi. 

171.  PEUCJEA  RUPICEPS  (Cass.)  Bd. 

Rufous-crowned  Flncli. 

171bi8.*  PEUCiEA  CABPALIS  CouEs. 
Rufous-irlng-ed  Sparrow^. 

•Not  in  the  Key.    See  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  p.  322. 


I 


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|,. 


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GEN.    71-74    OF    KEY. 

172.  POOSPIZA  BILINEATA  (Cass.)  Scl. 

niuck-tliruMted  Finch. 

173.  FOOSFIZA  BELLI  (Cass.)  Scl. 

Boll's  Finch. 

174.  JUN-CO  HYEMALIS  (L.)  Sui.. 

Snowbird. 

175?  JUNCO  OREQONUS  (Towns.)  Scl. 
Oreg'on  Mnovrblrd. 

176?  JUNCO  CINEREUS  (Sw.)  Cab., 
var.  CANiCEPS  (Woodh.)  Cs. 
ClncreouM  linoirblrd. 

177.  SPIZELLA  MONTICOLA  (G.vi.)  Bd. 

Tree  Sparrow. 

178.  SPIZELLA  SOCIALIS  (Wils.)  Bp. 

Chipping*  Sparrow. 

178a.  SPIZELLA  SOCIALIS  (Wils.)  Bp., 
var.  AiuzoNiE  Cs, 
Arlasona  Chlpplnic  Sparrow. 

179.  SPIZELLA  PUSILLA  (Wils.)  Bp. 

Field  Sparroiv. 

180.  SPIZELLA  PALLIDA  (Sw.)  Bp. 

Clay-colored  Sparrow. 

180a.  SPIZELLA  PALLIDA  (Sw.)  Bp., 
var.  BREWERi  (Cass.)  Cs. 
JBrewer'B  Sparrow. 

181.  SPIZELLA  ATRIGULARIS  (Cab.)  Bd. 

Black-chlnned  Sparrow^. 

182.  ZONOTRICHIA  ALBICOLLIS  (Gm.)  Bp. 

fThlte-throated  Sparrow. 


87 


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OKN.    74-80    OF    KKV. 

183,  ZONOTRICHIA  LEUCOPHRYS  (Foiiht.)  Sw. 

lflilt<>-(*i'on'iM'«l  MptirroM'. 

183a.  ZONOTRICHIA  LEUCOPHRYS  (Ft)it8r.)  Sw., 
V(ir.  <iAMiti:i.i  fNiitt.)  All. 
€i(iuiib«>rM  M|iHrro«%'. 

184.  ZONOTRICHIA  CORONATA  {Vm.l.)  Bd. 

€irold«n-ci*oi«  ii«*<l  Mpurrow. 

isr..  ZONOTRICHIA  QUERULA  (Nutt.)  Gamh. 
lltirrlH'M  Mpurrow. 

186.  CHONDESTES  QRAMMACA  (Say)  Br. 
liArk  Finch. 

[187.]   PASSER  DOMESTICUS  Linn. 

• 

188.   PASSERELLA  ILIACA  (Mkukkm.)  Sw. 
Fox  Miini'i'ovr. 

18!).  PASSERELLA  TOWNSENDII  f  Aud.)  Nutt. 
Tout  iiMend'tt  Vox  M|»iirro«v. 

189a.  PASSERELLA  TOWNSENDII  (Aud.)  Nl tt., 
var.  8CIII8TACKA  (Bd.)  Cs. 
MInte-volorcd  Fox  Mpurroft^. 

190.  CALAMOSPIZA  BICOLOR  (Towns.)  Bp. 
liArk  lluiitlnir;  Itfhitc-^'InyrcMl  Ulackblrd. 

191.  EUSPIZA  AMERICANA  (Gm.)  Bp. 

*ilack-t1ii'o»t<>d  Uuntins*. 

I"  USPIZA  TOWNSENDII  (Aud.)  Bp. 

Toirnseiid'M  Hunting'. 

193.  GONIAPHEA  LUDOVICIANA  (L.)  Bowdich. 

ItOBe-breattted  OroHbeak. 

194.  QONIAPFT^A  MELANOCEPHALA  (Sw.)  — . 

Bl      k-headed  Ciroeibeak. 


8U 


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J.  >; 

if.: 


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•Mil: 

1        \VA  :■■ 

:\'Ui- 

'  i  r  i 

1^    ,;|i. ;, 

'     •l''l^ 

*      .;(i.*v' 

r?ir]*i 

f-'li 

dm 

,  ^*|:, 

:  hi  Hi*'; 

GEN.  80-85   OF  KEY. 

195.  GONIAPHEA  C^RXTLEA  (L.). 

Blue  Crrosbeak. 

196.  CYAWOSPIZA  CIBIS  (L.)  Bd. 
Painted  Flncta;  Itfonparell. 

197.  tJTAasOSPIZA  VERSICOLOR  (Bp.)  Bd. 

f^esitern  IVonparell. 

198.  CTANOSFIZA  AMCENA  (Say)  Bd. 

liazull  Finch. 


41 


199.    CYANOSPIZA  CYANEA  (L.)  Bd. 
Indlg-o  Bird. 

[200.]  SPERMOPHILA  MORELETII  Puchehan. 
Itlorelet's  Flncta. 

[201.]  PHONIPARA  BICOLOR  (L.)  Bp. 
Black-faced  Flncta. 

202.  PYRRHULOXIA  SINUATA  By. 

Texas  Cardinal. 

203.  OARDINALIS  VIRGINIANUS  (Brisson)  Bp. 

Cardinal  Bedblrd. 


I*- 


ll 


U^fc, 


It 


203a.   CABDUTALIS  VIRGINIANTJS  (Brisson)  Bp., 
var.  iGNEUS  (Bd.)  Cs. 
Fiery  Bedblrd. 

204.  PIPILO  ERYTHROPHTHALMUS  (L.)  V. 

Towtaee  Bunting-;  Ctae^rlnk. 

204a.  PIPILO  ERYTHROPHTHALMUS  (L.)  V., 

Var.  ALLENI  Cs, 

IVtalte-eyed  Towtaee. 

205.  PIPILO  MACULATUS  Sw., 

var.  OREOONUS  (Bell)  Cs. 
Oreffon  Tovrtaee. 


:1l^r 


I  i  tj 


r'S 


GEN.   85-89    OF    KEY.  43 

206a.  PIPILO  MACULATUS  Sw., 
var.  AKCTICU8  (Sw.)  Cs. 
Arctic  Tovrliee. 

205b.  PIPILO  MACULATUS  Sw., 

var.  MEGALONYX  (Bd.)  Cs. 

Spurred  Towhee. 

206.  PIPILO  PUSCUS  Sw. 
Brown  Xoirliee;  Canon  Flncli. 

206a.  PIPILO  PUSCUS  Sw., 

lar.  ALBiGULA  (Bd.)  Cs. 
li^lilte-tliroated  Towliee. 

206b.  PIPILO  PUSCUS  Sw., 
var.  CRissALis  (Vig.)  Cs. 
Crissal  Towhee. 

207.  PIPILO  ABERTIBd. 

Abert's  Towliee. 

208.  PIPILO  CHLOBURUS  (Towns.)  Bd. 

Oreen-tailed  Towhee. 

209.  EMBERNAQRA  RUPIVIRGATA  Lawr. 

Oreen  Fincli. 

210.  DOLICHONYX  ORYZIVORUS  (L.)  Sw. 

Bobolink;  Reedblrd;  Blceblrd. 

211.*  MOLOTHRUSPECORIS(Gm.)  Sw. 
Coirblrd. 

21la.  MOLOTHRUS  PECORIS  (Gm.)  Sw., 
var.  OB8CURU8  (Gin.)  Cs. 
Bvrarf  Cowblrd, 

212.  AQELiEUS  PHCENICEUS  (L.)  V. 
Bed-wlng-ed  Blackbird. 

*  This  should  stond  as  Molothrua  ater  (Gm.)  Gr, 


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i'.  ■'; 

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i ';.  bbIis 

v.! 

m 


GEN.    89-93    OP   KEY. 


45 


212a.  AQELJBUS  PHGE3NICEUS  (L.)  V., 
var.  GUBKRNATOK  (Wagl.)  Cs. 

]ted[-8lioiilder«d  Blackbird. 

212b.  AGELJEUS  PHCBNICEUS  (L.)  V., 

var.  TRICOLOR  (Nutt.)  Cs. 
Bed-and-vt'liite-sliouldered  Blackbird. 

213.  XANTHOCEPHALUS  ICTEROCEPHALUS  (Bp.)  Bd. 

ITellow-headed  Blackbird. 

214.  STUBNELLA  MAGNA  (L.)  Sw. 

Fieldlark;  IHeadovrlark. 

214a.   STURNELLA  MAGNA  (L.)Sw., 
var.  NEGi.ECTA  (Aud.)  All. 
Iffestern  Fieldlark. 

215.  ICTERUS  SPTJRIUS  (L.)  Bp. 

Orchard  Oriole. 

215a.-  ICTERUS  SPURIUS  (L.)  Bp., 
var.  AFFiNis  (Lavvr.)  Cs. 
Texan  Orchard  Oriole. 

216.  ICTERUS  BALTIMORE  (L.)  Dandin. 

Baltimore  Oriole. 

217.  ICTERUS  BULLOCKII  (Sw.)  Bp. 

Bullock's  Oriole. 

218.  ICTERUS  CUCULLATUS  Sw. 

Hooded  Oriole. 

219.  ICTERUS  PARISORUM  Bp. 

Scott's  Oriole. 

220.  ICTERUS  MELANOCEPHALUS  (Waol.)  Gr., 

var.  AUDUBONU  (Girand.)  Cs. 
Audubon's  Oriole. 

221.  SCOLECOPHAGUS  PERBUGINEUS  (Gm.)  Sw. 

Busty  Orackle. 


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•  I;, 

I  ; 


■5 


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ill  \ii\: 


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GEN.    93-97    OF   KEY. 


47 


ii 


222.   SCOLECOPHAGUS  CYANOCEPHALUS  (Wagl.)  Cab. 
Blue-headed  Orackle. 

228.   QUISCALUS  MACROURUS  Sw. 
Crreut-talled  Crrackle. 


224.  QUISCALUS  MAJOR  Vikil. 
Boat-tailed  Crrackle;  Jackdavr. 

225.  QUISCALUS  PURPUREUS  (Bartr.)  Light. 
Purple  Orackle;  Crour  Blackbird. 

225a.   QUISCALUS  PURPUREUS  (Bartr.)  Light., 
var.  agl^us  (Bd.)  Cs. 
Florida  Orackle. 

226.  CORVUS  CORAX  Linn. 

Baven. 

227.  CORVUS  CRYPTOLEUCUS  Couch. 

IVhite-neeked  Baven. 

228.  CORVUS  AMERICAinrS  Aud. 

Common  Croir. 

228a.   CORVUS  AMERICANUS  Aud., 
var.  FLORiDANUS  Bd. 
Florida  Crow. 


II! 


"I 

I- 


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IM 


228b.  CORVUS  AMERICAITUS  Aud., 
var.  CAURiNUS  (Bd.)  Cs. 
IVortlivrestern  Fish  Crow^. 


229.   CORVUS  OSSIPRAQUS  Wits. 
Fish  Crovr. 


■^Ul 


230.  PICICORVUS  COLUMBIANUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 
Clarke's  Crow. 


23L   GYMNOKITTA  CYANOCBPHALA  Maxim. 
Blue  Crow. 


"1       -!- 


li 


i 


GEN.   98-101    OF   KEY.  49 

232.  PSILORHINUS  MORIO  (Waql.)  Gu. 

,  Itrovrn  Jay. 

233.  PICA  MELANOLEUCA  V., 

var.  iiui»80NiCA  (Sab.)  All. 
American  Magrplc^  . 

233a.  PICA  MELANOLEUCA  v., 

» 

var.  NUTTALLi  (And.)  Cs. 
Yelloir-bllled  ]flain>i<^* 

234.  CYANURUS  CRISTATUS  (L.)  Sw. 

nine  Jay. 

235.  CYANURUS  STELLERI  (Gm.)  Sw. 

Mteller'H  Jay. 

235a.   CYANURUS  STELLERI  (Gm.)  Sw., 
v(tr.  MACKOLoriiA  (B(l.)  All. 
.1.ong--ci'c>»te<l  Jay. 

235b.*  CYANURUS  STELLERI  (Gm.)  Sw., 
tar.  FnoNTAMS  Itidg. 
niiie-f'rontcd  Jay. 

23G.  APHELOCOMA  PLORIDANA  (Bartkam)  Cab. 

Florida  Jay. 

236a.  APHELOCOMA  PLORIDANA  (Bartr.)  Cam., 
var.  wooDUOusEi  (Bd.)  All. 
liV'oociliouse'M  Jay. 

236b.  APHELOCOMA  FLORIDANA  (Bartr.)  Cab., 
var.  cALiKORNiCA  (Vijr.)  Cs. 
Californian  Jay. 

237.  APFELOCOMA  SORDIDA  (Sw.)  Cab. 
Sleber'8  Jay. 

*Not  in  the  Key.    See  Ridgway,  Am.  Journ.,  v,  p.  43. 

CHECK  LIST  BIRDS.        4 


I 


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I, 


V-  i 


kn. 


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Mm 


IB 


fi 


OEX.    102-107    OF    KEY. 

238.   XANTHOURA  YNCAS  (BooD.)  Bp., 
vnr.  i.uxuo.sA  (Less.)  Cs. 
Klo  Ciirun(l«>  Juy. 

289.  PERISOREUS  CANADENSIS  (L.)  Bp. 
C'miiimIh  Juy. 

[240.]   MILVULUS  TYRANNUS  (L.)  Bp. 
Foi'k-tMilC'«l  FlyoMtcltor. 

241.  MILVULUS  PORPICATUS  (Cm.)  Sw. 

Mwallow-tailtMl  Fly<*Mtcli«>r. 

242.  TYRANNUS  CAROLINENSIS  (L.)  Do. 

KliiK'blrcl ;  Uc'O-niurtin. 

243.  TYRANNUS  DOMINICENSIS  (Gm.)  Rich. 

Cri'ny  KIns-bii'd. 

244    TYRANNUS  VERTICALIS  Say. 
ArkHiiMUM  Flyeutclicr. 

245.   TYRANNUS  VOCIPERANS  Sw. 

[240.]   TYRANNUS  MELANCHOLICUS  V., 
var.  COUCH  11  (Bd.)  Cs. 
Coiich'N  FlycMtclier. 

247.  MYIARCHUS  CRINITUS  (L.)  Cab. 

Cri'e»t-cix>»ted  Flycutclici*. 

248.  MYIARCHUS  CINERASCENS  Lawk. 

AHli-tliruatcd  Fl;^-catcli«i*. 

[249.]   MYIARCHUS  LAWRENCEI  (Giuaud.)  Bd. 
'     I^afrrence's  Flycntcher. 

250.  SAYORNIS  SAYUS  (Bp.)  Bd. 

Say's  Flycatcher. 

251.  SAYORNIS  NIGRICANS  (Sw.)  Bp. 

Black  Flycatcher. 


51 


'1  ti'  > 


•.if  . 
IK' 

':l 
tiff 

-i 


OEN.    107-110   OF   KEY. 

262.  SAYORNIS  PUSCUS  (Cm.)  Dd. 
l»<»w«»«»;  Pewit;  Phwbo. 

253.   CONTOPUS  BOREALIS  (Sw.)  Bd. 
OIIv<>-Ml«l<>d  Fl^  <*ut«;livr. 

2r>4.   CONTOPUS  PERTINAX  Cah. 
Cou<>«'  Fl^  cuti*li«>r. 

285.   CONTOPUS  VIRENS  (L.)  Cab. 
Df'ood  l*«v»'oe. 

255a.   CONTOPUS  VIRENS  (L.)  Cah., 
var.  HiciiAitnsoNii  (Svv.)  Ca., 
Kfentcrn  I'Vood  Pewot?. 

256.  EMPIDONAX  ACADICUS  (Gm.)  Bd. 
Aradlan  Fljcntcher. 

267.  EMPIDONAX  TRAILLII  (Aid.)  Bd. 
Ti'Mlll'ti  Flycntclier. 

257a.  EMPIDONAX  TRAILLII  (Aud.)  Bd., 
var,  rusiLLus  (Bd.)  Cs. 
riilttlo  l)¥e8tei'n  Flycatcher. 

258.  EMPIDONAX  MINIMUS  Bd. 

I^east  Flycatcher. 

259.  EMPIDONAX  PLAVIVENTRIS  Bd. 

Yelloiiv-bellled  Flycatcher. 

260.  EMPIDONAX  HAMMONDII  Bd. 

Hammond's  Flycatcher. 

2G1.   EMPIDONAX  OBSCURUS  (Sw.)  Bd. 
1¥rlirht's  Flycatcher. 

262.  MITREPHORUS  PULVIPRONS  (Giraud.)  Scr-., 

var.  PALLESCKN8  Cs. 

Buff-breattted  Flycatcher. 


53 


! 
f 

1 

1 

* 

1 

• ' 

,i 

■ 

i 

.    : 

Vd:h 


,'t  5  *.' 


.,    t\ 


fl  \ 


■ !;!     .  -i 


GEN.    Ill,    114-120    OF    KEY. 

263.  PYROCEPHALUS  RUBINEUS  (Bodd.)  Gr., 

var.  MKXiCAMs  (Scl.)  Cs. 
Vermilion  Fl.yeatclier. 

264.  ANTROSTOMUS  CAROLINENSIS  (Gm.)  Gould. 

diiicl4-%vill'M-i«  idoif . 

265.  ANTROSTOMUS  VOCIPERUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 

TFIii|>l>oori«'lll;  ^ifclit-Jar. 

266.  ANTROSTOMUS  NUTTALLII  (Aul>.)  Cass. 

IViittall'H  IVhippoorvfill. 

267.  CHORDEILES  VIRGINIANUS  (.Briss.)  Bp. 

:Nig-litliawk. 

26711.    CHORDEILES  VIRGINIANUS  (Briss.)  Bp., 
rar.  UKNRYi  (Cass.)  All. 
l>V4>stcru  !¥ Ig-litliai»  k. 

268.  CHORDEILES  TEXENSIS  Lawr. 

TexuN  MiK'tJitliaivl4. 

269.  PANYPTILA  SAXATILIS  (Woouii.)  Cs. 

IVhitc-tiiroutcd  Mwift. 

270.  NEPHCECETES  NIGER  (Gm.)  Bd., 

var.  I50UKALIS  (Keunorly)  Cs. 
:siack  Mwif't. 

271.  CHJETURA PELASGIA  (L.)  Stkph. 

C  iiinin«  y  Hvtif't. 

272?  CHJETURA  VAUXII  (Towns.)  DkKay. 
^  aux'M  Mwif't. 

273.  HELIOPiEDICA  XANTUSII  Tawr. 
XatitiiM  lliinuinins'birfl. 

[274.]  LAMPORNIS  MANGO  (L.)  Sw., 

(««r.  POHPIIYRULA?) 

Black-tliroatod  Hummitifrbirtf. 


55 


i! 


mi   :  I   I 


un 


'1 


f2> 


GEN.  121-125,  112,  113,   126,  127  of  key. 

275.  TROCHILUS  COLUBRIS  L. 
Itiiby  throated  Htininiingrbird. 

276.  TROCHILUS  ALEXANDRI  Bourc. 
Itluck-cliinnefllluniniing'blrd. 

277.  SELASPHORUS  RUFUS  (Gm.)  Sw. 
Rut oii8-1>ticked  Hiiinniinfjirblrd. 

278.  SELASPHORUS  PLATYCERCUS  (Sw.)  Gm>. 

]Broad-tnilv<l  lluiuiiiiiiirbird. 

279.  SELASPHORUS  ANNA  (Less.)—. 

Anna  Humming-bird. 

280.  SELASPHORUS   COSTJE  (Bouuc.)  Br. 

CoHta  Hiimmingrblrd. 

281.  SELASPHORUS  HELOIS^  ( )  . 

Helolse  llummin|i$-bird. 

282.  STELLULA   CALLIOPE  (— -)  Old. 

Calliope  Hummingrbird. 

[283].   AGYRTRIA  LINN-ffill  (Bp.)  . 

lilnne  Huniming-bird. 

[284].   TROGON  MEXICANUS   Sw. 
mLeaiican  Troitron. 

[285].  MOMOTUS  C^RULEICEPS  Gouid. 
Blue-headed  MaKvbill. 

286.  CERYLE  ALCYON  (L.)  Boik. 

Belted  King-fisher. 

287.  CERYLE  AMERICANA  (Gm.)  Boik, 

var.  CABANisi  (Reich.)  Cs. 
Cabanis'  King-flsher. 

288.  CROTOrFlAGA  ANI  L. 

Anl. 

289.  QEOCOCCYX  CALIFORNIANUS  (Less.)  Bd. 

Crround  Cuchoo ;  Chaparral  Cock. 


57 


\^ 


^LA^ 


GEN.    128-131    OF   KEY.  59 

290.  COCCYZUS  ERYTHEOPHTHALMUS  (Wii-s.)  Bd. 

Black-billed  Cuckoo. 

291.  COCCYZUS  AMERICANUS  (L.)  Bp. 

Yelloff -1>ille<l  Cuckoo. 

292.  COCCYZUS   SENICULUS  (Lath.) . 

]niitiils:i'OTe  Cuckoo. 

293.  CAMPEPHILUS  PRINCIPALIS  (L.)  Gr. 

Ivoi*y-bllle«l  l^Toodpeckcr. 

294.  HYLOTOMUS  PILEATUS  (L.)  Bo. 
Pilentcd  IfToodpecker ;  liOg-cock. 

295.  PICUS  ALBOLARVATUS  (Cass.)  Bd. 

lif'liite-lieaded  l>f  oodpeckcr. 

296.  PICUS  BOREALIS  V. 
Bed-cockaded  m^oodpecker. 

297.  PICUS  SCALARIS  Wagler. 

Texas  l^oodpecker. 

297a.  PICUS  SCALARIS  Wagl., 
var.  nuttali.i  (Gamb.)  Cs. 
IVuttall's  IfVoodpecker. 

297b.  PICUS  SCALARIS  Wagl., 
var.  lucasanus  (Xant.)  Cs. 
St.  XiUcas  ^H^oodpecker. 

298.  PICUS  VILLOSUS  L. 
Hairy  liV'oodpecker. 

298a.  PICUS  VILLOSUS  L., 
var.  HARRisi  (Aud.)  All. 
Harris'  It^oodpecker. 

299.  PICUS  PUBESOENS  L. 
Bovrny  "VToodpecker. 


Ni 


*  I 


*  * 


hi  L  A 


I 


; 


GEN.    131-134    OF   KEY. 

299a.   PICUS  PUBESCENS  L., 
var.  OAiKDXKuii  (Aiul.)  Cs. 
Onlrdner'H  l^oodpeckei*. 

300.  PICOIDES  ARCTICUS  (Sw.)  Gi?. 
Itluck-backed  I'^oodiicu'ki'i*. 

301.  PICOIDES  AMERICANUS  Bukiim. 
BuiMlc'd-bneked  M'oodpcM'kor. 

301a.   PICOIDES  AMERICANUS  Bhkhm., 
var.  DOKSALis  (Bd.)  All. 
iitrii»«d-baekc'd  lif^oodiieckei*. 

302.  SPHYRAPICUS  VARIUS  (L.]  Bd. 
YellovY'-bellivd  IToodiieeker. 

302a.   SPHYRAPICUS  VARIUS  (L.)  Bd., 
var.  NuciiAUs  (Bd.)  All. 
Hiiclial  lif'oodpeckei*. 

303?*   SPHYRAPICUS  RUBER  (Gm.)  Bd. 
nvd-breawted  l^oodiivcker. 

304.  SPHYRAPICUS   THYROIDEUS  (Cass.)  Bd. 

JBro««  n-lieaded  lif  oodpeckei*. 

305.  SPHYRAPICUS  WILLIAMSONI  (Nkwb.)  Bd. 

lif  illiamson'H  IfV^oodpeckci*. 

306.  CENTURUS   CAROLINUS  (L.)  Bp. 

Itcd-1»ellled  H^oodpecker. 

307.  CENTURUS  AURIPRONS  (Wagl.). 

fellovr-t'aced  H'oodpecker. 

308.  CENTURUS  UROPYGIALIS  Bd. 

Cilia  f¥ood|>ecker. 


61 


iifii- 


t*! 


♦  Apparently  a  var.  of  302. 


I    ' 


1 


:♦> 


II! 


1 

S'  1  !?• 

^H8  It 

11 

li 

1! 

GEN.    135-140   OF    KEY. 

SOD.  MELANERPES  ERYTHROCEPHALUS  (L.)  S\v. 
ll«'d-li«'acle«l  l!f'ood|>i'ch<>r. 

310.  MELANERPES  FORMICIVORUS  (S\v.)  Bp. 

C'ttliforniun  ^Vou«l|i4><'koi*. 

310a.  MELANERPES  FORMICIVORUS  (Sw.)  Bp., 

V(t):    ANOrsTlFKONS    Bl). 

]V»ri*ov» -fronted  liVoodiiecker. 

311.  ASYNDESMUS  TORQUATUS  (Wii.s.)  Cs. 

liowltt'  'Wowdiicekvr. 

312.  COLAPTES  AURATUS  (L.)  Sw. 
Cioldcii-^-lnit'ed  l)¥u«>d|ii'ckor ;  Flicker. 

313.  COLAPTES  CHRYSOIDES  Maui. 

Ciiitled  l)%^oodiieekei*. 

314.  COLAPTES  MEXICANUS  Sw. 
llc^d-Hliafted  Itf^ooilix'cker. 

315.  CONURUS   CAROLINENSIS  (L.)  Kuhl. 

Cai'olinu  Pnri'oqiiet. 

816.   STRIX  PLAMMEA  L., 
Var.   AMKHICANA  (Autl.)  Cs. 

Jiturn  OjivI. 

317.  BUBO  VIRQINIANUS  (Gm.)  Bp. 
Oreat  Horned  0%vl. 

317a.   BUBO  VIRGINIANUS  (Gm.)  Bp., 
var.  ARCTicus  (Sw.)  Cass. 
Arctic  Horned  Oivl. 

817b.  BUBO  VIRGINIANUS  (Gm.)  Bp., 
var.  PACiFicus  Cass. 
Pacific  Horned  Owl. 


03 


W 


'-':    <!.,. 


:      ;i' 


m. 


I 


I 


ill 


GEN.    141-147    OF   KEY. 

318.  SCOPS  ASIO  (L.)  Bp. 
Norvccli  Oi% I ;  ]?IottU>fl  Ov» I. 

31Ha.    SCOPS  ASIO  (L.)  Bi-., 
Var.  KKNNKJOTTU  (Kll.)  Cs. 

K4>niiirott'N  0«vl. 

3181).  SCOPS  ASIO  (L.)  Hi-., 
var.  MACCALMi  (Cass.)  Cs. 
UrC  MirM  On  I. 

3iy.  SCOPS  FLAMMEOLA  Her.. 
Flnniiuiil»te«l  4^wl. 

320.  OTUS  VULGARIS  (L.), 
var.   wii.HONiANUB  (Lus.s.)  All. 

liOiiK'-oartMl  €^n'l. 

321.  BRACHYOTUS  PALUSTRIS  Auct. 

Wliort-«>ar('fl  Ov%'l. 

322.  SYRNIUM  LAPPONICUM  (L.), 

var.   tiNEKKiM  (Gin.)  IMug. 
Cni'cat  Ciiray  4l«vl. 

823.   SYRNIUM  NEBULOSUM  (Fouht.)  Gu. 
JKarri'd  O^vl. 

324.  SYRNIUM  OCCIDENTALE  Xant. 

li¥c>Mt('rn  Uai'i'C'd  Owl. 

325.  NYCTEA  NIVEA  (Daud.)  Gii. 

liinowy  Owl. 

826.  SURNIA  ULULA  (L.)  Bp., 

var.  HUDSONicA  (Gm.)  Kidg. 
Haw  k  Ow  1 ;  Uay  Owl. 

827.  NYCTALETENGMALMI  (Gm.), 

var.  liiciiAUDSONii  (Bp.)  Ridg. 
Tenfriualni'fi  Owl. 

CHECK  LIST  IiII{D.S.         5 


65 


I 


i«4 


y, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


I.I 


l:i|28     |2.5 

|50     "■■■        ■■■ 


m 


1.25 

lA. 

1.6 

— ^ 

4 6"     

► 

Hiotographic 

Sdaices 

Corporation 


:>?^V 


23  WEST  MAIN  SfSEET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872.4503 


lA 


*y 


GEN.    147-157    OF   KEY. 

328.  iryCTALE  ACADICA  (Gm.)  Bp. 
A.cadlnn  Owl ;  Mnvt-whet  Owl. 

329.  GLAUCIDIUM  PASSERINUM, 

var.  CALiKOKNicuM  (Scl.)  Rldg. 
Pys-my  Owl. 

330.  GLAUCIDIUM  PERRUQINEUM. 

FcrruK-ineouM  Owl. 

331.  MICRATHENE  WHITNEYI  (Coor.)  Cs. 

l^liltncy's  Owl. 

332.  SPEOTYTOCUNICtJLARIA(MoL.), 

var.  HYPOG.EA  (Bp.)  Cs. 
Sitrrowlng*  Owl. 

333.  CIRCUS  CYANEU3  (L.)  Lxc{'a\, 

ir     H'TDHONIUS  ('    )  Cs. 

Marsla  "■^->wii;   Ilurrler. 

334.  ROSTRHAMUS  SOCIABILIS  (V.)  D'Orb. 

KvergrlMde  Kite. 

335.  ICTINIA  MISSISSIPPIENSIS  (\Vii.».)  Gr. 

Ill«tftl8i»l|»pi  Kite. 

33G.  ELANUS  LEUCURUS  (V.)  Bp. 

l^taltc-tailcd  Kite ;  mack-shouldered  Kite. 

837.  NAUCLERUS  PURCATUS  (L.)  ViG. 
flwallow-tailed  Kite. 

338.  ACCIPITER  PUSCUS  (Gm.)  Bp. 
Mharp-shlniied  Hawk ;  Pig-eon  Hawk. 

339.  ACCIPITER  COOPERI  Bp. 
Cooper's  Hawk ;  Chicken  Hawk. 

340.  ASTUR  ATRICAPILLUS  (Wii.8  )  Br. 

Croshawk. 


67 


III 


;i: 


GEN.    158-159    OF   KEY. 


69 


341.  PALCO  SACEB  FOU8T. 
Cryrfttlcon;  •Verl'ttlcon. 

341a.  FALCO  SACEB  FOK8T., 
var.  CANUICAN8  (Gm.)  Ridg. 
Crreenland  Cryrt'alcon. 

342.  FALCO  MEXICANUS  Licut. 

littnier  Falcon. 

343.  FALCO  COMMUNIS  Vaworum. 
Pereg-rlne  Falcon ;  Duck  Hawk. 

344.  FALCO  COLUMBAHIUS  L. 

Plyeon  Hawk. 

345.  FALCO  BICHAROSONII  Kiua. 

nichardtion's  Falcon. 

340.  PALCO  SPABVEEIUS  L. 
filparro%«'  Hawk. 

34Ga.  FALCO  SPABVEBIUS  L., 
var.  I8AUELUNUS  (Sw.)  Iliclg. 
Isabella  Sparrow  Hawk. 

347.  FALCO  FEMOBALIS  Tkmm. 

Femoral  Falcon. 

348.  BUTEO  UNICINCTUS  (Tkmm.)  Gk., 

var.  HARKitii  (Aud.)  llidg. 
HarrlH'  Uuaszard. 

349?  BUTEO  COOPEEI  Ca88. 
Cooper's  Ituzzard. 

350?  BUTEO  HABLANI  (Aud.)  Bp. 
Harlan's  Suzzard. 

351.   BUTEO  BOBEALIS  (Gm.)  V. 
Hed-talled  Buzzard;  Hen  Haw^k. 


§ 


/I 

ml 

W 

,.3,? 

3 


OEN.    159-101    OF    KEY.  71 

351a.  BUTEO  BOREALIS  (Gm.)  V., 
mr.  CALURCs  (Cass.)  Rldg. 
Ifrestcrn  Iled-tnlled  IBuzasard. 

351b.  BUTEO  BOREALIS  (Gm.)  V., 
rar.   lucasanus  Hidg. 
Ht.  liiicas  Buxzard. 

351c.*  BUTEO  BOREALIS  (Gm.)  V., 
var.  KHiDKiii. 
Krlder'H  lluzznr«l. 

352.  BUTEO  LINEATUS  (Gm.)  .Iauo. 
Red-Nlioiildorcd  liiizztird. 

352a.  BUTEO  LINEATUS  (Gm.)  Jahd., 

vnr.   F.r.KOANs  (Cass  )  Kidg. 
fVetitern  Ited-shoiildertMl  Buzzard. 

353.  BUTEO  ZONOCERCUS  Scl. 

Band-tailod  Hank. 

354.  BUTEO  SWAINSONI  Bp. 

Mivain«ioii*M  Jiiizzard. 

355.  BUTEO  PENNSYLVANICUS  (Wn.s.)  Bp. 

]iroad-i«  Iiiifod  Uiizzard. 

35G.  ARCHIBUTEO  LAGOPUS  (Bkunn.)  Gu., 
var.  sANCTi-.ioiiANNis  (Gin.)  liidjr. 
Ilu»g-li-lf|f|fcd  Uuzzard. 

357.  ARCHIBUTEO  FERRUGINEUS  (Light.)  Gu. 

FerruK-ineouK  Buzzard. 

358.  ASTURINA  PLAGIATA  Sciilkgicl. 

Cfray  Havtli. 

369.t  OWYCHOTES  GRUBERI  Kino. 
Crruber'M  Buzzard. 

•  S.'^lcj.    Not  ill  Key ;  not  published  at  iliite  of  going  to  prcus, 
t368.    Quoftioniibly  Nortli  Aniericnn. 


'?  ' 


I  V 

i ! 
.'« 


mm 


GEN.    1()2-171    OF   KEY. 

360.  PANDION  HALIAETUS  (L.)  Saviusy. 
Fiitli  Hawk;  Osprey. 

301.  AQUILA  CHBYSAETUS  (L.). 

Oolden  Kag-lc. 

302.  HALIAETUS  LEUCOCEPHALUS  (L.)  Savionv. 

IfTblte-licaded  Kag-le;  UaJd  Uairle. 

3G3.  POLYBORUS  THARUS  (Moll.)  Cass., 
var.  AUUUBUNU^(Cass.)  IlJdg. 
Audu1»on'i»  Caracara. 

8C4.  CATHARTES  CALIPORNIANTIS  (Shaw)  Cuv. 
Callfornlan  Vulture. 

365.  CATHARTES  AURA  (L.)  Illigbr. 
Turkey  IBuzzard. 

306.   CATHARTES  ATRATUS  (Baktb.)  Lkss. 
IBlack  Vulture ;  Carrion  Ci*Of»'. 

367.  COLUMBA  PASCIATA  Say. 

Hand-tailed  Plsreon. 

368.  COLUMBA  PLAVIROSTRIS  Wagleij. 

Ited-bllled  Plsreon. 

369.  COLUMBA  LEUCOCEPHALA  L. 

Wlilte-crovmed  Pl§reon. 

370.  ECTOPISTES  MIQRATORIUS  (L.)  Sw. 

Wild  Plireon. 

371.  ZENiEDURA  CAROLINENSIS  (L.)  Bp. 

Carolina  Dove. 

372.  ZENiBDA  AMABILIS  Bp. 

Zenalda  Dove. 


73 


m 


III  i 
4  f  '  f 


hhi 


373.  MELOPELEIA  LEUCOPTERA  (L.)  Bp. 
1i;iilte*iwlnir«di  Dove. 


in 


I 


II 


GEN.    172-178    OF    KEY. 


75 


074.   CHAMJBFELEIA  FASSEBINA  (L.)  Sw. 
Ciroiind  ]>ovc*. 

:574a.  CHAMJBPELEIA  PASSERINA  (.1  •)  Sw., 

Var.  PALI.KMCKN8  (BU.)  Cs. 

At.  liiicttH  Ground  Dovo. 

;J7rj.  SCARDAPELLA  SQUAMOSA  (Tkmm.)  Br., 
var.  INCA  (Less.)  Cs. 
Mcnlvd  IBove. 

:J7G.   QEOTRYGON"  MARTINICA  (G.M.)  IlKicii. 

.')77.   STARNCENAS  CYANOCEPHALA  (L.)  Hi'. 
]llu»-licud<Ml  Ol'OUIld  ]»4»V«. 

378.  ORTALIDA  VETULA  (Wa.m.). 
Tcsian  Ciiinn. 

37!).  MELEAGRIS  QALLOPAVO  L. 
Tiirkc^y. 

n79a.  MELEAQRIS  QALLOPAVO  L., 
vnr.  AMERICANA  (Baftr.)  Cs. 
Common  D^lld  Turkey. 

380.  TETRAO  CANADENSIS  L. 
Canada  Crrouse ;  Spruce  Partrldire. 

380a.  TETRAO  CANADENSIS  L., 
var.  FRANKLiNi  (DoujjUis)  Cs. 
Franklin's  Orouse. 


1 
I 


381.  TETRAO  ORSCURUS  Say. 
Dusky  Crrouse. 

381a.  TETRAO  OBSCURUS  Say, 

var.  RICHARD80NII  (Dougl.)  Cs. 

Richardson's  Orouse. 


OEN.    179-184   OF    KEY. 

382.  OBNTROCERCUS  UROPHASIANUS  (Br.)  Sw. 

Mnirv  €'o<*k;  €'ock-or-th<'-l*lnlnN. 

383.  FEOICECETES  FHASIANELLUS  (L.)  Kix. 

IVortli€>m  Mhurii-tMiled  (■iroimc. 

383u.  PEDKECETES  PHASIANELLU8  (I.)  Km,., 

Var.  COKITMHIANIIH  (Onl.)  Cs. 

Common  NhMrii-talleil  CSroune. 

384.  CUPIDONIA  CUPIDO  (L.)  Bd. 
l*lnnut«<l  CiroiiNv;  Prnlrle  !■<>■■. 

386.   BON  AS  A  UMBELLUS  (L.)  Stki-h. 
RuflrvdOrouNo;  Pnrtiidir*' ;  PlieuMiint. 

385a.  BON  ASA  UMBELLUS  (L.)  Stki-ii., 
var.  uMBKi.i.oiDioH  (l)ougl.)  Bd. 
CSray  Hufl'od  CiiroiiAV. 

3851).  BONASA  UMBELLUS  (L.)  Stkimi., 
var.  SABiNKi  (I)ougl.)  Cs. 
Oreg'on  niilfcd  Oroiifie. 

386.  LAGOPUS  ALBUS  (Gm.)  Aud. 

'Vrillow  Ptnrmlirftn. 

387.  LAGOPUS  RUPESTRIS  (Gm.)  Leacu. 

Rock  Ptarmiiran. 

388.  LAGOPUS  LEUCURUS  Sw. 
^mite-talled  Ptarmlg-an. 

389.  ORTYX  VIRQINIANUS  (L.)  Bp. 
Tirvinla  Partrldg-« ;  ^uall ;  Bob-white. 

389a.  ORTYX  VIRGINIANUS  (L.)  Bp., 


77 


I-:; 

!l 

l  i 

.■] 


,',    ^ 


1    <i 

r 


var. 


Florida 


FLORIDANUS  Cs. 

Partridge. 


GEN.    184-192    OF   KEY. 

389b.   ORTYX  VIRGIinAWTJS  (L.)  Bp., 
var.  TKXANtJS  (Lawr.)  Cs. 
Texnn  Partrldg-e. 

390.  OREORTYX  PICTUS  (Dougl.)  Bi>. 

Plumed  Partrldg-e. 

391.  LOPHORTYX  CALIPORNICUS  (Shaw)  Br. 

CaltforniMii  Partrldgrc 

392.  LOPHORTYX  QAMBELI  Nutt. 

Craiubel'H  Partrldg-e. 

393.  CALLIPEPLA  SQUAMATA  (Vig.)  Gu. 

tiiealvd  Partridg-«. 

394.  CYRTONYX  MASSENA  (Less.)  Gld. 

9Ia,MM€'na  Pa,rtrid|jre. 

395.  SQUATAROLA  HELVETICA  (L.)  Cuv. 

mack-bclIied  Plover. 

396.  CHARADRIUS  PULVUS  Gm., 

var.  VIRGINICU8  (Borck.)  Cs. 
Crolden  P1ot«m'. 

397.  -ffiSQIALITIS  VOCIPERUS  (L.)  Cass. 

Klldeei'  Plover. 

398.  iEQIALITIS  WILSONIUS  (Okd)  Cass. 

l^llson's  Plover. 

399.  iEQIALITIS  SEMIP-^  LMATUS  (Bp.)  Cab. 

eienilpalinated  Plover;  Itlng-nech. 

400.  iEQIALITIS  MELODUS  (Ord)  Cab. 

Piping*  Plover;  Rlnirneck. 

401.  iEQIALITIS  CANTIANUS  (Lath.). 

Snowy  Plover. 


7  It 


n 


'    I 


It  H 


I 


'SI 


*■ 


-1 
-  « 


km 


GEN.    191-202   OF   KEY. 

402.*  iBGIALITIS  ASIATICUS  (Pall.), 
var.  MONTANU8  (Towns.)  Cs. 
Mountain  Plover. 

403.  APHRIZA  VIRGATA  (Gm.)  Gb. 

Surr  nird. 

404.  HJBMATOPUS  PALLIATUS  Temm. 

Oyster-catcher. 

405.  HiBMATOPUS  NIGER  Pallas. 

Slack  Oyster-catcher. 

406.  STREPSILAS  INTERPRES  (L.)  III. 

Turnstone. 

406a.  STREPSILAS  INTERPRES  (L.)  III., 

var.  MKLANOCEPHALU8  (Vig.)  Cs. 

niack-headed  Turnstone. 

407.  RECURVIROSTRA  AMERICANA  Gm. 

Avocet. 


81 


I 


if 


408.  HIMANTOPUS  IHGRICOLLIS  V. 

Stilt. 

409.  STEGANOPUS  WILSONI  (Sab.)  Cs. 

Hfllson's  Phalarope. 

410.  LOBIPES  HYPERBOREUS  (L.)  Cuv. 

Northern  Phalarope. 

411.  PHALAROPUS  PULICARIUS  (L.)  Bp. 

Red  Phalarope. 

412.  PHILOHELA  MINOR  (Gm.)  Gr. 

American  DVoodcock. 


[413.]   SCOLOPAX  RUSTICOLA  L. 
European  Hf'oodcock. 


*May  require  to  stand  as  Eudromiaa  montanus  (Towns.'*  llartini^. 
CHECK  U8T  BIRDS.         6 


GEN.  203-207  or  key. 

4U.   GALLINAQO  WLLSONI  (Temm.)  Bp. 
American  Snipe;  'Vfilson's  8nlpe. 

415.  MACRORHAMPHUS  GRISEUS  (Gm.)  Leach. 

Red-breasted  Snipe. 

415a.  MACRORHAMPHUS  GRISEUS  (Gm.)  Leach, 
var.  8COLOPACEU8  (Say)  Cs. 
Itongr-liilied  Snipe. 

416.  MICROPALAMA  HIMANTOPUS  (Bp.)  Bd. 

Stilt  Sandpiper. 

417.  EREUNETES  PUSILLUS  (L.)  Cass. 

Semipalmated  Sandpiper. 

417a.  EREUNETES  PUSILLUS  (L.)  Cass., 
var.  occiDKNTAUS  (Lawr.)  Cs. 
fV^estem  Semipalmated  Sandpiper. 

418.  TRINGA  MINUTILLA  V. 

I^east  Sandpiper. 

419.  TRINGA  BAIRDII  Coues. 

Aaird'd  Sandpiper. 

420.  TRINGA  MACULATA  V. 

Pectoral  Sandpiper. 

421.  TRINGA  BONAPARTEI  Soul. 
ll¥liite-rumped  Sandpiper. 

422?  TRINGA  COOPERI  Bd. 
Cooper's  Sandpiper. 

423.  TRINGA  MARITIMA  Brunnich. 

Purple  Sandpiper. 

424.  TRINGA  ALPINA  L., 

var.  AMERICANA  Cass. 
A.merican  Dunlin. 


83 


GEN.    207-217   OF  KEY. 

425.  TRINGA  SUBARQUATA  Guld. 

Curlew  Sandpiper. 

426.  TRINGA  CANUTUS  L. 
Red-brensted  Sandpiper;  Knot. 

426bls.*  TRINGA  CRASSIROSTRIS  Schleoel. 
Tlilck-bllled  Sandpiper. 

427.  CALIDRIS  ARENARIA  (L.)  III. 
Sanderllng* ;  Ruddy  Plover. 

428.  LIMOSA  PEDOA  (L.)  Oud. 
Oreat  narbled  Oodwit. 

429.  LIMOSA  HUDSONICA  (Lath.)  Sw. 

Hiidsonlan  Oodwit. 

430.  LIMOSA  UROPYGIALIS  Gould. 

ffiiite-rumped  Crodwlt. 

431.  TOTANUS  SEMIPALMATUS  Gm. 
Senilpalniated. Tattler;  IfflUet. 

432.  TOTANUS  MELANOLEUCUS  Gm. 

Crreater  Tell-tale. 

433.  TOTANUS  PLAVIPES  Gm. 

^''elloir-staanks. 

[434.]  TOTANUS  CHLOROPXJS  Nilsson. 
Crreen-8  hank  8. 


85 


435.  TOTAirtJS  SOLITARIUS  Wils. 

Solitary  Tattler. 

436.  TRINGOIDES  MACULARIUS  (L.)  Gr. 

Spotted  Sandpiper. 

♦Not  in  the  Key.    Obtained  at  St.  Paul's  Island,  by  II.  \V.  Elliot.    Ideiitifled  by 
J.  E.  Harting.    See  Dall,  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  Oct.,  1873,  p.  034. 


I  'I 

!        <i\ 

I  .   %■ 


ll 


GEN.  218-222,  224-228  of  ket. 

[437.]  FHILOMACHUS  PUQNAX  (L.)  Gb. 
Huff;  Reere. 

488.  AOTITURUS  BARTRAMIUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 
Sartramlan  Sandpiper ;  Upland  Plover. 

439.  TRYWOITES  RUPESCENS  (V.)  Cab. 

Buir-1»rea»fed  Sandpiper. 

440.  HETEROSCELUS  IB'CAinJS(GM.>C8» 

fTanderlnfr  Tattler. 

441.  NXJMENIUS  LONQIROSTRIS  Wils. 

I.on8--bllled  Curlew. 

442.  NUMENIUS  HUDSONICUS  Lath. 

Hudsonlan  Curlew. 

443.  NUMENIUS  BOREAIiIS  (Forst.)  Lath. 

Esquimaux  Curlew^. 

444.  TANTALUS  LOCULATOR  L. 

ITood  Ibis. 

445.  IBIS  PALCINELLUS  Auct., 

var.  ORDU  (Bp.)  All. 
Olossy  Ibis. 

446.  IBIS  ALBA  (L.)  V.  ^ 

ivriilte  Ibis. 

[447.]  IBIS  RUBRA  (L.)  V. 
Scarlet  Ibis. 

448.  PLATALEA  AJAJA  L. 
Roseate  Spoonbill. 

449.  ARDEA  BERODIAS  L. 
Oreat  Blue  Reron. 

460?  ARDEA  WURDEMANNI  6d. 
Florida  Reron. 


87 


I 


jl 


111 


I 


i  ^ 


41 


4( 


46 


4G 


GEN.  228-238,  223  of  key-. 

451.  ARDEA  OCCIDENTALIS  Auo. 

Great  'White  Heron. 

452.  ARDEA  EGRETTA  Gm. 
Ciretit  W^hlte  Kvrret. 

453.  ARDEA  CANDIDISSIMA  Jacqi  in. 

l.lttle  White  Kg-ret. 

454.  ARDEA  LEUCOQASTRA  Gm., 

var.  i.Ki'COi'UYMNA  (Lifl)t  )  Cs. 
liOiiiHlnim  Heron. 

455.  ARDEA  RITPA  Bodd. 

lled«llsh  Kirret. 

45C.  ARDEA  CJBRULEA  L. 
lilttle  nine  Heron. 

457.  ARDEA  VIRESCENS  L. 

Oreen  Heron. 

458.  irrCTIARDEA  GRISEA  (L.;  Stepii., 

var.  NyEviA  (Bodii.)  Alien. 
IVilCht  Heron. 

459.  mrCTIARDEA  VIOLACEA  (L.)  Sw. 
Yellovr-croi^'ned  IVig-ht  Heron. 

460.  BOTAURUS  MINOR  (Gm.). 
Bittern;  Indian  Hen. 


89 


i  i  11 

i 


'  r 


'i[ 


ii? 


401.  ARDETTA  EXILIS  (G.m.)  Gr. 
lieast  Bittern. 

462.   GRUS  AMERICANUS  (L.)  Ord. 
W^hlte  Crane;  Whooplnsr  Crane. 

403.   GRUS  CANADENSIS  (L.)  Temm. 
Brown  Crane ;  Sandhill  Crane. 


I  I  :,;- 


I 


i: 


47 


47 


t7i 


47( 


OEN.  239-247  OF  key. 
4C4.  ARAMUS  BCOLOFACEUS  (Gm.)  V., 

Var.  GIOANTKUH  (Up.)  Cs. 

Mcolo|>ncc>ous  Coiirliin. 

4C5.   BALLUS  LONGIBOSTRIS  Doud. 
Clapper  Rail;  Malt-water  JMaritli  Hen. 

460.  BALLUS  ELEGAITS  Aud. 
Fresli-water  9Iarsli  Hen. 

467.  BALLUS  VIBQINIANUS  L. 

Yiririnla  Rail. 

468.  POBZANA  OABOLINA  (L.)  V. 
Carolina  Hail;  Sora;  Ortolan. 

469.  FOBZANA  NOVEBOBACENSIS  (Gm.)  Cass. 

Yellow  Rail. 

470.  FOBZANA  JAMAICENSIS  (Gm.)  Cass. 

Black  Rail. 

[471.]  OBEX  FBATENSIS  Bechstein. 
Com  Crake. 


91 


i 


1r'  V 


If:'     ii 


472.  QALLINULA  GALEATA  (Licht.)  Br., 

(CHi-OROPUS  varf). 
Florida  Cialllnule. 

473.  POBFHYBIO  MABTINICA  (L.)  Tkmm. 

Purple  Oallinule. 

474.  PULICA  AMEBICANA  Gm. 

Coot. 

m.  FHCENICOFTEBUS  BUBEB  L. 
Flamingo. 

476.  OYGNUS  BUCCINATOB  Riciiabdson. 
Trumpeter  Swan. 


^ 


GEN.    247-250   OF   KEY. 

477.  CYGNUS  AMERICANUS  Shahpless. 

Tniiiitltnis-  Dwan. 

478.  ANSER  ALBIPRONS  Gm., 

var.  GAMBKLi  (^Iliirtl.)  Cs. 
American  Hf  liite-frouted  Ooo»e. 

479?  ANSER  CiERULESCENS  L. 
nine  OooAC. 

480.  ANSER  HYPERBOREUS  Pall. 

finoiv  Ooofie. 

480a.  ANSER  HYPERBOREUS  Pall., 
var.  ALBATUS  (Cass.)  Cs. 
liesser  Hlno«v  Crootic. 

481.  ANSER  ROSSII  Bd. 

llOHS'  Croose. 

482.  PHILACTE  CANAGICA  (Skvast.)  Bann. 

Painted  Ooose. 

[483.]  BRANTA  LEUCOPSIS  (L.). 
Barnacle  Crouse. 


93 


i 
if 


484.  BRANTA  BERNICLA  (L.). 

Urant  droose. 

485.  BRANTA  CANADENSIS  (L.). 
Canada  Ooose ;  IfV'ild  Ouose. 

485a.  BRANTA  CANADENSIS  (L.), 
var.  LEucoPAUEiA  (Brandt)  Cs. 
^¥liite-colIared  Cioose. 

485b.  BRANTA  CANADENSIS  (L.), 
var.  iiuTCHiNsii  (Rich.)  Cs. 
Uutclilns'  Croose. 


iv 


GEN.   251-259   OF  KEY. 

486.  DBNDROCYGNA  PULVA  (Gm.)  Burm. 

Fulvous  Tree  Duck. 

487.  DENDROCYGNA  AUTUMNALIS  (L.)  Eyton. 

Vutumnnl  Tree  Duck. 

488.  ANAS  BOSCHAS  L. 

Mallard. 

489.  ANAS  OBSCURA  Gm. 

Dusky  Duck. 

490.  DAFILA  ACUTA  (L.)  Jenyns. 

Pintail;  Sprig-tall. 

491.  CHAULELASMUS  STREPERUS  (L.)  «ray. 

Oadivrall;  Oray  Duck. 

[492.]  MARECA  PEITELOPE  (L.)  Bp. 
European  l^idg-eon. 

493?  MARECA  AMERICANA  (Gm.)  Steph. 
American  IfTidgreon;  Baldpate. 

[494.]  QUERQXTEDULA  CRECCA  (L.)  Step^. 
Eng-lisb  Teal. 

495.  QXTERQUEDULA  CAROLINENSIS  (Gm.). 

Oreen-wingred  Teal. 

496.  QUERQUEDULA  DISCORS  (L.)  Steph. 

Blue-irinved  Teal. 

497.  QUERQUEDULA  CYANOPTERA  (V.)  Cass. 

Cinnamon  Teal. 

498.  SPATULA  CLYPEATA  (L.)  Boie. 

Shoveller. 

499.  AIX  SPONSA  (L.)  Boie. 
Summer  Duck ;  fl^ood  Duck. 


95 


i  ; 


(I 


GEN.    260-268    OF    KEY. 

600.  PULIQULA  MARILA  (L.)  Steph. 
Crreatcr  IBlackliead. 

601  ?  FULIGULA  AFPINIS  Eytox. 
lieiisci*  nincklicad. 

602.  PULIQULA  COLLARIS  (Donovan)  Bp. 
lling'-necKcd  Duck. 

503.  PULIQULA  PERINA  (L.)  S\v., 

var.  AMKUiCANA  (Eyton)  Cones. 
llcdiicud;  Pocliar<l. 

504.  PULIQULA  VALLISNERIA  (Wils.)  Stepii. 

Canvus-bnck. 

505.  BUCEPHALA  CLANQULA  (L.)  Gn. 

Crolden-eycd  Dut'k. 

606.   BUCEPHALA  ISLANDICA  (Gm.)  Bd. 
Uarrotv's  Ooldcn-vye. 

507.  BUCEPHALA  ALBEOLA  (L.)  Bd. 

Biillle-licndcd  ]>uck. 

508.  HARELDA  QLACIALIS  (L.)  Lbach. 

liongr-talled  Duck. 

609.   CAMPTOL-ffilMUS  LABRADORIUS  (Gm.)  Gh. 
liabrador  Duck. 

510.  HISTRIONICUS  TORQUATUS  (L.)  Bp. 

Harlequin  Uuck. 

511.  SOMATERIA  STELLERI  (Pali,.)  Jaudine. 

Mtvllor's  »uck. 

512.  SOMATERIA  FISCHERI  (Buandt)  Coues. 

Spectacled  KIder. 

613.   SOMATERIA  MOLLISSIMA  (L.)  Leach. 
Kldei*  Duck. 

Check  List  Birds.         7 


97 


I- 1' I 


':'■  1  'm 


Mi 

■i  I II 

.»  I, 


k.>- 


u     ' 


'  I 


OEN.  268-274  OF  key. 

614?  SOMATERIA  V-NIQRA  Gray. 
Pacific  KIder. 

615.   SOMATERIA  SPECTABILIS  (L.)  Liticn. 
King-  Klder. 

610.   CEDEMIA  AMERICANA  Sw. 
Aiiierlcaii  Klack  Hcotcr. 

67.7.   GEDEMIA  FUSCA  (L.)  Sw., 
{?var.  VKLVKTiXA  Cass.) 
TclTCt  Scoter. 

618.   CEDEMIA  PERSPICILLATA  (L.)  Flkjiixq. 
Miirf  Duck. 

518a.   CEDEMIA  PERSPICILLATA  (L.)  Fi^nasa, 
var.  ruowumDOEi  (Bd.)  Coues. 
l.ong--blllcd  Neuter. 

519.   ERISMATURA  RUBIDA  (Wils.)  Bp. 
lluddy  nuek. 

[520.]  ERISMATURA  DOMINICA  (L.)  Eyton. 
at.  DonilniiTO  Duck. 

521.  MERGUS  MERGANSER  L. 
merg-anser ;  Ooosander. 

522.  MERGUS  SERRATOR  L. 
lle<l-breaHted  ^Tlerg-anser. 

523.  MERGUS  CUCULLATUS  L. 

lIoo<led  MeriraiiMer. 

624.   SULA  BASSANA  L. 
Craiiiii't;  Mulan  Ciouse. 

525.   SULA  FIBER  L. 
Itouby  Ciaiinet. 

626.  PELECANUS  TRACHYRHYNCHUS  Lath. 
^Thite  Pelican. 


99 


i 
'. 


5  1 


!'*? 


%  '■  m 


(/EN.  274-280  OP  KBr. 


101 


627.   PELECANUS  PUSCUS  L. 
llroim  Pelican. 

528.  GEACULUS  CARBO  (L.)  Gray. 
Coiuiuoii  C'ornioi'tuit ;  Mliag*. 

529.  GRACULUS  CXNCINNATUS  (Brandt)  Gray. 

Hfhlte-tufted  Conuoraut. 

530.  GRACULUS  DILOPHUS  (Sw.)  Gray. 

]>ouble-ci'cstcd   Cormorant. 

630a.   GRACULUS  DILOPHUS  (Sw.)  Gray, 
var.  FLORIDANUS  (And.)  Coues. 
Florida  Cormorant. 

631.  GRACULUS  MEXICANUS  (Brandt)  Bp. 

Mexican  Cormorant. 

632.  GRACULUS  PENICILLATUS  (Brandt)  Bp. 

llrandt's  Cormorant. 

533.   GRACULUS  PERSPICILLATUS  (Pall.)  Lawk. 
Pallas'  Cormorant. 

634.  GRACULUS  BICRISTATUS  (Pall.)  Bd. 

Mcd-taced  Cormorant. 

635.  GRACULUS  VIOLACEUS  (Gm.)  Gr. 

Tlolet-g'reen  Cormorant. 

636.  PLOTUS  ANHINGA  L. 

Anlilngra;  Darter. 

637.  TACHYPETES  AQUILUS  (L.)  V. 

frigrate. 

638.  PHAETHON  FLAVIROSTRIS  Brandt. 

^rello^v-bllled  Tropic  Itlrd. 

639.  STERCORARIUS  SKUA  (Brunn.)  Couks. 

Skua  Oull. 


■ti .' 


OEN.    280-281    OF    KEY. 


103 


640.   STERCORARIUS  POMATORHINUS  (Temm.)  Lawb. 
Poiuarinc  tlucg-cr. 

541.   STERCORARIUS  PARASITICUS  (Bhunn.)  Quky. 
IHchnrdsoii'it  Jttc*iror. 

642.  STERCORARIUS  BUFFONI  (Boik)  Couks. 
Arctic  tfaeit-er;  l.oii|r-t»iled[  Jueitrer. 

643.  LARUS  GLAUCUS  Bkunn. 

CirlUllCUUfI    Crllll. 

644.  LARUS  IiEUCOPTERUS  Faukr. 

^Vlaitc-wlng-eil  Ciiill. 

545.   LARUS  GLAUCESCENS  Light. 
Crltiucoiis-wlng-vd  Ciiill. 

646.  LARUS  MARINUS  L. 
Orcat  Itlack-backcd  Criill. 

647.  LARUS  ARQENTATUS  Buunx. 
Hcrrinif  Gull;  Coniinoii  Oiill. 

647a.  LARUS  ARGENTATUS  Bnuxx., 
var.  SMiTiisoNiANUS  Coues. 
American  Herring-  Gull. 

647b.  LARUS  ARGENTATUS  Brunx., 
var.  occiDENTAMS  (And.)  Cones. 
HVestern  Herring*  Gull. 

548.  LARUS  DELAWARENSIS  Ord. 

lling-billed  Gull. 

548a.   LARUS  DELAWARENSIS  Ord, 
var.  CALIFOUNICU8  (Lawr.)  Coues. 
Callfornlan  Gull. 

549.  LARUS  CANUS  L., 

var.  BRACiiYRHYNCrius  (Rich.)  Coues. 
American  Meiv  Gull. 


TIf 


ii 


!    I 


'  1 


w 


I 


; 


OEN.   281-291    OF  KKY. 


105 


650.  LARUS  EBURNEUS  G.M.  r 

Ivory  fiiiill. 

561.  LARUS  BELCHERI  Viooiis. 

>f  llU«'.|l4'tUl«'<l   <;hII 

652.  LARUS  TRIDACTYLUS  L. 

Mlltiwako  Ciiill. 

562a.  LARUS  TRIDACTYLUS  L., 
vai:  KoTZKHUi  (HpO  Coucs. 
Paolllc  Kltti^vukc. 

653.  LARUS  BREVIROSTRIS  (Huanpt)  Couks. 

Mliort-billecl  KLIttlnttko. 

654.  LARUS  ATRICILLA  L. 

liHiiiriiiiiir  Cliiiii. 

655.  LARUS  FRANKLINI  Ricn. 

Fraiiklln'M  RoMy  Ciiill. 

656.  LARUS  PHILADELPHIA  (Oud)  Coues. 

]lona|iurte*M   Criill. 

657.  RHODOSTETHIA  ROSEA  (Macgill.)  Bp. 

^Vcilg-e-talled  Oull. 

658.  XEMA  SABINEI  (Sak.)  Bp. 

Fork -tailed  Ciiill. 

659.  XEMA  PURCATUM  (Nkhoux). 

Hwallo^v-talled  Criill. 

6C0.  STERNA  ANGLICA  Montagu. 
Criill-blllc<l  Tern;  JMarsli  Tern. 

661.  STERNA  CASPIA  Pallas, 

var.  iMPEUATon  Coues. 
Caspian  Tern. 

662.  STERNA  REGIA  Gambel. 

Royal  Tern. 


■  ' »: 


if ,  Jji 


i 


51 


5( 
C 

5( 


5( 


6( 


5( 


5/ 


[S 


67 


57 


[5 


67 


67 


"  M. 


GEN.    291-295    OF    KEY. 


10' 


5C3.   STERNA  GALERICULATA  Liciit. 
£leirant  Tern. 

604.   STERNA  CANTIACA  Gm. 
8and%«'icli  Torn. 

665.   STERNA  HIRUNDO  L. 
Coninnon  Tern ;  fiiea  Swallow. 

6GC.  STERNA  PORSTERI  Nutt. 
Forster's  Tern. 

667.  STERNA  MACROURA  Naumaxn. 

Arctic  Tern. 

668.  STERNA  LONQIPENNIS  Nordmann. 

Pike's  Tern. 

509.   STERNA  PARADIS^A  Brunn. 
Roseate  Tern. 

570.  STERNA  SUPERCILIARIS  V. 
liCas.   Tern. 

[571.]   STERNA  TRUDEAUI  Aud. 
Trudenu's  Tern. 

672.   STERNA  ALEUTICA  Baird. 
Aleutian  Tern. 

573.   STERNA  PULIGINOSA  Gm. 
Sooty  Tern. 

[574.]   STERNA  ANOSTHiETA  Scopoli. 
Bridled  Tern. 

575.  HYDROCHELIDON  PISSIPES  (L.)  Gray. 
Black  Tern. 

676.  ANOUS  STOLIDUS  (L.)  Leach, 

IVoddy  Tei'n. 

677.  RHYNCHOPS  NIGRA  L. 

Black  Skimmer. 


i^ 


a 


■  *:! 


fli  ,■-)., 


-^ 


GEN.    296-305    OF   KEY. 

678.  DIOMEDEA  BRACHYURA  Temm. 

dliort-tailed  Albatross. 

679.  DIOMEDEA  NIQRIPES  Aud. 
Black-tooted  Albatross. 

680.  DIOMEDEA  PULIQINOSA  Gm. 

Sooty  Albatross. 

681.  PULMARUS  QIGANTEUS  (Gm.). 

Oiant  Fulmar. 

582.  PULMARUS  GLACIALIS  (L.)  Steph. 
Fulmar  Petrel. 

582a.  PULMARUS  GLACIALIS  (L.)  Stepii., 
var.  PACiFicus  (And.)  Coues. 
Pacific  Fulmar. 

582b.   PULMARUS  GLACIALIS  (L  )  SrEP;t., 
var.  RODGEUSi  (Cuss.)  Coucs. 
Bodg-ers'  Fulmar. 

[583.]  PULMARUS  TENUIROSTRIS  (Aui>.)  Coues. 
Slender-billed  Fulmar. 

[584.]  DAPTION  CAPENSIS  (L.)  Stepii. 
Pintado  Petrel ;  Cape  Pig-eon. 

[685.]  ^STRELATA  H^SITATA  (Kuhi.)  Coues. 
mack-capped  Petrel. 

686.   HALOCYPTENA  MICROSOMA  Coues. 
I^edg-e-tailed  Petrel;  liCast  Petrel. 

587.  PROCELLARIA  PELAGICA  L. 

dtormy  Petrel ;  mother  Carey's  Cklcken. 

588.  CYMOCHOREA  LEUCORRHOA  (V.)  Coues. 

liCacli's  Petrel. 

689.   CYMOCHOREA  MELANIA  (Bp.)  Coues. 
Black  Petrel. 


109 


"i 
1 

-J      ^ 

f 


•4 


OKN.    30.5-310  OF  KEY. 

590.  CYMOCHOREA  HOMOCHROA  Coues. 

Asliy  Petrel. 

591.  OCEANODROMA  PURCATA  (Gm.)  Bp. 

fork-tailed  Petrel. 

692.  OCEANODROMA  HORNBYI  CGray)  Bp. 

Hornby's  Petrel. 

693.  OCEANITES  OCEANICA  (Kum.)  Coues. 

l^ll8on'»  Petrel. 

[594.]  PREGETTA  GRALLARIA  (V.)  Bp. 
l!¥liite-beliiea  Petrel. 

[695.]  PUPPINUS  MELAWURUS  (Bonn.)  Coues. 
lilack-talled  Riliearwuter. 

596.  PUPPINUS  KUHLII  Bp. 
Cinereous  Uliearwater. 

597.  PUPPINUS  MAJOR  Faheu. 

Cireater  Sliearivater. 

698?  PUPPINUS  CREATOPUS  Couks. 
Flesh-tooted  Shearwater. 

699.  PUPPINUS  ANGLORUM  Tem.m. 
]VIanks  r}hear«^  ater. 

600.  PUPiTINUS  OBSCURUS  (Gm.)  Lath. 
Itusiiy  whearivater. 

601  ?  PUPPINUS  OPISTHOMELAS  Coues. 
lilaeii-veiited  Mhearwater. 

602?  PUPPINUS  PULIGINOSUS  Stiiickl. 
Sooty  llhear«%'titer. 

603?  PUPPINUS  AMAUROSOMA  Coues. 
l>ark-b<»«lied  Nheai'ivttter. 

604.  PUPPINUS  TENUIROSTRIS  Temm. 
Sleuder-bllled  Shearwater. 


Ill 


r-iJ 


m 


ii!  J'^^ 


it: 


it 


m 


60< 


60i 


601 


60( 


60; 


60f 


60J 


600 


61C 


611 


612 


613 


■HBMIiaiMIIHiaiVi 


GEN.    311-314   OF  KEY. 

605.  COLYMBUS  TOEQUATUS  Brunn. 
lioon ;  Crreat  IVortliern  If iver. 

605a.   COLYMBUS  TOEQUATUS  Brunn., 
var.  ADAMsii  (Gray)  Coues. 
Yellow-bllledi  I^ood. 

606.  COLYMBUS  AECTICUS  L. 
Black-throated  Diver. 

606a.   COLYMBUS  AECTICUS  L., 
var.  PACiFicus  (Lawr.)  Coues. 
Pacific  Diver. 

607.  COLYMBUS  SEPTENTEIONALIS  L. 

Red-throated  Diver. 

608.  PODICEPS  OCCIDENTALIS  Lawr. 

ITestern  C}re1>e. 

608a,  PODICEPS  OCCIDENTALIS  Lawr., 
var.  CLARKii  (Lawr.)  Coues. 
Clarke's  Orebe. 

609.  PODICEPS  CEISTATUS  (L.)  Lath. 

Crested  Crrebe. 

610.  PODICEPS  QEISEIQENA  (Bodd.)  Gray, 

var   iioLBOLLi  (Reinh.)  Coues. 
Ited-necked  Orebe. 

611.  PODICEPS  COENUTUS  (Gm.)  Lath. 

Horned  Orebe. 

612.  PODICEPS  AUEITUS  (L.)  Lath., 

var.  CALIFORNICU8  (Heerm.)  Coues. 
American  £ared  Orebe. 

613.  PODICEPS  DOMINICUS  (L.) 

St.  Doniln§ro  Orebe. 

Check  List  Birds.         8 


113 


L-<     i. 


GEN.    315-323   OF  KEY.  115 

614.  PODILYMBUS  PODICEPS  (L.)  Lawr. 

Pled-bllled  Itabclilck. 

615.  ALCA  IMPENNIS  L. 

Oreat  Auk. 

[Extinct  ?] 

616.  UTAMANIA  TORDA  (L.)  Leacu. 

Razor-billed  Auk. 

617.  PRATERCULA  CORNICULATA  (Naum.)  Gray. 

Horned  Pullln. 

618.  PRATERCULA  ARCTIC  A  (L.)  Steph. 

Common  Puflin;   Sea  Parrot. 

618a.  PRATERCULA  ARCTICA  (L.)  Steph., 
var.  GLACIALI8  (Leach)  Coues. 
liarg-e-bllled  Pullln. 

619.  PRATERCULA  CIRRHATA  (Pall.)  Stefii. 

Tufted  Puflin. 

620.  CERATORHINA  MONOCERATA  (Pall.)  Cass. 

Horn-billed  Auk. 

621.  PHALERIS  PSITTACULA  (Pall.)  Temm. 

ParroQuet  Auk. 

622.  SIMORHYNCHUS    CRISTATELLUS  (Pall.)  Mkrrem. 

Crested  Auk. 

623.  SIMORHYNCHUS  CAMTSCHATICUS  (Lepe«h.)  Sohl. 

ff taiiikercd  Auk. 

624.  SIMORHYNCHUS  PUSILLUS  (Pall.)  Coues. 

K.nob-bllled  Auk;   lieast  Auk. 

625.  PTYCHORHAMPHUS  ALEUTICUS  (Pall.)  Brandt. 

Aleutian  Auk. 


. 


6a( 

631 
62i 

62! 
63( 

68: 

B 

68: 

63: 
63 


esi 


^p> 


GEN.  324-328  or  key.  117 

636.  MERGULUS  ALLE  (L.)  Vieill. 

Sea  Dove;  Dovekte. 

637.  SYNTHLIBOBHAMPHUS  ANTIQUUS  (Gm.)  Brandt. 

Black-tlirouted  Crulllemot. 

628.  SYNTHLIBOBHAMFHUS 

WURMIZUSTTME  (Tbmm.)  Coum. 
Temmlnck's  Auk. 

629.  BRA.CnYBHAMFHUS  MABMOBATUS  (Gm.)  Brampt. 

Marbled  Murrelet. 

680.  BBACHYBHAMPHUS  KITTLITZII  Brandt. 
Kimitz's  nurrelet. 

631.  UBIA  GBYLIiE  (L.)  Bbunn. 
Black  Crulllemot ;  Sea  Pig-eon. 

682.  UBIA  COLUMBA  (Pall.)  Cass. 
Plreon  Oulllemot. 

638.  UBIA  CABBO  (Pall.)  Brandt. 

Sooty  Crulllemot. 

634.   LOMVIA  TBOILE  (L.)  Brandt. 
Common  Oulllemot;  Murre. 

685.  LOMVIA  ABBA  (Pall.)  Coubs. 
Ttalck-blllea  Culllemot. 


EXTINCT  SPECIES. 


1.  UINTOBNIS  LUCARIS  Mausu. 


2.  AQUILA  DANAWA  Marsh. 


wn 


8.  BUBO  LEPTOSTEUS  Marsh. 


«|'i| 


4.  MELEAGRIS  ANTIQUUS  Marsh. 


6.  MELEAGRIS  ALTUS  Marsh. 


6.  MELEAGRIS  CELER  Mauih. 


7.  GRUS  HAYDEN^  Marsh. 


8.   GRUS  PROAVUS  Marsh. 


9.  ALETORNIS  NOBILIS  Marsh. 


10.  ALETORNIS  PERNIX  Marsh. 


11.  ALETORNIS  VENUSTUS  Marsh. 


12.  ALETORNIS  GRACILIS  Marsh. 


18.  ALETORNIS  BELLUS  Marsh. 


14.  TELMATORNIS  PRISCUS  Marsh. 


15.  TELMATORNIS  AFPINIS  Marsh. 


(119) 


'   b 


EXTINCT   SPECIES. 
16.  PALiEOTRIXTGA  LITTOEALIS  Mar«i. 


121 


17.  PALJEOTRINGA  VETUS  Marsh. 


18.  PALiEOTRINGA  VAGANS  Marsh. 


19.  SULA  LOXOSTYLA  Copk. 


20.  GRACULUS  IDAHENSIS  Marsh. 


21.   GRACULAVUS  VELOX  Marsh. 


^2.  GRACULAVUS  PUMILUS  Marsh. 


23.   GRACULAVUS  ANCEPS  Marsh. 


23bis.*  GRACULAVUS  AGILIS  Marsh. 


24.  ICHTHYORNIS  DISPAR  Marsh. 


24bis.t  APATORNIS  CELER  Marsh. 


25.  PUPPINUS  CONRADI  Marsh. 


26.  CATARRACTES  ANTIQUUS  Marsh. 

27.  CATARRACTES  APPINIS  Marsh. 


"8.  HESPERORNIS  REGALIS  Marsh. 


29.  LAORNIS  EDVARDSIANUS  Marsh. 


•Not  in  the  Key.    (Marah,  Am.  Jour.,  Scl.  and  Arts,  v,  p.  230,  March,  1873.) 

fNot  In  the  Key.  This  epecies,  with  No.  24,  represcnta  a  now  order,  Ichth]/or- 
nithes,  of  a  new  aubclasB,  Odontornithei.  (Marah,  Am.  Jour.,  Sci.  and  Arts,  t, 
p.  161,  Feb.,  1873.) 


APPENDIX 


CONTAINING 


ADDITIONS  AND   CORRECTIONS 


TO  THE  CHECK  LIST. 


P,{EPAiiED  under  circumstances  of  remote  isolation  which  deprived 
th  •  author  of  the  advantage  of  certain  worlis  of  reference  he  desired 
to  consult,  the  CHECK  LIST  contains  some  names  for  which  no 
authority  is  cited,  and  in  a  few  instances  a  change  of  the  authority 
given  may  be  required. 

One  new  species  has  been  added  to  the  North  American  fauna  during 
the  printing  of  the  List ;  five  additional  known  species  have  since  been 
ascertained  to  occur  in  this  country,  and  meanwhile  several  new  varie- 
ties have  been  published  after  the  impression  had  passed  the  page 
where  they  should  respectively  appear;  these  are  brought  into  the 
present  connection.  Most  of  them  appear  entitled  to  varietal  recog- 
nition; but  in  printing  the  names  formally,  for  the  convenience  of 
those  who  may  desire  to  use  such  names  in  la'  elling,  the  author  must 
not  necessarily  be  held  to  endorse  them  in  e-    .;  instance. 

The  body  of  the  List  was  printed,  and  some  early  copies  distributed, 
in  Dec,  1873;  but  the  publication  of  the  volume  was  held  over  until 
1874,  to  insert  in  the  Appendix  names  then  about  being  published. 


No.  41?  The  query  indicates  a  probability  that  this  is  a  variety  of 
No.  40,  as  held  by  Mr.  Allen. 

No.  46.   The  United  States  form  constitutes  a  variety  of  true  mexi- 
canus.    See  Ridgway,  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  603. 

(123) 


■Vi 


APPENDIX  TO  CHECK  LIST. 


125 


46.   CATHERPES  MEXICANUS  (Sw.)  Bd., 
var.  CONSPEK8U8  Ridg. 
^riilte-tliroated  IfTren. 

No.  53a.  The  pale  western  Eremophila,  not  the  same  as  the  small 
bright  southwestern  var.  rufa,  may  be  distinguished  as 

63b.  EBEMOFHILA  ALFESTBIS  (Forst.), 
var.  LEucoLiEMA  Couei, 
Prairie  XiUrk. 

No.  55bis.  The  following  species,  a  straggler  from  Asia,  is  in  the 
Smithsonian  Institution  from  St.  Michael's,  Alaska,  and  should  take 
place  in  the  list. 

[56bis.]  ANTHUS  PRATENSIS  Bechst. 
Headovr  Pipit. 

No.  68.  The  ^^•'ciflc  form  is  varietally  distinguishable.  See  Ridg- 
way.  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  606.  The  Floridau  form,  later  distinguished 
by  Mr.  Ridgway  as  var.  obscurua,  seems  hardly  worthy  of  recognition 
by  name. 

68a.  HELMINTHOPHAQA  CELATA  (Say)  Bd., 
var.  LUTESCENS  Ridg. 
Oolden  Orang-e-crowned  fV^arbler. 

No.  88.  On  the  Mississippi  Valley  form,  see  Ridgway,  Am.  Nat., 
vii,  1873,  606. 

88a.  DENDRCECA  DOMINICA  (L.)  Bd., 
var.  ALBiLORA  Bd. 
'Wblte-browed  Yellow-tliroated  ^l^arbler. 

No.  99  ?  The  probability  mentioned  in  the  text  may  be  regarded  as 
assured. 

No.  102.  The  Pacific  form  is  varietally  distinguishable.  See  Ridg- 
way, Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  608. 

102a.  MYIODIOCTES  PUSILLUS  (Wils.)  Bp., 
var.  piLEOLATA  (Pall.)  Ridg. 
Pacific  Flycatclilng-  fTarblcr. 

[No.  106.]  According  to  Baird  and  Ridgway,  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873, 
612,  this  should  stand  as  C.  bahamensis. 

[106.]   CERTHIOLA  BAHAMENSIS  Reich. 
Boney  Creeper. 


,:!,/!!! 


APPENDIX   TO   CHECK   LIST. 


127 


No.  13oa.  The  C.  elcgans  of  Baird  (not  of  Swainson)  has  been  re- 
named C.  ludovicianus  var.  robustits,  a  name  which,  however,  it  may 
not  be  uecessai-y  to  adopt.     (Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  009.) 

[No.  138]  ?  The  query  indicates  that  the  determination  of  specific 
validity,  cited  and  adopted  in  tlie  Key,  may  have  been  made  by  Dr. 
Tristram  on  grounds  lield  in  the  Key  to  constitute  only  geographical 
varieties ;  so  that  we  may  revert  to  the  view  of  its  original  describer 
as  F.  coccinea  var.  cassini  Bd. 


i 


I 


[138.]  PYRRHULA  COCCINEA, 
var.  CASSINI  Bd. 
Cassln's  Bullflncli. 

No.  144.  The  Lencosticte  tephrocotis  var.  australis  Allen,  lately  de- 
scribed by  Mr.  RiUgway  (Ess.  Inst.  Bull.,  v,  197),  I  believe  to  be 
merely  the  midsummer  plumage  of  the  ordinary  bird,  as  my  JEfjiothns 
var.  fuscescens  probably  is  of  A.  linaria. 

No.  155.   i^br  chestnut-colored  read  chestnut-collared. 
"    157.  Omit  the  query,  which  should  have  been  affixed  to  the  next 
species. 

No.  157bis.  To  be  cancelled.  See  Scott,  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  564 ; 
Coues,  ibid.,  p.  696. 

No.  165.  Tliere  is  a  curious  small  blackish  form  of  this  species  from 
Florida,  which  lias  been  distinguished  (Bull.  Ess.  Inst.,  v,  198)  as 

16oa.  AMMODROMUS  MARITIMUS  Sw., 

var.  NIGRESCKN8  Ridgw. 

Dusky  Seaside  Fincli. 

No.  170a.  Mr.  Rldgway  has  lately  demonstrated  to  my  satisfaction 
that  Penccea  cassini  is  a  distinct  species;  the  bird  which  I  called  "var. 
cassini"  is  a  variety  of  wstivalis  which  he  proposes  to  call  var.  arizonce. 
Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  616.     So  the  species  and  varieties  will  stand  :— 

170a.  PEUC^A  iESTIVALIS  (Light.)  Cab., 
var.  arizom;  Ridg. 
Arizona  Pine  Fliyeii^ 

nobis.,  PEUCJEA  CASSINI  (Wooon.)  Bd. 
Cassin's  Pine  Finch* 

No.  173.  A  very  notable  variety  of  Poospiza  hcUi,  from  Nevada,  has 
lately  been  characterized  (Bull.  Ess.  Inst.,  v,  198).  It  is  much  larger, 
paler  and  grayer,  with  streaked  interscapulars. 

173a.  POOSPIZA  BELLI  (Cass.)  Scl., 
var.  NEVADENSis  Ridg 
IVevadan  Finch. 


^!; : 


if,- 


APPENDIX  TO   CHECK  LIST. 


129 


No.  174.  The  form  of  Jnnco  with  white  wing-bars,  noted  in  the 
Key,  p.  141,  is  named  J.  hyemnlis  var.  aikpni  Ridt?wav,  Am.  Nat.,  vii, 
1873,616.     See  also  Pr.  Bost.  Soc,  xv,  1872,  p.  20l. 


174a.  JUNCO  HYEMALIS  (L.)  Scl., 
var.  AiKENi  Ridg. 
liV^hltc-vrlng-ed  Snowbird. 


Nos.  175?  17C?  The  queries  indicate  the  gradation  with  No.  174 
noted  in  the  Key,  p.  141. 

No.  183a.  The  true  Z.  lencophrys  var.  gamheli  is  a  Pacific  coast  form, 
from  which  the  Middle  Coast  form  has  been  distinguished  (Bull.  Ess. 
Inst.,  V,  198)  as 

183b.  ZONOTRICHIA  LEUCOPHRYS  (Forst.)  Sw., 

var.  INTEIIMKDIA    Rldgw. 

Ridgri«'ay's  liparroiv. 

No.  2'.'".   For  Canon  read  Caiion. 

"    2i0.   The  prairie  form   has  been  characterized  as  Dolichonyx 
oryzivorus  var.  alhinucha  Ridg.  (Bull.  Ess.  Inst.,  v,  198),  a  name  it 
may  not  be  necessary  to  adopt. 
No.  216.   For  Daudin  read  Daudiu. 

"    220.   J'or  Girand  rearf  Giraud. 

«'    226.    if'or  Nuttallii  rf^rtcZ  Nuttalli. 

*'    22t)a.    For  Gairdneril  read  Gairdneri. 

"  237.  The  question  of  synonymy  left  open  in  the  Key,  p.  166,  has 
been  determined  (Bull.  Ess.  Inst.,  v,  199)  as  follows:  "^4.  sordida" 
of  the  Key  is  a  new  variety,  arizonm  of  uUramarina,  the  true  sordida 
being  a  Mexican  variety  of  the  same  species.  Accordingly,  No.  237 
should  stand  as 

237.  APHELOCOMA  ULTRAMARINA  (Bp.)  Cab., 
var.  AKizoN.E  (Ridg.) 
Arizona  Ultramarine  Jay. 

No.  239.  Two  varieties  of  Canada  jay,  one  from  Alaska,  the  other 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains,  have  lately  been  named  (Bull.  Ess.  Inst., 
V,  199). 

239a.  PF  .ilSOREUS  CANADENSIS  (L.)  Bp., 
var.  OBSCURUS  Ridg. 
Dusky  Canada  Jay. 

239b.  PERIoOREUS  CANADENSIS  (L.)  Bp., 
var.  CAPITALI8  Bd. 
Rochy  fountain  Jay. 

Check  List  Birds.        9 


i  If.  f 


APPENDIX   TO   CHECK    LIST. 


131 


No.  274bls.  A  fine  species  of  humming  bird  Iuih  been  discovered  by 
Mr.  II.  W.  Hcnshaw  to  iuhublt  Arizona,  uiid  1ms  been  determiucd 
by  Mr.  Lawrence  to  be  Euijcncs  fukjena.  (Am.  Nat.,  viil,  1874,  in 
press.) 

274bis.  EUGENES  PULGENS  (Sw.). 
Rctulg'eiit  Hunimliiifblrd. 

No.  279.  The  authority  la  (Lkss.)  Bp. 

"    281.   The  authority  is  (Lkss.)  Gi.d. 

•'    292.  The  authority  is  (Lath.)  Nutt. 

"  aOiJ?  This  species,  queried  in  the  text,  and  in  Key,  p.  195,  may 
be  regarded  as  a  variety  of  302,  tlie  intergradation,  tiirough  302a,  prov- 
ing complete.    See  Rldgway,  Am.  Jour.,  iv,  Doc,  1872. 

302b.   SPHYRAPICUS  VARIUS  (L.)  Bd., 
var.  nuuKH  (Gm.)  Ilidg. 
Ited-brcitHted  lifoodpccker. 

Nos.  304,  805.  Observations  lately  made  by  Mr.  H.  W.  Henshaw 
(Am.  Nat.,  viii,  1874,  in  press)  are  to  the  effect  that  Sphyrapicus  thy- 
roideus  is  the  female  of  S.  vnlliamHoni.  The  opposite  sexes  of  each 
of  these  species  have  not  been  satisfactorily  recognized,  and  upon 
examination  of  Mr.  Henshaw's  material,  I  find  almost  conclusive  evi- 
dences in  favor  of  his  views,  substantiating  his  observations.  Such 
sexual  differeuces  are  unique  in  the  family.  As  the  older  name,  *S'. 
thyroideus  will  stand  for  the  species.  S.  vnlliainsoni  becoming  a  syno- 
nyme.     No.  305  is  therefore  to  be  cancelled. 

No.  .307.   The  authority  is  (Wagl.)  Guay. 

No.  318.  A  darli  Floridan  form  of  Sr.nps  has  been  characterized 
under  the  following  name  (Bull.  Ess.  Inst.,  v,  200)  :— 

318c.  SCOPS  ASIO  (L.)  Bp., 
var,  FLOitiDANUs  Ridg. 
Floridan  Screecli  Oivl. 


No.  320.  The  authority  is  Fleming. 
"    321.   The  authority  is  (Bkciist.)  Bp. 

'*    322.  The  terra  cinereum  has  priority  over  lapponicum ;  the  bird 
should  stand  as 

322.   SYRNIUM  CINEEEUM  (Gm.)  Aud., 
Crreat  Oray  Owl. 


No.  327.  The  authority  is  (Gm.)  Bp. 
**    329.   The  authority  is  (L.)  Bp. 
"    330.  The  authority  is  (Max.)  Kaup. 


APPENDIX   TO   CHECK   LIST. 


133 


Nos.  848,  344.  Tho  dark  northwest' coast  forniH  of  duck  Imwk  and 
plgc'ou  hawk  reapoctlvoly  huvo  been  iiaiued  (Hull.  Ess.  lust  ,  v,  liOl) 
ua  follows  :— 

343a.  PALCO  COMMUNIS  (iM., 
var.  vKALKi  Jtidg. 
Penlc'M  ]>uck  Huwk. 

844a.  PALCO  COLUMBARIUS  L., 
var.  8UCKLKYI  Kldg. 
Miicklvy'fit  Piyrcon  IImwK. 

No.  351c.  The  authority  Is  Hoopes,  Pr,  Phlla.  Acad.,  1878,  288,  pi. 
5  (Iowa). 

No.  381.  A  dark  form  of  Tetrao  ohscuriis,  from  Sltka,  lias  lately  been 
characterized  (Bull.  Ess.  lust.,  v,  IDU)  :  It  is  more  like  true  oisciinis 
than  like  var.  richardaoni,  having  the  broad  terminal  slate  bar  of  tho 
tall. 

381b.  TETRAO  OBSCURUS  Say, 
vav.  FULiuiNosA  (Kldg.). 
tlltkan  l>usiky  CrVuiiHe. 

No.  884.  A  "pale  form  of  Cupidonia,  from  Texas,  has  lately  been 
characterized  (Bull.  Ess.  Inst.,  v,  I'JO)  :— 

384a.   CUPIDONIA  CUPIDO  (L.)  Bd., 

var.  PALLIDICINCTA  Illdg. 

Texas  Prairie  Hen. 

No.  400.  A  variety  of  this  species  is  described  by  Mr.  Rldgway, 
(Am.  Nat.,  vlli,  1874,  109),  as  A.  melodus  var.  circumcinctus,  having 
the  black  pectoral  band  complete. 

400a.  iBGIALITIS  MELODUS  (Oud)  Cab., 
var.  CIRCUMCINCTUS  Rldg. 
Missouri  Piping-  Plover. 

No.  400bls.  A  new  species  of  uEgialilis  is  described  from  San  Fran- 
cisco by  Mr.  Rldgway  (Am.  Nat.,  viii,  1874,  100). 

400bis.  ^GIALITIS  MICRORHYNCHUS  Ridg. 
Slender-billed  Plover. 


No.  401.  The  American  form  of  uE.  cantianus  may  be  considered 


APPENDIX   TO    CHECK   LIST. 


135 


varietally  distinct  from  the  European  (see  Ridgway,  Am.  Nat.,  viil, 
1874,  109). 

401.  iEGIALITIS  CANTIANUS  (Lath.), 
var.  NIV08U8  (Cass.)  Ridgw, 
^noiry  Plover. 

No.  402*.  As  intimated  in  the  text,  the  North  American  mountain 
plover  is  perfectly  distinct  from  the  Asiatic.  I  have  o.ily  lately  seen  it 
in  breeding  dress :  it  has  no  blaclc  pectoral  band,  but  a  transverse 
black  coronal  belt  and  black  loral  stripe. 

402.  EUDBOMIAS  MONTANUS  (Towns.)  Hakting. 
mountain  Plover. 

No.  415a.  It  is  not  necessary  to  recognize  this  even  by  varietal 
name;  "ilf.  scolopaceus"  being  merely  longer-billed  specimens  of  M. 
griseus,  such  as  may  be  shot  out  of  almost  any  flock  of  the  latter. 
The  range  of  variation  in  length  of  LIU  is  no  greater  than  that  occur- 
ring in  Ereunetes  pusilhis,  as  noted  in  the  Key,  p.  254. 

No.  442bis.  A  well  known  Pacific  curlew,  before  overlooked  in  the 
Smithsonian  collection,  was  taken  at  Fort  Renal,  Alaska,  May  18,  1869, 
by  F.  Bischoflf,  and  should  be  added  to  the  last  as  a  straggler. 


[4d2bis.]  NUMENIUS  FEMORALIS  Peale. 
Brlstle-belUed  Curlew. 

No.  445.  According  to  Mr.  Ridgway  (Am.  Nat.,  viii,  1874,  110),  the 
ordinary  North  American  glossy  ibis  is  absolutely  identical  with  that 
of  the  Old  World.  He,  however,  finds  two  other  species  in  western 
United  States,  J.  guarauna  and  /.  thalassinus.  According  to  this 
determination  our  species  would  stand  as  follows :  — 

445.  IBIS  FALCINELLUS  Auct. 
Crlossy  Ibis. 

446bis.  IBIS  GUARAUNA  (Linn.)  Ridg. 
ff  hite-faced  Ibis. 

445ter.  IBIS  THALASSINUS  Ridg. 
Oreen  Ibis. 

No.  448bis.  I  am  informed  by  Prof.  Baird  that  the  Jabiru,  of  Cen- 
tral America,  was  taken  some  years  since  at  Austin,  Texas.  It  should 
enter  the  list  as  a  straggler. 


[448bis.]  MTCTERIA  AMERICANA  L. 
Jabiru. 


APPENDIX    TO    CHECK    LIST. 


137 


No.  450?   For  uccusiou  of  the  query  see  Key,  p.  207. 
No.  4l)G.    A  pale  form  is  described  from  Caiiforuiu.     See  Kidgwuy 
(.Am.  Nat.,  viii,  1874,  111). 

46Ga.  BALLUS  ELEGANS  Aui>., 
var.  OUSOLETU8  Itidg. 
(Jalit'oruiaii  Rttil. 

No.  470.  A  peculiar  variety  of  the  black  rail  l.s  described  from  the 
H'arallones  by  Mr.  Uidgway  (Amei*.  Nat.,  viii,  1874,   111). 

470a.   PORZANA  JAMAICENSIS  (Gm.)  Cass.. 
vat:  coTUKMCULU.s  lid. 
Pacific  JBlack  Hail. 

No.  472.  The  relationships  of  this  form  to  tiie  European  G.  chluropus 
require  fiirtlior  investigation.     It  will  probably  stand  as 

472.   GALLINULA  CHLOROPUS  Lath., 
var.  (iALKVTA  (Liciu. )  llartl. 

No.  479?   Compare  Key,  p.  282. 

No.  48i).  A  lighter  colored  form  of  dusky  duck,  with  a  buft' throat,  is 
described  from    Florida  (by  Mr.  Uidgway,  /.  o.),  where  it  is  resident. 

48«Ja.   ANAS  OBSCURA  Gm., 
var.  I'liAiOCLA   Kidg. 

Floi'idan  Uiisiilk^  JDiicii. 

No.  4!)3?  The  query  indicates  probability  of  only  varietal  distinction 
from  No.  492. 

No.  .501  ?  The  query  indicates  i)robability  of  only  varietal  distinction 
from  No.  500. 

No.  o7obis.  A  specimen  of  the  Euroi)ean  wiiite-winged  tern.  Ilydro- 
chelido)!  lauiuiptera,  was  taken  in  Wisconsin.  July  5,  1873,  l)y  Th.  Kum- 
lein,  and  presented  to  the  Smitlisonian  by  Dr.  Brewer.  This  is  the 
rirst  instance  known  of  its  occurrence  in  this  country. 

i575bis.]  HYDROCHELIDON  LEUCOPTERA  (Mkis.)  Boie. 

Hf'liitc-wing-cd  lilacii  Tern. 

Check  List  Ktuus.         o* 


KEY    TO 

NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 

BY  ELLIOTT  COUES,   M.D. 


This  work  consists  of  SfiO  Imperial  Svo  pages,  and  is  iHnstratcd  by  G  Steel  Platet 
and  238  Woodcuts.    It  is  designed  as  a  Manual  or  Text  lioolt  of  tlio 

BIRDS  OP  NORTH  AMERICA, 

and  is  an  exponent  of  the  latest  views  in  Ornithology. 
The  Introductory  part  gives  a  general  account  of  the 

ANATOMY  AND  OLASSIFIOATION  OF  BIRDS 

and  All!  Explanations  of  all  the  Tei-ras  Used  in  Oiixitiiolooy:  a  KEY  to  the 
Oenera  amd  Subgenera  follows  in  the  form  of  a  continuous  avtillcial  table,  while  a 

Synopsis  of  Living  and  Fossil  Birds 

contains  concise  descriptions  of  every  North  American  Species  known  at  this  time, 
with  characters  of  the  higher  groups  anfl  remarks  relating  to  forms  not  found  in 
North  America. 

Price  $Y  a  Copy  in  Full  Clotb  Binding*. 

FUBUSHED  BY  THE 

NATURALISTS'  AGENCY,  Salem,  Mass. 

(^Prospectus  furnished  on  application.) 


We  give  below  a  few  notices  of  the  press  which  will  give  a  general 
idea  of  the  value  of  this  work. 

"  The  reputation  of  the  autlior,  who  is  so  well  known  by  his  works  on  sea-birds, 
and  for  tiie  anatomy  of  the  loon,  cannot  but  be  increased  by  this  production, 
which  illustrates  on  every  page  the  extent  of  liis  general  information  and  the 
soundness  of  his  judgment.  The  subject  is  treated  in  a  manner  rather  different 
from  that  usually  adopted  by  systematic  writers;  •  •  ♦  tliere  is  a  freshness 
and  boldness  in  the  manner  in  which  facts  are  haudled,  which  will  be  extremely 
acceptable."— A'a<Mre  (London),  May  8,  1873.  p.  22. 

"Mr.  Coues'  *Key  to  North  American  Birds,'  somewhat  curiously  entitled,  is  a 
very  large  and  handsome  volume,  beautifully  printed  and  profusely  illustrated." 
—  Saturday  Review  (London),  Feb.  22, 1673. 

"A  critical  exam  nation  of  Dr.  Cones'  book  reveals,  it  is  true,  Jrere  and  there, 
slight  faults  of  execution,  but  Uiey  in  no  way  detract  essentially  from  its  value  as 
a  reliable  hand-book,  and  one  well  suited  to  meet  the  wants  of  beginners  in  orni- 
thology, while  it  affords  at  the  same  time  a  standard  and  convenient  work  of  ref- 
erence for  advanced  students  and  even  specialists.  ♦  *  *  The  reader  is  made 
acquainted,  in  a  general  way,  with  the  exotic  as  well  as  North  American  families 
of  the  avian  class.     In  the  descriptions  of  the  >ipecies,  Dr.  Coues  has  shown  a 


2 


happy  Bkill  in  seizing  upon  such  distlnntions  ne  are  alone  slgnifloant.  •  •  •  The 
geographical  diBtilbntion  of  ouch  species  is  generally  fully  indicated,  and  ocoa- 
slonally  are  added  terse  characterizations  of  their  habits.  *  •  *  One  of  the 
most  important  features  of  this  portion  of  tlic  work,  and  one  almost  for  the  first 
time  introduced  into  a  general  work  on  ornithology,  is  the  critical  discrimination 
made  between  species,  and  varieties  or  geographical  races.  Ueccnt  advances  in 
the  science  have  made  tliese  discriminations  indispensable,  and  throughout  the 
work  they  arc  rigidly  and  Judiciously  introduced.  •  •  •  The  volume  closes 
with  a  synopsis  of  all  the  lossil  birds  as  yet  discovered  in  North  America,  •  *  • 
being  tlie  only  general  cxpobition  of  tliis  department  of  American  ornithology 
that  lias  yet  been  made."—  Atlantic  Monthly, 

"Its  author,  Ur.  Elliott  Cuues,  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  writers  on  orni- 
thology in  this  country,  and  in  this  volume  gives  the  public  a  thorough  and  reliable 
treatise  comprehending  the  entire  subject,  and  so  prepared  that  while  it  interests 
the  tyro  it  also  supplies  the  wants  of  the  most  advanced  scientist."— ./Imertcan 
Sj'ortsman,  Not.  22, 1873. 

"This  book  will  bo  welcomed  both  by  the  amateur  and  the  professional  orni- 
thologist as  a  valuable  contribution  to  tiie  list  of  books  treating  of  North  American 
Birds.  Wliile  Dr.  Cones  has  modestly  called  hia  work  a  '  Key,'  it  is  in  reality  much 
more  than  the  title  indicates.  •  ♦  •  The  book  will  doubtless  serve  as  a  manual 
to  many  who  lind  their  recreation  in  observing  and  studying  the  habits  of  birds, 
and  have  not  the  means  to  purcliase  more  costly  works.  •  *  •  The  typographi- 
cal execution  of  the  work  is  in  every  way  worthy  of  it,  and  the  cuts  are  very  clear 
and  instructive."— jTAe  Nation,  April,  1873. 

"  It  is  what  it  purports  to  be,  an  exponent  of  the  present  state  of  American  orni- 
thology, and  a  perfectly  reliublc  guide  to  the  study  of  our  birds.  It  is  especially 
adapted  to  the  use  of  students  and  amateurs,  and  is,  in  fact,  tlie  only  text  book  or 
manual  of  ornitliology  arranged  with  a  view  to  educational  purposes.  The 
author's  high  reputation  as  a  naturalist,  and  his  well  known  devotion  to  the  de- 
partment in  question,  guarantee  the  thoroughly  scientific  character  of  the  work. 
While  ranking  witli  the  best  standard  authorities  in  accuracy  and  completeness, 
this  treatise  presents  tlie  science  of  ornithology  in  the  most  attractive  form,  its  ob- 
ject being  to  teach,  to  clear  away  the  difllcuUies  and  explain  the  technicalities  of 
the  science.  •  *  *  Profusely  and  beautifully  illustrated  by  the  author's  own 
hand."—  Portsmouth  Journal,  April  2(i,  1873. 

"  In  the  present  work  we  liave  tlie  crowning  result  of  the  study  of  North  Ameri- 
can Birds,  upon  which  Dr.  Coucs  has  been  engaged  during  many  years  past;  for, 
although  still  a  young  man,  hv^  has  long  been  known  as  one  of  the  most  industrious 
of  American  naturalists.  *  *  •  Appears  to  represent  his  latest  views  upon 
matters  of  synonymy,  of  zoological  relationship,  of  geographical  distribution,  etc. 

•  *  *  Perliaps  the  most  original  feature  in  the  book  is  tlio  artificial  Key  to  the 
genera  of  North  Americau  Birds.  *  *  *  We  have  gone  more  into  detail  in  our 
notice  of  this  work  than  is  our  custom,  from  our  impression  of  its  scientific  and 
practical  value,  and  we  can  cheerfully  recommend  it  to  those  who  wish  a  reliable 
manual  of  the  birds  of  North  America,  in  a  sufficiently  portable  form  for  ready 
reference."—  The  Independait,  Mar.'jli  13, 1873. 

"This  work,  to  wiiich  the  author  has  brought  the  accumulated  experience  of 
years  of  ornithological  study  and  the  advantages  of  a  thoroughly  cultivated  mind, 
is  what  it  claims  to  be.  ♦  ♦  *  With  the  help  of  this  '  Key '  the  veriest  tyro  can, 
with  very  little  trouble,  identify  his  specimens,  and  obtain  a  knowledge  and  under- 
standing of  American  birds  impossible  to  be  found  in  any  other  work.  •  •  • 
Such  a  book  has  been  long  wanted,  and,  as  it  has  been  practically  tried  and  found 
of  great  service,  it  is  earnestly  recommended  to  others."- .i4rmj/ond  Navy  Journal, 
March  1.5, 1873. 

"  Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  of  our  younger  natnralista, 


8 


has  written  a  work  on  ornithology,  giving  ■  complete  account  of  the  present  state 
and  results  of  that  scienee."—  The  Literary  JluJteUn,  Oct.,  1872. 

"The  forthcoming  work  of  Or.  Elliott  Cones  on  ornithology  will  belong  din- 
tinotively  to  the  usefVil  class  of  manuals,  and  be  OHpecially  adapted  to  the  require- 
ments of  students,  amateurs  and  teachers.  No  work  of  this  cliaracter,  professing 
to  teach  ornithology  to  the  uninitiated,  and  susceptible  of  use  as  a  text-book  in 
eduoational  institutions,  has  hitherto  appeared.  Those  with  a  taste  for  this  study, 
who  have  been  deterred  ft-om  its  pursuit  by  the  difllculty  of  mastering  the  techni- 
calities in  the  absence  of  a  suitable  guide,  will  tind  the  way  made  perfectly  clear 
to  them."— rAe  Oolden  Age,  Sept.  7, 1872. 

"Dr.  Coues  has  wiitten  an  admiralile  book  on  North  American  Biids."—  Jialti- 
more  Bulletin,  March  8, 1873. 

"  No  expense  has  been  spared  in  the  preparation  of  this  volume.  The  woodcuts 
are  so  well  executed  they  would  easily  pass  for  something  better.  The  index  is 
complete ;  so  is  the  glossary."—  Chicago  Ttme$. 

"Tb«  descriptions  are  exceedingly  complete  and  minute;  the  large  number  of 
illustrations  serve  to  make  the  text  more  clearly  understood,  and  the  volume  is  a 
very  valuable  contribution  to  ornithology."—  Boston  Jmirnal,  Jan.  28, 1873. 

"The  book  has  been  carefully  prepared  and  contains  a  vast  amount  of  iuforma- 
tion.  *  *  *  It  is  a  book  of  inestimable  value  to  the  naturalist,  and  i^hould  be 
found  in  the  library  of  every  such  person  throughout  the  land."—  Boston  Traveller. 

"  A  more  elegant  scientiflc  publication  than  the  '  Key  to  North  American  Birds,' 
Just  issued  by  this  house,  is  not  to  bo  found.  Tliis  work,  of  which  ElliuU  Coues, 
H.  D.,  is  the  author,  forms  a  very  valuable  and  exhaustive  treatine  upon  the  birds 
of  the  continent  nortii  of  Mexico.  Tlic  large  number  of  plates  and  of  woodcuts, 
renders  it  especially  interesting,  and  the  style  of  its  publication  is  almost  sump- 
tuous."—  Boston  Post. 

"  Some  of  our  distinguished  men  of  8"ience  seem  to  have  placed  their  collections 
and  their  suggestions  at  the  service  of  Mr.  Coues,  but  he  is  fuudnnicntally  an 
original  explorer.  Nobody  can  look  over  thet  beautiful  book  without  feeling  that 
the  author  has  added  to  ornithology  as  well  as  furni.-hed  its  North  American  •  Key.' 
We  wi(-h  we  knew  enough  about  the  subject  to  convict  him  of  a  few  mistakes. 
Having,  however,  great  respect  for  specialists,  we  never  venture  to  intrude  an 
opinion  we  have  not  earned  the  right  to  give  by  special  study.  It  is  a  modest  ab- 
dication of  an  insolent  tyranny,  but  we  make  it  with  satisfaction.  It  would  be 
cruel,  perhaps,  to  disturb  the  useful  superstition  that  notices  of  books  are  omnis- 
cient and  infallible.  Still,  we  reluctantly  confess  that  Mr.  Coues  is  ahead  of  us  in 
his  particular  branch  of  knowledge,  and  we  have  submitted  to  the  intolerable 
ignominy  of  learning  something  from  him  with  a  keen  senHc  of  pleasure.  Indeed 
this  "Key  to  North  American  Birds"  is  a  volume  which  will  attract  all  naturalists 
for  its  accuracy  of  description  and  its  contributions  to  the  work  of  intelligent 
classlQcation." — Boston  Globe. 

"And  the  high  commendation  it  has  received,  from  competent  authorities  in  this 
country  and  England,  is  even  more  than  Justified  by  the  accuracy  of  description, 
the  fulness  of  detail,  the  convenience  of  classiflcatlon,  and  the  admirable  arrange- 
ment of  the  volume.  *  *  •  Dr.  Coues,  still  a  young  man,  and  connected  with 
the  United  States  Army,  has  spent  a  long  time  in  obtaining  the  materials  lor  his 
work;  but  in  it  industry  is  sul)ordinate  to  tact,  and  art  to  genius.  He  is  a  born 
naturalist.  lie  is  a  close  and  line  observer  of  all  natural  phenomena,  and  were 
he  wrecked  on  a  rock  in  mid  ocean  he  would  commence  scientillc  researches  be- 
fore his  clothes  were  dry.  •  *  *  And  he  writes  as  well  as  he  observes,  in  a 
clear,  accurate  style,  colorless  in  itself,  but  transmitting  the  native  lines  of  the 
objects  he  describes.  And  tliese  qualities  ai)pcar  in  the  work  before  us.  to  en- 
hance its  value.  *  *  *  We  have  no  Imnd-book  of  similar  character,  and  none 
that  occupies  the  place  it  completely  fills."—  Golden  Age,  July  6, 1873.