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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". r*?ps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at ^ ^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 reproduit en un seul cliche il est filmd d partir 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 2 3 1 2 3 4 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 i -^ i 1 1 «■■ s ¥'■ 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 I ■ L \}; I I- J 1;, i : '• I \ ! I : :\ m i 1 Ill ! ■ I 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. •I I I'M i s, \ I I* ^ >■ .i: 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 ^:i 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 i! ^ 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 Ii? SI 1 1^. '11 IB s lira ■ ■ r Mi /" ( It 9 ! ! m 7G now TO MAKE A BIRDSKIN. 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 I* 00 i' - 1 1 Ill I 1 1 78 now TO MAKE A BIUDSKIN. i-lii ' 4 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 i m .\i i b! .I- Si . H :J: 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 i ' t i :;!■ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /. iir 1.0 ■so |25 S 1^ 1^ I.I I 2.2 lU ■ 40 1^ |125 1 1.4 J4 ^ 6" - ^ ^^. Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STRAIT WEBSTIR.N.Y. 14S»0 (716) 872-4303 ^ ^ > ^ ^ 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 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 W i $ u -I; ! 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. < :'; ■; iMfi. n* ' t\ ^ n* } iff . M. :]i\ M ; '^i.. , «« ni3U li^ 1 f|fc rt i !S -■>>. 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 ■W f 'I ■ 1 >L 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 m I' ^ i: slll'lJ' til |,. M i4 i i»l 1! 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 ■ I m J ^ n. .', ( J ' III"! i ."I J 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 i J. >; if.: I I ill •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, •J ■f ■i If! I; i'. ■'; 1;! h i. 'rtf *-jl^ Ih.-<.. '% l';! III i:^- uwtm 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. Uil :'>■: mwi :i !'■ • I;, I ; ■5 ■tffj'i ill \ii\: mmm f f li 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- ^i;- 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 ^i: 't I;: .'! I, V- i kn. i;^ 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.