CIHM ICIMH Microfiche Collection de Series microfiches (■Monographs) (monographles) Canadian Institute for Historical Microraproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiquas Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming are checlwd below. n a n D Cotoursd covers / Couverture de couleur Covers damaged / Couverture endommag^ Covers restored and/or laminated / Couverture restaurde et/ou peiliculte Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque I Coloured maps / Cartes g^raphiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black) / Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Cotoured plates and/or illustrations / Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur I I Bound with other material / D Re\\6 avec d'autres documents Only edition available / Seule Edition disponible Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along Interior margin / La reliure sen^ peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge int^rieure. Blank leaves added during restorations may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming / Use peut que certaines pages blanches ajout^es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texts, mais, iorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 V\\rn6es. Additional comments / Commentaires suppi^mentaires: L'Instltut a microfilm^ le mellleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exem- plaire qui sont peut-dtre unk^ues du point de vue bibli- ographlque, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modlfk»tion dans la metho- ds nonnale de filmage sont indk)u6s ci-dessous. I I Cotoured pages / Pages de couleur I I Pages damaged / Pages endommag^es □ Pages restored and/or laminated / Pages restaur^es et/ou petiicuides r~/ Pages discoloured, stained or foxed / UlJ Pages dteoiordes. tachetdes ou pk|utes I I Pages detached / Pages d^tach^s \v\ Showthrough/ Transparence I I Quality of print varies / D D D Quaiitd indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary material / Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Pages wholly or partially obscured by en^ta slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image / Les pages totalement ou partieilement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6X6 fAm6es k nouveau de fa^on k obtenir la meilleure image possible. Opposing pages with varying colouration or discolourations are filmed twice to ensure the best possible image / Les pages s'opposant ayant des colorations variables ou des dteolorations sont filmtes deux fois afin d'obtenir la meilleure image possible. This Ham I* f llmad at th* raduelion ratio chackad batow / Ca docunMDt aat film* au taux da rMuetlon Indiqu* ci-daaaoua. lOx 14x ItX 22x 26x 30x 12x 16x 20x 24x 28x 32x Th« copy filmMl h«r« has b««n raproduead thanks to tha s«narotitv of: University of Wsstern Ontario, Sciences Library. Tha imagaa appaaring hara ara tha baat quality poaaibia eonsidaring tha condition and lagibiiity of tha original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract apacif icationa. Original capias in printad papar covars ara fllmad baginning with tha front cover and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impraa- sion. or tha back covar whan appropriate. All othar original copies ara fllmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or illuatratad impraa- aion. and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illuatratad imprassion. Tha last racordad frama on aach microfiche shall contain the symbol ^»- (meening "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol ▼ (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, cherts, etc., may be filmed et different reduction retios. Those too lerge to be entirely included in one exposure ere filmed beginning in the upper left hend comer, left to right and top to bonom. as many frames ss required. The following diegrams illustrate the method: 1 2 3 1 2 4 5 L'«K«mplair* film4 fut raproduit grie* i la S^nirotit* da: University of Nastarn Ontario, Sclancas Library. Laa imagaa auivantat ont ttt raproduitaa avac la plua grand aoin. eompta tanu da la condition at da la nanat* da I'axamplaira film*, at an eonformit4 avac laa eonditiona du contrat da filmaga. Laa axamplairaa eriginaux dont la eouvartura an papiar aat imprimaa aont filmte w* eommanpant par la pramiar plat at an tarminant aoit par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion eu d'illuatration, soit par la tacond plat, aalon la eaa. Toua laa autraa axamplairaa eriginaux aont filmia an eomman9ant par la pramiAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaion ou d'illuatration at an tarminant par la darniira paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un daa aymbolaa auivanta apparaltra aur la darniira imaga da chaqua microficha. salon la cas: la symbola — » aignifia "A SUIVRE ". la aymbola ▼ aignifia "FIN". Laa cartaa. planehaa, tablaaux, ate. pauvant tut filmis i daa taux da reduction diffirants. Lorsqua la documant aat trop grand pour Atra raproduit an un aaul ciichi. il aat filma A partir da I'angla sup^riaur gaucha, da gaucha * droita. at da haut an baa. an pranant la nombra d'imagaa nicaaaaira. Laa diagrammas suivants illuatrant la mAtttoda. 2 3 5 6 MICtOCOPY RISOIUTION TBT CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHXRT No. 2) |4J ■ 23 ti& ■^B tim Hi ■ 16 UK 14.0 1.8 ^ .APPLIED IN/MGE 1653 East Main Street f.?^]??"*'- New York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288- 5989 -Tox Inc \ I i aw.o. IMA CAN'AOA DEPARTMENT OF MINES amoLoaiCAL burvby RuKliT lliiirrriv MiNlxTIk: H. W. KlDiiK. lMliritu«, f ON THE COLLETTION OF ZOOLOfllCAL SPECIMENS roR TMr. VICTORIA MEMORIAL MUb::'jM ZOOLOGY •T P. A. TAYEBNEB 22975 OTTAWA GOVERNMENT PRINTING BUREAU 1912 No. 1234 i30Vi»-i i f m COLLHCriON OF ZOOLOGICAL SPECIMENS rOI THI VICTORIA MEMORIAL MUSEUM ZOOLOGY BT •p. A. XAVPIRNKR INTRODUCTORY. The Victoria Memorial Museum has already a consider- able amount of zoological material in its colieotionH; but Canada is broad, and the surface of her resources has been merely touched. In the existing collections, no 'branch of zoology is, as yet, exhaustively represented. The only areas from which a few scattered specimens have hitherto been gathered are, southern British Columbia, along the Initernational Boundary to eastern Saskatchewan, and ex- treme southern Ontario; and even in these parts there is still much collecting to be done. It will readily be seen, therefore, that tJiere is a large tield from which contri- butions to the Museum collection can be made by its friends, and especially through the medium of the Geolo- gical Survey fipld parties, and other exploratory expedi- tions. Any zoological specimens from the untouched regions may be regarded as valuable acquisitions. Canada is a growing country, of great promise; and the older countries are taking advantage of this fact; for a number of their larger museums have better representa- 3 tive specimens of Canada's fauna than is found in her own national museum at Ottawa. National pride should stimulate her people to make some effort on behalf of their own institution. Visitors from other lands take pride in d'epositlng in their own national r<>poHitories the results of their hunting and other excursious on Canadian soil ; and it is to be hoped that our people wilil not fall behind tho^e of other nations in patriotic inter- est. We wish to make our Museum trulj National, truly representative of the country, and one to which every citizen can point, with pardonable pride. To attain this result, however, will demand the sympathrtip interest and co-operation of the whole people — collectively, and in- dividually. It is not to be supposed that an institution of this kind, maintained by the Government, can ever rival private in- stitutions of like character, independently of help from public spirited individuals, outside the Government tech- nical staff. The prestige of such renowned institutions as the British Museum and Smithsonian Institution, is due as much to the generous aid and practical interest of .private individuals ■as to direct government support. Wealthy though the government of a prosperous and pro- gressive country may be, there are constant drains on its financial resources, hence experience shows that where Science and Art institutions rely on government aid alone, they are never able to compete with those which are backed by the active interest and wide influence of pri- vate patronage. We appeal, therefwre, to those Canadians whose work or sport carries them to distant or out-of the-way place* in the Dominion, or in other land«i, to remember that, the Victoria Memorial Museum is tihe legitimate repository of the soological ftpecimens they gather, and which they dfi not desire to retain as personal trophies. In every in- stance full credit wil'l be given to the donor, together with f a gnarant<>e that such acquisitions will be k«pt safely, for all time, as far as is humanly possible, and put to the best possible scientific- and educational use. The clasMifica- tion. and public exhibition of these contributions will be an aid in extending useful knowledge, and will add to the prestige of Canadian science. Moreover, not only can those interested in the science o' zoology help by supplying specimeniit. but also by mak- ing notes, and gathering information as to the distribu- tion and habits of Canadian wild life. Such records, especially those from localities which have been only meagrely studied, are invaluable; often of more import- ance than actual specimens; and although some of the notes may not be deemed of sutlicient importance for official purblication, yet the aggregate of such information will be of value in estimating and appreciating the zoolo- gical resources and conditions of the country. Before closing this appeal for private contributions of zoological specimens, etc., there is one aspect of the sub- ject to which it is necessary to refer, namely, to the fact that, private donators sometimes im'pose confining condi tions which are altogether unreasonable. It is to be sup- posed that the technical officers of the .Museum are cnm- |>etent to handle !«pe«imens in a way most advantageous to the advancement of science; therefore, to hamper them with arbitrary conditions, imposed by those less exper- ienced in the scientific study of the subject, is more apt to militate agains*, than for, the interests of zoology. Circumstances so change in a few years, that re<*trictionP which at onetime seemed reasonable, are found, later on, to b<» an almost intolerable interference with the proper uhp of specimens, and against the interest of egical conditions than do migrants which, in their long journey.s, are forced to pasH through manj' habitats inor« or l©»ts uncongenial to their requirements. The most iproiitable course for a beginner under such conditions, is to endeavour to collect specimens of every thing that comes under his notice, beginning with the commonest. The mere fact of locality gives most things zoological an enhanced value. Many species vary under the geographical influence of their distribution, sometimes broadly, sometimes so minutely that it takw the closest study to detect the differentiation. The forn. in evidence may or may not be identical with others from a well studied locality, but in either case they are valuable, as the demonstration of a lack of variation in a locality is of as much s<-ientitic importance as that of its occurrence. Corollary to the above, is a rule that may be stated as " Never neglect the inconspicuous." Striking beauty or unvisual form are not criteria of sc-ientific vali:p, What seems unusual or new to the beginner is often an old story to the experienced naturalist. Fine showy specimens are to be met with in many collections, and are generally already much better represented in them than tihcir rela- tive importance demands. Probably, the duller and more obscure specimens are in more immediate demand than the brighter ones. While the finely antiered buck that the sportsman sweats to bring out in good shape may be a magniiicent trophy, it can likely be duplicated or even surpassed in many existing collections. Moreover, the s|>ecies has probably been already well studieil. but the in- conspicuous mouse, creeping in the gra^w where the nobler animal fell, may be a new and undescribed si)ecies. It is not to be inferred, however, that such fine s|)ecimens are not to be secured when jKissible. but an exaggerated idfa of their importance is to be guarde«Mal inquirer usually sees them. In fact, it is quite a serious qucHtiou whether any really valuable s-pecimens should ever be mounted and exposed to the disintegrating influences of light and air in the public exhifbition« where its life is limited and where it is unavailable for close examination and study. For scientific work, a specimen is a specimen, no matter in how worn or ragged a condi tion it may be, so long as it truthfully represents a stage of life of the species it represents. In fact it is just such s]M>«imens in which most collections — ours amongst the number— are weakest. We can usually find plenty of adult spring male birds in collections, or fine antlered bucks; but specimens of young, moulting, or changing plumages of birds, or summer coated animals, are difficult to find, though of equal and ofteh greater interest to the naturalist. Another point to bear in mind is that while well made specimens are most desirable, any specimen is better than none at ail. If time and circumstances, or lack of ability com'bine to prevent the making of perfect preparations, make them up as well as circumstances permit, but save them at any rate. The difference is only an esthetic one and not scientific, and we are collecting for the latter and not the former reasons. In making skins or other zoolo- gical preparations in the field, put all the time and care upon them that can be well spared, but remember that two fairly good specimens are worth more than one mech- anically perfect as long as the imperfectiona are but in the make-up and looks, and are not of n nature to imperil its lasting properties or usefulness. (Irease is the great«>st enemy, after inneot jn'stw, that dried »r>ecimen9 such as skins, etc., have. A skin may bo beau- tifully shaped, and each feather and hair may be i?i its proper place, but if every particle of fat has not been removed from within, the triumph is but momentary. In a short time, depending upon circumstances, the grease works out and stains everything a dirty yellow, and short- ly the skin itself disintegrates and falls to pieces. In technical terms it " burns." With care, a properly made skin should last indefinitely, and should be prepared with this in view. Study specimens are not made for to-day or to-morrow, but as far as we are able to preserve them, for all time. We are gathering to-day, material for future generations to study. Many of the specimens that are of comparatively little interest now may be the treasures of the future, and it is our responsibility that we hand tn posterity our material in condition that will render it available for use. It must be remembered that many forms oif life aire disappearing, and in many cases all the material the future can obtain is that which we are at present gathering. It sometimes hapi>ens that circumstances prevent 'tlior- ough cleaning of a valuable specimen at the time of col- lection. In this case, it is best to do the work as well as opportunity permits, then dry and ship in to the mii«4eum, •where it can be relaxed and properly taken care of nt the earliest possible moment, before the damage has gone so far as to render the operation too difficult or dangerous. In the early part of the autumn or when the weather is not too warm and railway communications are jjood, it is often possible and advisable to makt> uj) specimens roughly, insert pads of cai-bolated cotton— solution to be 10 given l«ter— and tihip to the museum Ireah, there to bt> properly cleaned and finished. With the thermometer up to about eighty, in the hottest part of the day, specimens have succemfully come through in this manner after be- ing for a week on the road. This is specially to >be recom- mende<' in the case of large 'birds, or greasy ones, when adequate facilities for cleaning or drying are not available in the field, or when the birds are desired for mounting in the public exhibitions. Again it sosnetimeti occurs that it is impossible to make any preparation of a specimen whatever, yet it is import- ant that at least identification be secured. In this case, ttecure some part of it. if it is « mammal, a fragment of hair or skin shoiwing tiu* most characteristic detail; the tail is, in many species, diagnostic. If a bird, bring back a wing, head, loot, or tail, or all of them if possible. An entire specimen is better than a collection of fragments, several pieces are better than one, but that is better than nothing at all. Some of our most valuable records have been substantiated by just such fragmentary material. One thing should be borne in mind while collecting. A Natural History Museum is no place for freaks. A few such may not be out of place as illustrating the lengths to 'Which the aibnormal may go in nature, but the value of such things as two headed calves, four legged chickens, natural pictures in rocks, etc., is but too generally over- rwted. Such things are only monstrosities, and there is very little to be gained from their study. Likewise, albinos (white) and melanotic (black) specimens of normally dif- ferently coloured species, are of but comparatively small interest. Such creatures are merely caused by a lack or a ^superabundance of the pigment in the cells of the outer coviering and are the result of purely individual phenomena, and not racial or geographic inflr?nces. While alive, they may be of considerable inter'wt to breeders working out proiblems of heredity, but dead and stufled, they amount tc It little more than curiositien, and any great amount of time, labour, or money, spent upon their acquisition is largely wasted. Another generally mi»underatood subject is the compara- tive value of mounted sipecimens to a museum. In by far the great ma'jority of cases, a skin is much more dwirable than a mounted specimen. In the first place, study speci mens are oftem at a higher premium than thotte for exhfbi- tion; and in the second, a« the exhibitions are planned ac- cording to a comprehensive plan, spec^imens, unless specially set up for their prearranged space, rarely fit satisfactorily into groups or other schemes. Usually, ready mounted siiecimeufl, to fulfil thcdr use,;•»•• >•*!*"?; 'tt^r^'. iud. will h.y. to b. n^, or e.^ther wjth . rirer inter-^ ILn A. .ititnd. hM con»ide>r«bi. to do with the dlatrlDU on'of lifi it t m^d«ri"W* that it should be »t.t.d r..ery lli.^. where po^ible. when the .pj^men is fron. an area having a atrongly accentuated relief. In the matter of date., alway. write the name of the Joll or ita proper abbreviation. Never -Pre« »* »^^ number. Thi. in a very common P'"*'*^*' \^\*^3„;J L condemned. Some nne a ny^tem m -^ich the -non h number com«, first, and «»me rever* ^*Ja I^if^on other. u.e either system indiscriminately and oonfumon ''ix'inrof"»pecimen. i. another '^'^f''^*';,^ZZ.Z. siderable attention. Alcoholic or other fluid prewrva tions where the object is prewrved entire require no wx determination, but with .kin. or ^-fj^'^'^l^ JJ^^^^X tions. the sex .hould always be eUted. No «ex mark .hould ever be put upon a label un^ ^^ ^^J^^^eutnv mined by examinatior of the genitalia. However well any Tne may know the secondary characteri.tic. of a .pec« . it i^ never safe to put conolu.ions .o reached upon a labeh • If one man can determine the «ex by the^ means, so can Vu f « utpr time The sex marks on a label should 18 iirUin mMhod of dimitction. Hexing biwdinf spMinMns U alwBjn* an e^y matter, but in compm wh^re the gf^italia me niwe or li^ dormant, an iji fall killed and juvenile birdtt, il nt oiU-n an entirely «liffer<>nt matter. Xever henitatr to put a queHtioii mark aifter a deter- mination wiiere there is the Hlightent Hhade of doubt. Kven ex|>erienced collectors linve to do thin at time*, and nothing -e engendent NUtr.iicion of u beginnerV work than to find that he haH imagined lumwlf competent to decida ©very sex determination in a lot of fall and Juvenilt Hpe«imen«. Tlie caution will bear re|>eaititjg. never to put an unqualified sex mark on a specimen unlem you are nbMlutely sure of it. AIho make it a rule to um axactly the proper form of sex mark in every case. The symbol ^ means male and 9 is female. There are »Hght iant* of these in more or lees current use, but they are con- tinually causing trouble and should be avoided. Some collectors follow the practice of putting a niunber upon the specimen and then making a not© of it with the data on loose sheets or in a book devoted to the purpose. Such a course is to be highly conciumned. Sooner or later the loo*? »hi>ets or the book will be lost, and the value of the collection disappears with them. If each individ- ual is securely fastened to its own data, the danger of such a loss is reduced to a minimum. Should proper label blanks be unobtainalble, any good tough paper will aer-e. and even, at a pinoh. a bit of vood, whittled flat, can be written on and will serve the purpose well. The best medium for the writing of labels is the most I>ermauent one. A waterproof India ink \» the first choice land a good black pencil comes next. Ordinary ink or a I fountain pen runs badly with a little moi!«ture and should I be avoided. Indelible pencil is about the worst possible I medium for the purpwte. Keep the labels as small as I possible. Large labels can go on large specimens, but small Upecimens with sheets of writing paper attached to them ' 2297S— 2 u »r» •lOMdlngljr Dwkward to look at or to handl*. A ma»- HUiu puts its own UM on a iip«cimi>n wh*n it rtcclvM it, tut tb« original lab*! ia retain«>u in order to verify or oorrwot iMMoibla n.iiitakM in copjring. etc.. and ungainly lalMdM are much in th« way in tlif> c»bin«t traya. An other thing to be avoided Ik the titie of ook>ured iitringH in labeU. The eligbteet amount of water makMi the colour run. and diafigure* the Hpecimen, oauwing diacolorationA that may at aome time be regarded an natural, giving r'M» to miointeripretation of fact. I^MnaUy, the only Hafe rule in label writing i^ to put nothing thereon but actually attcertained facta. Infer- encea and conoJuaiona made in the field are extremely valu- able but their place Ih in the note book. Un the label there ifbould appear nothing but " the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth." BiitDB. OU^KTINa. No ex(plicit directions can be formulated for the actual collection of birdM. Aa the shot gun ia the principal in- strument of uae, collection reeolvea itself into a problem of stalking within range and shooting straight, and only f diflera from hunting in the care thbt ia taken in killint; and carrying cleanly "here are. however, a few hints that experience haa shown to be of value. Any gun that will kill ia sullioient, but for all around work it ifl hard to beat a double barrelled twelve gauge Hhot gun. If a permanent camp is estaiblished the collector ran furnieh himself with any number of firearms for the different kinds of game he intends to collect, but where space and weight is at a premium, the above in the long run will give the best satisfaction. A double 35 l.|irr.l hw th* lulvautmif. »v..r 4 ri>pMt»r in that two .IIBwent .iiiHl load, can b« ...rriH In th<* barreU at one*., each ready for in««tant iiho «h .„c««ion nmy d«>nia.id. A twHvp vauKO i-« a good u|| around boro. wHI triwi 1,v pxp«.ru.m.e and adf>quat(« f<.r the lttrK««t gam.. ..m,. [h lik-Iv to mwt an woll tt* thP Hiuall«,t. wIih. i>ro|.erIy loadmi Hm Kroat«,t rwM.niniMidation. however, for thin work, in the f if.*!*'' *'"'■•' ''■•^'' nmniunition ran be obtained for It. Th.« iH ,. ,„>i„t of no nmall imiiortance when the lol- let-tor la working far away from hin „wn regular dealer, tor amatl birA. at very clone range a .22 ralibre rifle with Mhot NbelLi often worb» very well. The older the weapon and the more worn the grooven of the rifling the )»etter. It i« hardly advinable to luie a good new rifle for thiH puriwne an the ^hot lodges in the grooves and until removed wiU !*|)oil its shooting with ball. ^uuvift^nos. In regard to anununtion. dny Hmokele*, powder of re«^ni»e without crushing or squeezing, and forms a receptacle C carrying cotton, papers, bottler of cornmeal orplas^Vof pans. „.s«t killing bottles, empty shells, .nd other such paraphernalia that the collector soon find« it ex- pedient to carry with him in the field. CONDUCT IN THB MELD. Of fonduct in th^ field, nothing need be said more th^n applies to general hunting. Quietness of action and the avoidance of unnecessary quick movements are the best rules of action. One little expedient in common use among ornithologists it may be well t^ mention. Place the moist lips against the back of the hand, and draw air into the mouth. A fine squeaking sound will be produced which repeated a few times will be found to excite all the small birds within hearing to a remarkable extent esiM>cially in the summer or autumn months, and will often ure them out from the concealment of dense brush into the open, giving opportunity for a fair shot. CARE OK SPECIMENS IN THE FIELD. On picking up a bird just shot, often the first thing to do will -be to kill it and finish the work not completed by the gun. To do this in a manner that will not injure the plumage and will accomplish the end in the quickest and most humane manner, grasp the bird with the thumb and forefinger across the body and just under and slight- ly behind the wings, and press firmly and steadily. This constricts the heart and lungs and death takes place in a 18 moment. Large birds like hawks and owls cannot be thus summarily dealt with. In such castw, carefully avoiding the bill or talons which can often inBict ugly wounds, lay the bird on its side on the firm ground, when pres- sure of the knee supplemented by the weight of the body, will produce the same effect as above. Attempting to choke a bird by constricting the air passages of the throat is useless in many case**, as /birds have direct air com- munication between the lungs, the large hollow bones, and other cavities and air sacs of the body, and can breathe through any of them, or even through a shot hole through the body, as easily as through their natural air channels. As soon as the relaxation of the body shows that the bird is dead, carefully wipe off what blood clots nere may be, and plug the mouth, sometimes the nostrils also, with cotton batting. It is well to carry a small bottle of corn- meal in the pocket or creel, and to work some of this into feathers that are blood-soaked. When this is completed, and the feathers smoothed out, drop the bird head first into a cornucopia of paper, fold the open ends carefully about the tail and lay away in the creel, if one is car- ried; if not, in a pocket where it will be secure from un- due pressure until return to camp. Half the battle of making nice skins is to get them into camp or he.id- riuarters in good shape. A little extra care in the fieM will save much work and time in making up. For cornucopia papers, nothing is better than the ad- vertising i>ages of current magazines. It is stiff, smooth, and of convenient size and shape. Folded double it fit^ the breast pocket nicely, and a single page can be used for a small bird, while a double one is sufficient for manv of the larger birds. PREPARATION FOR 8KINNIN0. A freshly killed bird yet warm is not easy to skin clean- ly. It is better to wait a bit until the blood and juices have had time to set or coagulate. During rigor- 19 mortis, the bird is stiff in the joints and difficult to handle. In small birds this does not cause much incon- venience ibut in large ones it does, and in such cases it is advisaible to wait a little longer until the ibody limbers and softens before beginning actual skinning operations. Then replace the throat and nostril plugs wit'h fresh cot- ton. This is often neglected, much to the sorrow of the oj)erator, who (subsequently finds that the bird he ex- pected to be smooth and clean has blert during skinning and is an exasperating mas® of blood, feathers, and »tomach juices. The first thing usually done preliminary to skinning is to clean off what blood there may yet be remaining on the plumage. If there has been but little, and corn- meal was well applied to it at first, n few pinchings of the hard nodules will cause them to disintegrate and a little careful scratching with the nail will often free the feathers of the last traces of iblocd. leaving them in nearly l>erfect condition. If, however, the stains are mor« ex- tensive, it will be necessary to wash them and then dry the spot to its natural flulTiness. Some prefer to defer this operation until after the skinning operation has been con- cluded for it is often found that the consequent manipu- lation has caused the juices to flow again and the work has largely to be done over. However the procedure is the same in either case, f.nd may as well be described here. ■igor- CLEANINO. First, wash the soiled parts with a wisp of cotton bat- ting dipped in clean water. A small soft sponge is most convenient for this purpose, taking care to stroke the feathers the right way of the shafts and separating them from time to time that every part of the stain may be reached. It is often necessary when large dried clots of blood are found hardened about the bases of the quills to 20 lay a pad of wet cotton on the spot and set the bird away for a few minutest whilf another specimen is taken care of. Shortly the refractory clot will be found to have softened and can ibe removed with ease. DRYINn. As soon as all foreign matter has been thus removed, wipe the spot as dry as possible and then apply with an- other bit of batting, gasoline, benzine, turpentine, or fcero- sine; wash again until the place is well saturated with this medium, and freely dust on either planter of paris, hardwood sawdust, or fine cornmeal to absorb the moisture. Work it well into the feathers and shake it out again. Repeat the operation, meanwhile working the plumage with the fingers and beating it softly with the flat of the hand or a smooth • ' until the filaments are dry and well fluffed up. I'erforming the operation in a current of air facilitates it greatly. As a gonfnil rule, gasoline or benzine is thi- most satisfactory for the above use and tiiriwiitine or kerosene should only bp used when it is prui>osed to dry with plaster of paris. Kcitjsene is to be used only in default of any of the former. When th^ere Is grease present on the plumage, or plaster is the drying medium, the use of one of the above is a necessity, other- wise it is only a great help in drying quickly. If the wet spot is small, quick dieft work can be done witli plaster without anything between it and the water, but ordinar- ily it prevents the pliister from setting in the feathers and so causes trout)le. The choice of the above drying materials depends some- what upon the s|>e(^imen being handled, and. of course, also upon what is available. Plaster of paris works most xjuickly, but unless the bird is white or light coloured it is very difficult to remove its last traces from the plum age and the resultant specimen is likely always to look jl#ll and dingy. Jn lighj; coloured specimens this does not n matter as much. The grpat secret in using pla>fer in th-? way is to use enough of it. Paradoxically as it may .seem, the morp that is put on to the feathers the less has to ht* dusted out. Coarse piaster, gpn<»ral!y **tyled "calcined fdaster," is be^'er for fleftning purpos*^ than fine " diental plaster " as its <(>arser grain is easier '.o remove tliiUi tin impalpable diist of the finer kind. With a black or dark coloured bird, hardwiMKl saw-dus! is by far the best drying; medium, but in default of it, (ornmeal answers well, though not so quickly. Never usi> pine saw-dust or that made from wood containing pitdi. It will not absorb the water and is likely to stain. Plum age may be dryed -without any of the aibove, though it takes considerable patience to so treat any large surfates All that has to be done is to keep manipulating the feathers with the fingers or a piece of dry batting, in the wind if possible, until the water has evajwrated. The n>i«iiiptilation is n»e in good condition to proceed with. SKINNINO. The only opciation now preliminary to skinning is to measure the bird. The only us«>tnl measurement that can- not be taken from a prepared skin is that of length. Many collectors use the metric system for this work, but as it.s results mean little or nothing e.xrept to the expert. it .seems advisable to adhere to the old English system which every one under'e skin can be separated from the body dowii the back until a line opposite the top of the breast-cut is reached, after which the skinning must continue all around the bird, and the pelt as you proceed will gradually turn inside out. The actual skinning process requires a knack to do it nicely, that only experience can give. It consists largely of a scraping with the nails rather than a pulling or knifing, and can only be acouired by practice. At times a little pulling will be needed, but it should bo but spar- ingly indulged in, as the skin stretches very readily. Sometimes, and in some species, th« skin sticks tightly to the body, and the knife has to be freely u-^ed in separa- tion. No definite rules can be given and each moment the operator must use the method that produces the re- sults. Large birds are apt to be very awkward at this stage, and it is usually more convenient, as soon as the tail has been cut off. and the back skinned a short way 24 down, to HU»p«nd the bird by a chain or string. Then no riort is necpssarjr to h-^'' .p and all attention and both hands can be directv ..rds th> actual removal of the skin. A good stout ti;.u with a scrong 6sh hook at the end is convenient. It can be thrown over b beam, branch, or tent pole, tied off. and the ibody hung on the hook. The barb of the hook should be removed and the point filed »harp. The hook can be inserted in the body «ny- wliere about the pelvis where good and convenient an- chorage is found. Experience will soon show the best place. The skinning now proceeds all round the bird until the wings are reached. These are cut through close to the breast and unjointed. If the knife is directed at what corresponds to the arm pit and cuts downward and inward, « point will 'be found where the joint will opeoi and disarti- culate almost of itself. This is another little trick that experience only can teach. As soon as the wings are cut off, the neck almost skins itself down to the head. The great majority of birds can be skinned right over the head ; in other words, the neck skin is larger than the head and the latter pulls through the former. We will continue with this assumption and take up the question of other conditions later. A little difficulty is often encountered by the amateur in get- ting the skin just over the ibase of the skull, but a little humoring and coaxing will usually accomplish the end. It finally goes over the critical point \vith a rush, and the ears are reached. The ears in birds are external cavities of considerable extent in all xpecies. In hawks, they are very large, and in owls they are almost cavernous, but they are always lined with a continuation of the outer integumen. When the bird is turned inside out, as we have this one now, the ears resemble little bags of skin embedded and running ibackward in'to the skull. In small species this bag can ibe pinched up between the fingers » and pulled out of its cavity. In large ones it h^s to he I'ut off ut its tnuutli. When this is doiii*, the HkitiiiiiiK is coutiiiued di/wu over tlie head until thf cyns ar«> rj-aclit'd. Tli«>s« show up Of* large dark bluish 4NMli«« under a thin l^.ltn of partially trans.par«-nt tissue. At the tirHt I'u; at the junoture of this tissue witli the skin, the bright color- ation of the eyeball showt<. This is another critical |H)int where care must he taken. Sonte colliH-iors use the 8cis- sors for the operation and others the knife. It is beHt to use whatever seems blie nio«*t convenient as the o|»er«- tion now is to cut th*? inner lining orf the eyelid away from the skin. Tl skull can, at the same time, then be severeer end of the humerus or upper arm bone of the wing in the left hand, it skins easily down to the first or elbow joint. Here there are two cours's open to the collector. The large flight feathers, the secondaries, are anchored directly to the bone from this jdint onward, and if the specimen is ever to be mounted, it is most desirable that these feathers be not stripped 26 from tho bonp. HnniP birdn are very long in thiH. Joint, uud »I1 the HM«h cannot bo r»nioveil from the inttide of the ^kin. but an iucioiion h«« to be moile from the under «.ir- fiMie of thu wing for thiii purpoHe and this will ^te de* Mcribed later. Holding the wing 'by the humerus by one hand, or hanging it up on the hook from which the body , has been removed, it will be found quite poH!*iible, with a little care, to Hkin down the upper or forward ?«ide of thu wing without dinturbing the fastenings of the flight feathers. When the flesh in thus laid bare from shoulder to wrist joint. it must all be removed from the bonen, and the latter made ax clean as irassible. The Hame operation is performed with the other wing, and then the legs are l^roceeded with. After doing the wings, the legs will offer no difficulties. There are no large feathers to be looked after, and it itimply meaiLs clean skinning down to heel joint at the upper end of the tarsus and the lubsequent re- moval of the flesh. The bird is now skinned and turned inside out. It must all be gone over and every particle of fat or flesh removed from it. In most birds, it peels off readily in flakes of greater or less extent, in ducks, loons, ojid many other water birds, hv>wever, it will be found that the body feathers extend through the skin and their bases are embe. or otiwr juici«« Aowtng. «nd « good Niipply of alM»r4)«>nt shniitil bv kept readily to haiitl throughout the work for instant appluution. The bfii. material lor thin work is thw itome hiirdwtxHi MiwtluHt mentioned bfforo. the next be»t iit a good «ne cornmeal, and the third cl nice in plawtir of parlK. Tho Mtw-dunt ha** a faculty of staying where it i» put, and when coverml •vith it, HU..h silippery things an clota of blood or frag- rnentH of fat are very easily picked up and removed. It also had a cleau.>r feel under the hand and g "'en a flrnier hold to part«t under manipulation. Whenever bloody, greasy, or other ma^Ms arc observed, they should be thoroughly <-overed «ith the dust, soaked up with it and removed, and the application repeated until all in com- paratively clean. In handling very gren v bird^ like waders, the subject should be constantly deluged with absorbent, as the soft fat readily melts under the heat of the hand into clear oil that permeates everything. In these oanes. the great secret of making cleam skinit is speed of manipulation, a soft touch, and plenty of absorb ent. At all times, of oourtie, it is necessary to keep the ends of the plumage away from the grease and dirt of the interior of the skin, bociy, or hands. The knack of doing this while proceeding with other f>perations is only to be gained by experience and practice. The hands require frequently to be washed in the absorbent and then used to stroke the feathers back out of the way. Kach opera- tor soon originates his own mannerisms in doing this, and as long as they accomplish the end, they are good. The skin has now been cleaned and is ready for the poison. The most convenient jMiison is dry white arsenic -which should be dusted all over the inside of the skin with a stiff brush like a shaving brush or a wisp of cot- ton batting held in the forceps or tietl to a stick. See that the fleshy parts such as the base of the tail, the skull, and leg bones, receive thorough applications. It is best 28 ill if to iNtrfnrm this work on a cipan <*hM>t of pap*r mo that th» iirHviiic ihul MitilU ubitut can Im raught and r»tuinc«t tu thi" uriKinul rpc»«|itttcln uiid um>i| over hkhhi. U« I'arrful in handliuK tho urMonir nut tu gpt any wor* than pon. •r0 it may itf inhaM. Tlieri* i» no d«ng4>r in handling artipnif in thiH mannpr unl^it g t quanti- tiuH art! uved ami continuouftly for Minip time. The im- iwrtant |>oint for the ordinary collector to otHierve in to km-p it out from under the linger naiU where it ia apt tu cauiM) HOiaU wreit that while local in their extent and of Bhort duration, are oftt-n rather painful. Always wai»h the hands and clean the nails after poisoning skins. Ar- •tenioal soap is alwuys to be preferred for iwi^oning when there it* a good Miipply of hardwood Haw-du»t at hand. The suap is brushed well over the Hkin in the form of stifl suds, and then the whole is duoted with the aaw- dust, after which it may be bundled without the handi* coming into contact with the poison at all. Fine comm«al. in plac<» of ijaw-dMHt, works very well for this also. The Hoap is also of advantage us it moiHtens the skin which twme4inie« has dried i)erc«ptibly during the latter operations, and is found a little stiff in turning right side out again, as .^ now to be proceeded with. After the skin has been poisoned, the eye sockets in the skull should bo fill4^d with <'otton batting, packed in tightly enough to fill the orbit but not to bulge the skin when the head is returned; and winps of cotton likewise wrap- ped about the leg bone to replace the flesh that has been removed. In small birds this latter in not necessary, but in large onex having heavy muscular legs it is importanr. The head' then should "be carefully worked back through the neck. This sometimew to the beginner is a critical operation, but patience and <-oaxing should always ac- complish it. Do not be disheartened if on the first skin or so the neck splits on going either way over the head: Mlaott •very on* hM don* that in th»ir »»rly attrBpt*. A cartful pull on the projMtinff rndu of th* primary wing feathara. and the ly catch or ki;i without crushing the skull. Price is also to be considered as large numbers are generally used and many are lost. For trapping larger forms mentioned above, better in- structions are to be found in works on fur trapping than can be included in these pages, and for such specimens but a few general suggesHons can be made, experience being the best teacher as to nlaces and artf«' schemes by which to circumvent the wary. The traps should be laid along a route that can be gone oyer morning and evening. It is a good scheme to bait a sun- ply of the small traps in c*mp. and then carry them along the route to be covered in the pockets or in a bag--of course unset. They are best placed in the evening as most of the game of this sort is nocturnal in habit. A notebook and pencil should be carried along and notes made of the position of each trap as it is set. otherwise, the memory r Z^ ^J^'l ^° '■^'*" ** **•* '»«** ^'»'t i«»t "'hwe each has been placed, and some w^ill be overlooked. The use of the notebook can best "be explained by an example of some entries i~"^ " starting east from road by blasted stump ten paces trap under overhanging root. East by north, . o rods* under black stump. Twenty feet to right, by larse stone." etc., etc., to end of route. 36 A course laid out in this manner will be easy to follow- again and the loss of overlooked traps will be small. Traps should be set under the upraised ends of logs, stones, or other such likely looking places. It is well to examine the small patches of dry dust here and there, especially around large solitary objects such as stumps and boulders, to see if footprints indicate that it is the resort of game, and traps put as thought advisable. Long grass is often labyrinthed near the ground with the cUar cut trails and tunnels of small animals and these should be searched for and planted with traps. In fact there are thousands of places that the trapper can try, and the more varied and diverse the localities chosen are, ^he more chance is there of securing a variety of speoies. The traps should certainly be visited early in the morn- ing, and indeed as often as possible, for small mammals spoil very much more quickly than larger ones or birds, and with but a short exposure to the heat of the day are practically worthless. They also have propensity to eat each other up, and many cases are sure to be found where trapping has served to furnish an easy dinner to a close relative of the victim. Experience will soon show what are the profitable local- ities to work about a new camp, and the work can then be largely confined to them though it is always well to keep a few traps set in other locations, for every once in a while a new species will be found in some of them. PreparAtion. The measurement of small mammals in the flesh is far more important than of birds, and should always be taken when the skin is made. The important ones to ^ake are three, length, length of tail, and length of hind foot. All these are to be taken in straight lines as with a pair of dividers or a stiff rule, and not following the undulations of the body as with a tape. 87 Length. -The length is from the tip of the nose to th» end of the last vertelira of the tail. The best way in the tield is to lay the animal down on its back on a board, and extending it to full extent, prick pins into the board at either extremity, then remove anim^il and meanure the distance between with either metric or inch scale, divided to tenths. Length of foi(.— This meaHnrement is from the base of tail to end of last vertebra. Lay specimen over the edge of board with body hanging down and tail flat on upper surface. Arrange animal so the edge of board fits into the angle formed by tail and body, see that the tail ex- tends true and straight and at right angles to edge of board, and t.-tick in pin at extreme end of tail bones. Measure distance t>etiween edge and pin as before. Length of hind foot.— This is from the tip of the nail of the longest toe to the heel, i'lace the foot flat down on the board as if walking flat footed, supporting the body with one hand while the sther arranges the foot straight and places pins, one at the tip of the claw, and the other close against heel. Measure space between pins. CLEANING. Cleaning is much more easily performed on mammals than on birds. All that has to be done is to brush out Mood and dirt with stiff brush. If washing is required, the dryinif is easily accomplished with liberal applica- tions of cornmeal or hardwood saw-dust worked into fur and brushed out again. Repeat until dry. SKINNING. Lay animal on its back and make the incision from be- tween the forelegs almost to vent. Remove body through this opening taking care not to stretch the skin more than can be avoided. Take particular care in the region of the eyes and lips as the skin is easily cut there. Sever 38 the l^gs from the body an fa»t «s they aie reached, and retnrn to them when body and skull are remored. skin- ning them as far down to the feet as possible, and clean ing the meat from off the bones, '"he tail shonld bf> palled from the skin sheath out between the tlngers or by means of a cleift stitch. Go over skin with care and remove all fragments of flesh or fat, especially the latter, from its Interior, scrap- ing it to get oat as much oil as po6»*ible. Then poison with either dry arsenic or arsenical soap as before de- scri'bed for birds on page 27, Cut annealed or soft iron wire of diameter depending upon siae of specimen, about same length as that of body and tail, and insert otie eml into tail sheath, working the poison into it at the same time, and the other up into head. Fill the skin nearly to its natural size, and shape, with cotton batting, tow, excelsior, oakum, or any other vegetable Hbre that may be conveiuient. Never use wool or other animal ftbre under any consideration. In animals of the larger size, the tail wire should be taper wrapped with cotton or other fibre, to fill out naturally, and the legs should be wired as well. The skin should now be sewed up with the usual base- ball stitch, i.e., with the needle always passing from the inside of the skin outward at each stirch, also catch lips together with thread and tie. Mow lay skin on small board or piec« of bark with its belly down. Arrange tail out straight behind, the hind legs extended backward in like direction and tihe fore legs forward and parallel with the body, never projecting from the side. Tie the label to a hind foot and pin all the niembers in place by passing pins through them into the board beneath. Ar- range the minor details as the ears, whiskers, and so forth, and set away in shade to dry. In all mammal specimens the skull should be saved, and form part of the specimen. Disarticulate it from thp neck and carefully remove all fleeh matter possible, >«ith- 30 ont injury to the small honj proc«M«fi. Th» brain can be remored with a jet of water from a Kjringe. In damp weather it may be neco8i8tance around body just behind foreleg, and also in front of hind legs. These two latter should be made with iape line, and especially if animal is loni; haired, the tape should be palled tightly down, and dose to the skin. With these measurements, it should be comparatirely easy for a taxidermist to reconstruct the animal's general outline. A few other minor measurements may be morp or lew desirable suoh as distance from tip of nose to corner of eye. and from the latter to base of ear. also girth of neck behind ears, and of legs at rarious stated pointM. The measurements taken, the skinning can be proceeded with. The first incision is made from between the fore- legs on the centre line of the belly, back to the tip of the tail. Cuts are then made across the body and down the back of each leg through the foot pads, or between th<. hoofs. The whole skin can be removed from the legs and body through these cuts. In case of large soft footed ani- mals, the feet and toes should be skinned their entire length, and in ruminants, down to the hoof sheath, and all fleshy parts opened up and cleaned. The entire leg bones should either be left attached by their ligamentary connexions or out off close to hoofs or claws. In any event, they should be cleaned and fwved as part of the specimen. Be careful around the genetalia not to slash the parts, but retain as much of their general shape as possible. 41 With long hairvd unimala th« belly cut ran be continued up the throat to the nhort hair of the lower jaw. and the head removed through it, but in iihort haired anioiaN like de*r and antelope, nueh a iieani could never be Newed without showing badljr, so the opening tihould be made for them along the back of the neck. With horned ani- maU this ie, of couree, neoewary in any event. With them, a Y shaped cut should be made with the branches extend- ing to the base of the horns and the stem extending down the back of the neck as far as necessary for the removal of the skull. The skin around the bases of the horns Hhould be care- fully pried and cut away from them, and the ears cut off close to the skull. Be particularly careful about the eyes so as not to cut the lids in any way. In front of the eyes in many ruminants is situated a deep pit. the tear duct, vhere ih« skin runs down well into the skull, and lie« c1om> to the bone. The lining should be r«>moved from the bone with the utmost care. About the mouth, cut the lips free from the head close up to the jaw bones and cut the nose off well back towards the cartilage of the skull. When the skin is linally entirely removed from the hody. flesh off as much of the adherent fat and other tissue as iiossible. spread out flat on the ground and rub in handiuls of salt. Take i»articular attention that the nose, lips, bases of the ears, and feet are well salted. Attach good strong label with full data, and dry «kin outrvpread in the shade. Do not attempt to dry in the sun. or by artificial heat. Clean the skull of as much meat as possible, and dry also, marking it plainly to correspond with skin. Do not, unless absolutely necessary, hack away base of skull to remove brains, but extract them with spoon-«haped spatula through spinal opening. Scientifically, mammal skulls are of as much and in some cases of even more importance than ^ins, and should always be carefully preserved. 49 Eiaaiii* skin from time to tin*, MpMially aroand the •dgM wbcr* it baa • tend«noy to curl ov»r on itwlf, and around tht trahjr part* ci th* noM and fMt, and wb«r- »T«r it may bava fallen into folda. and if tbaaa parta a««m to ba alow in drying, pin tbem out ao aa to azpoaa tbeni to tba air. Wben thorougbly dry. tb» akin may ba folded or rolled up and packed, but if to remain for any length of time, it abould be occaaionally reopened to make suru tbat all ia well. When within re«rh of good railway connexion wita the muaeum, if the akin ia well packed with «alt, it may b« aent in green, to be mounted or taken care of there. AI wayH notify conMigneex, liowever, «ith4»r by letter or tele- graph that ttpetrinien in nm-h condition iH on the way, mo they may he ready to give it inatant attention on arrivil. If you do thlH, u«e plenty of Halt— it ia impowiible to u>e too much— and Hee that it im in immediate contact with all parta of the fretth akin. Another way in which akins may be aent in in a fresh state ia to imwerHe in a atronK i>alt aolution and head up in barrel or keg. Never use alum ou mammal ttkina. There are many salt and alum formulae published, but the latter causen in definite shrinking, and hardening, and renders all later tanning or mouutiug ditUcult and unaatisfactory. BEFT1LE8. AMPHIUUMS, AND FISH. OULIXTTINa. The collecting of reptiles, and amphibians, ih often com- paratively eaiiy once the subjects are found. All that has to be done is to catch them. The agility and expertness, of cours<*, neve«i»ary to tiiis end vary with the species. Slug- gish toads can be merely picked up, while the more active lizards are extremely quicV .in their movements and it re- quires considerable agility to take them. The haibits and habitats of the diflerent forms are so numerous and varied 48 in char«ptcr 'that i' would bo out of t>Uo<> to atti^inpt to Ko into lengthy dmcriptionM of drtaiird tuvthod^ of cap- tur* h«r«. About the only point that nerda Hpecial men- tion is in reference to iinakpii. In Canada, the only Muaka of which any fear need be ithown in capture, ia the rattle nnake. Thtre art no other poigonout reptilei in the Dominion. In its variuUN foriuM. the rattle unake geta into (-anada in the southern Ontario pf^innular, «nd up along the ti«orgi«n Bay foant and ialandit. and along the Int4>rna- tional Boundary bt'lt acroHH the prairifw province**, moun- tain regions, and Mouthern British Columbia. Though the danger from the bitex of thcHe Northern rattle Mnakeii has been generally over eiilimatfd, they arc cupable uf inilicting iieriou<4 and mu)«t painful wouudM. siiid should b*- approached with care. However, an they (unnot spring at one. and at the mont can only strike about half their own length from their coil, a little caution will enable one to catih theni with a forked Htick across the neik clone up to the head. The easiest way to carry »ny kind of reptile in the Held is in small cotton bags tied with draw strings atraut the throat. To kill, immerse Itug and contents in a pail, and let remain lor a couple of hours completely covered with water. Ueptiles, amphibians, and other cold bJooded animals lan often be sent in alive. Small ones can be placed in a box with moist paper, leaves, moss, or other such ma- terial that will keep them from shaking about, and as they require but little air. unless the receptacle is her- metically sealed, they will come through by mail well enough. Larger Hpe<-imens. of course, should 'be expressed. Wherever possible, it is better to send in individual or small collections in this way than as liquid preparations. PRK8KRVATI0N. Reptiles. amphit>iani4. and fish are usually prttierved in Huid preservatives, either alcoholic or formalin. Kither of the following formulae are satiafiactory : — 44 IP Formalin (Shying 40% solution).. ..4 parts. ^»*" 98part,. or Alcohol (commercial 95%-97%).. ..10 parts. -„^»*" 4 parts. ine specimens should have openings made on the belly before immersing in these solutions as otherwise they will decompose internally before the preservative has time tn penetrate, and the accumulation of gas thus formed will invariably burst the abdomen. 1/ a hypodermic syringe is carried, the liquid should be injected into the abdominal cavity in several places, down the throat and up the anus. Otherwise, the abdomen should be opened up with a longitudinal cut sufficient in length to allow free access of the liquid to the interior. In all cases, fasten a label to the specimens preferably written with well dried wat«flT>roof India ink, Knt with a good black lead pencil as second choice. If a number of specimens are gathered at the same time, and place, one label in the container will do for all. but in that case nothing else should be included without proper distinguish- ing data, fastened directly to it, that no confusion may possibly arise. Without doubt, copper containers with screw caps are the best for such material, but any wide mouth bottle or the ordinary fruit sealers with the rubber washers and screw tops are most excellent if they can be carried through the exigencies of the field. It is often difficult to get corks for large bottles, of close enough grain to prevent leakage. Upen or porous corks if soaked a few minutes in melted paraffin, candle ends will do nicely, and will be found perfectly safe. If the objects are large and thick they should have the above liquor drained off the second day and replaced with fresh. In some cases it is safest to repeat this again a few days afterward, after which all danger of spoiling should be passed. -t; 45 Ja "il* ^*'*' *•**" ^^^ specimens have to stand handling Jnii'?*^u"' ^ *" travellin«. the containers should be turbance of the specimens by splashing. COLLBCTINO. nJ'^V?""*''*"*' *°''*''"°'*"* '*"• ^'o^^ctinK insects is the tl K„f n '\^"«'^ f'»'-"» o' folding nets on the mar- Ket. but all. when opened for use. are fundamenUlIy. only scoop nets of fine .tout mesh on « metal ring about 6 mches m diameter. fa«t*ned to the end of a sHck from 3 to 5 feet long. With the^ the insects are cap- tured either by quick scooping swoops or by stealthy ar- holding the net open by drawing out on the tip with the tree Hand. It takes some experience -and technic to re- move butterflies or moths from the net and kill them without distuHbing the fine scales that cover the bodies and -wings and give them their peculiar coloration. It IS generally regarded better with Lepidoptuous in. sects to stun them before removal to the killing bottle To do thi« catch the thorax through the folds of%he net' behveen the thumb and forefinger just under the wings and pmch smartly. This paraly^ the large nerve ganglfa situated there and stops fluttering immediately. The sub kUling." ***^° ^ ^'"^ transferred to the cyanide jar for an?uXT;aWe.' '"^ ^"' ""^"^ *''^ '^ "^'^ "— -^y. bottle, the larger the mouth the better. Small battery jars without any throat or necking are nearly ideal but iia^orv «Vr'"'V?'"^ ^'''^ "^^" '^'^^ "' S sat- &-4 '' ''"" *^ '*"y » °""''^' of ^«"ou5 sited 46 t T bottles in the field. Test tolbes lit the vest pocket nicely and make excellent killing bottles for. the smaller siied insects. The bottles are prepared by placing enough broken crystals of cyanide of i>ofcassium in the bottom to cover it pretty well and then pouring pla«tter of parts mixed to the consistency of thick cream over them. Tap the bottom gently a few times to dislodge air bubbles and allow to set in upright position. The mouth of bottle should be stopped by a good tight cork or stopper, enough remaining projecting to allow of its easy removal. An insect placed in a bottle so prepared is soon over- powered by the fumes, and is killed in greater or less time, depending upon the species, and the strength of the preparation in bottle. Some of the large moths are won- derfully resistant to the poison, and should be left in for som« hours at least, while a few minutes are more than sufficient for the general run of smaller creatures. Dampness in the plaster is essential to the proper work- ing of the bottle, and in dry climates it is sometimes necessary to supply the deficiency with a few drops of fresh water. Usually, however, there is if anything, too much moisture in the bottle and, as the crystals deliquesce with the dampness of the air, their place is filled with a dark brown liquid that is apt to escape through or around the plaster plug and disfigure the speci- mens. When this is observed, a small hole should be punched in the plaster, a*nd the liquor allowed to es- cape. A little cotton batting, or crumpled tissue paper should be placed in the bottle on top of the plaster to absorb what wetness there may be, and to afford a soft resting place for the delicate insects that may be enclosed. This pad should be replaced from time to time with clean material. Too many insects, especially butterflies and moths, should not be jumbled into a *ottie together; their first fluTter- ings, and subsequent shaking about are sure to cause in- 47 f„« !• *•' «peciiii«ii8, another wad of soft «^ wZ or nth. t '"'■?^"«"'« »•" •peolniMis. Never put i:;rsr-ro„!r errs H^S i:l """'1 *° "" ■"" *"•" ~^ »^^. cotton batting between layers to prevent Ih-v r ^'^^ papered this way will travel wenlndcL 1'°^' ^°^*« Progjly_p,„„ed at later tlL:; ' °' '"^ *" '*'"^'' -"^ 48 All handling of batterflies or moths must be done with the greatest care as the slightest touch will rMnove the delic«te scales tha.t colour them. The fingers are clumsy tools for this delicate work, and the subjects should never be touched "by them. A pair of fine spring forceps should be used for manipulation entirely and a little practice will enalble one to handle delicate specimens by this means without damage. Beetles, bugs, and other coarse insects are much easier to handle than the above. Perhaps the best way to take care of them in the field is to lace them in alcohol im. mediately upon return to camp Use:— Alcohol (commercial 95%) 10 parts. Water 4 parts. No preparation is necessary, just put subjects in the fluid. Bensine or gasoline is also good for this purpose, and when the -bottle is nearly full, if saw-du^ is added it will prevent the shaking and consequent breaking of speci- mens, and also render leakage less likely. Large mouthed bottles should be used. A very fascinating form of collecting is " sugaring." It is done at night and many species can be taken that way that are otherwise never seen. A mixture of molasses, sugar, or other sweets (stale beer or rum is thought to make the mixture more alluring) is daubed on tree trunks, etc., along a woodland or other path, in the early evening. After dark the route is gone over again with a dark lantern. Casting the light ahead, the smears of bait show black against the object on which it has been placed, and numbers of moths and other insects will likely be seen feeding on it. The light must then be turned off and the collector stealthily steal up within striking range. The light is then suddenly turned upon the feeding insect to be captured, and advantage taken of its momentary stunning glare to place the mouth of the killing bottle over it. It sometimes requires a 'k com. mentally Miiiienii. Th#M ar« eauilj r»moTMl from tho animal and. after b»inf dcaned. should be pat inside the ahell and the aperture plugged with cot- ton. All the foreign matter both inside and outside of the ehell ahoald be remored bjr thorough washing. All the water specie* are Apt to be more or lew encru«ted with deposits of lime or oxide of iron. These can -be re- moved by immer»in« them in oxalic acid. Care shonld be taken not to prolong thr operation, or the texture of the shell may ibe injured. The AncyH are alwayit more or lees coated in this way, and can easily Jbe cleaned by floating them for a few seconds on the acid, upside down, and then gently brushing them off with a soft brunh while held on the tip of the finger. The larger bivalves should be well washed and. if neces- »ary. Hcraped off with the knife as soon as taken, care being taken not to in^jure the epidermis. They can be boiled, if desired, when the shells will open and the animals ea«ily removed. But as a rule, it is more convenient to cut the muscles, which hold (the valves together, with a thin bladed knife and scrape the animal out. Care should be taken not to hreak the edge of the fragile BpK-ies when inserting the knife. All traces of animal matter should be removed, and after a thorough washing the valves tied together with a string until thor- oughly dried. Never use coloured twine for this purpose, a« it is apt to stain the shells. Any surface encrustation can be removed either with oxalic or muriatic acid. The latter is more convenient for the larger species, and can be applied with a small brush. It does not bite the fingers, so that it can be used freely. Care, however, must be exercised in using it and the specimens frequen-tly ■washed, lest damage be done to the shell. The smaller bivalves, the Uphaeria and Fitidia, are beet treated by putting into diluted alcohol for a day or two and then drying them. If left too long the shells are apt to open, which interferes wUh the looks of the specimens. 66 VI, Th» Urg»r apMlM ol Spkmerium •■>• b«d and labi>llMl. Too ninoh importanca i»nnot ba given to thiii ^ -* The study (rf geograpMcal diatribution of tha mol- ^ *4 on» of the moat i«|»ortant branchea of ooncholo- iral work, and thifl, to be of any value, muat ba based on absolutely accurate work on the part of the collector. PACKiNS sraniiaNa. Small specimens should not be mixed with large ones, as they ara apt to get lost; nor ^ fragile shplltt be put in with atronger ones, as they are likely to be broken. Tha minute apecimens can be put into gelatine capsules, ^mall rials, quills, or paper tiAes, made by rolling writ- ing paper around a lead penoil. gumming down the edges and stopping the ends with cotton. Don 'it mix shells from diilarent localities. WriAe the locality on a label and wrap it up with each vial or package. Use plenty nf cotton in packing fragile shells. Pill boxe« and match bu.ra are convenient for packing purposes. Wrap up each vjal or box separately, then if a smash does occur 'there is a fair chance of saving some of the specimens and no danger of mixing the contents of diflerent packageti. Don't send paper (boxes by mail. It is simply tempting Providence. Pack in a wooden box. Packages up to four pounds in wesght may be mailed free, it addressed:— O.H.M.S. To Tha Oiractor Qaoiogical Survay Natural Histary Divisien. Ottawa.