Put a good large teaspoonful of well-pounded corrosive sublimate into a wine bottle full of alcohol (spirits of wine). Let it stand over night, and the next morning draw it off into a clean bottle. When the solution is applied to black substances, and little white particles are perceived on them, it will be necessary to make it weaker, by the addition of some alcohol.

A black feather dipped in the solution, and then dried, will be a good test of the state of the solution; if it be too strong it will leave a whiteness upon the feather.

ARSENICAL SOAP.

Invented by BÉcoeur, Apothecary, Metz.

The soap must be cut in small and very thin slices, put into a crucible with a small quantity of water, held over a gentle fire, and frequently stirred with a wooden spatula, or a piece of wood of any kind. When it is properly melted, the powdered lime and salt of tartar must then be added and thoroughly mixed. It must now be taken off the fire, the arsenic added gently, and stirred. The camphor must be reduced into a powder by beating it in a mortar, with the addition of a little spirits of wine. The camphor must then be added and the composition well mixed with a spatula while off the fire. It may be again placed on the fire to assist in making the ingredients incorporate properly, but not much heated, as the camphor will very rapidly escape. It may now be poured into glazed earthen pots and allowed to cool, after which a piece of paper should be placed over the top, and afterward some sheep leather, and then set aside for use. The composition is about the thickness of ordinary flour paste.

When it is necessary to use the soap, put as much as will answer the purpose into a preserve pot and add to it about an equal proportion of water. This is applied to the skin or feathers with a bristle brush.

N. B. It should be kept as close as possible and used with caution, as it is a deadly poison.

The above is the recipe made use of at the Jardin des Plantes, Paris.

Mr. Laurent’s Recipe.

A distinguished French naturalist, Laurent, recommends the following composition, after ten years’ experience, for preserving the skins of stuffed animals. He observes at the same time that it penetrates them with greater readiness, and preserves them much better than any preparation which has hitherto been in use.

The arseniate of potash, sulphate of alumine, and soap, are to be placed in a phial with a large mouth, and the spirits of wine to be poured on them at a heat of twenty-five degrees, and they will be perfectly combined in twenty-four hours. The essence of thyme is then added, when the phial must be carefully corked. This composition is to be shaken together before it is made use of, and it must be spread over the skin of the animal or bird with a brush.

SOLUTION OF PEARL-ASHES.

Two ounces of pearlash to one gallon of water.

ANNEALED IRON WIRE.

Take common iron wire, make it red hot, and suffer it to cool gradually; this renders it soft and pliable, so that it may be easily bent in any direction.

CEMENT.

The whole to be dissolved, and mixed well with water into thick paste.

This is well adapted for attaching different objects, and especially for fixing shells to pasteboard, etc.

GUM PASTE.

Let these be melted in a pot of hot water, and then strained through a linen or horse-hair sieve. When properly dissolved, add to it two tablespoonfuls of starch, or hair-powder, and mix the whole well together. This paste may be used for many purposes, and it never spoils. It may be dried, and by pouring a little warm water on it, it will soon be ready for use. If it is wished to be all melted, and hurriedly, the pot containing it should be placed in warm water, or sand.

FLOUR PASTE.

Make flour paste in the ordinary way, and add to it a small portion of the solution of corrosive sublimate, or powdered corrosive sublimate. This will prevent the attack of mites, to which paste is very liable when dried. This paste may be dried into a cake, and moistened when required.

SOLUTION OF GUM-ARABIC.

The solution of gum-arabic is made by simply adding water to it. When used as a varnish, or for attaching objects, it is extremely apt to get too brittle, in very warm weather, and to crack, or split off in scales; to prevent this, a quarter of an ounce of white or brown sugar-candy must be added to two ounces of gum-arabic,

PAPER PASTE, GUMMED.

Take a coffee-pot, filled with water, and add to it a quantity of paper, which has been slightly sized, like that used for printing engravings. Let it boil three hours, and, when the water has evaporated, boil it again for a similar length of time. Take out the paper, and squeeze it well in a colander, and then pound it in a mortar, until it is reduced to a very fine paste. It must then be dried. When it is required for use, add to it some of the solution of gum-arabic, and keep it in a pot for use.

POLLEN POWDER.

The paper made as above directed, when well dried, is pounded in a mortar till it becomes a very fine powder; it is then put into a tin pepper-box, and when any of the parts of parrot’s bills, etc., are wished to have this powdered appearance, a little of the solution of gum-arabic is washed over the part with a camel-hair pencil, and the powder dusted on it and allowed to dry.

RED VARNISH.

Take a stick of red sealing wax, beat it down with a hammer, and then put it into a phial, with an ounce of strong spirits of wine, which will dissolve it within four or five hours. It may be applied to any part with a camel-hair pencil, and it will dry in less than five minutes.

Black, yellow, and green, or indeed any color of varnish, may be made from sealing-wax of these various colors.

To those unacquainted with the combination of colors, we may mention, that a mixture of blue and yellow produces green; pink and blue makes purple; red and yellow, orange; black, red, and yellow, brown; black and blue, gray. These may be varied, in an infinity of shades, by either color predominating, and by the addition of other colors.

LUTING FOR RENDERING BOTTLES AIR TIGHT.

These must be melted over a fire in the following manner, and the vessel in which it is made should be capable of holding three times the quantity required, to allow room for boiling up. An earthenware pipkin with a handle is the best thing for the purpose, and a lid must be made of tin to fit it. The luting will be rendered more or less brittle, or elastic, as the red ochre prevails:

The wax is first melted, and then the resin; the ochre is then added in small quantities, and stirred quickly with a spatula each time. When all the ochre has been added, it must be allowed to boil six or eight minutes; the turpentine is then added, and briskly stirred with the spatula, and continue to boil it. There is considerable risk of the mixture taking fire, and should it do so, the lid must immediately be put on the vessel to extinguish it.

To ascertain the consistence of the luting, a little must be, from time to time, dropped on a cool plate, or flat piece of iron. If it is too soft, more of the ochre must be added to it; and if too hard, additional wax and turpentine.

TOW AND FLAX SLIVERS.

These are fillets of prepared tow and flax, of from one to three inches in breadth. They are extremely uniform in their thickness, being made to weight, and can easily be procured from any flax-spinning mill, at a moderate price per pound weight.

METHOD OF MAKING ENAMEL-EYES FOR ANIMALS.

Much of the character and expression of animals depends upon their eyes; it will, therefore, be evident that great attention is necessary in the artificial imitation of these.

In this operation, a pipe of baked earth is used, or a tube of glass six or seven inches in length, at the end of which a little white enamel is placed. This is placed to the flame, so that it may be blown. This enamel forms a globe, whose dimensions depend upon the quantity of air introduced. When this globe is of the size wished, we place in the middle, and perpendicularly to the point of the pipe, the quantity of enamel necessary to form the enamel. The second enamel is then incorporated with the first by presenting it to the flame, while attention is paid to turn the pipe gradually round, so that the enamel may diffuse itself equally, and the iris be exactly circular. If it is required that this iris should be of various colors, like that of man, for example, small filaments of enamel are distributed in diverging rays of the suitable color; the eye is then placed in the flame, until these have incorporated with the iris, after which the pupil is placed as before directed, and the glass applied as before directed.

During this operation, the globe is almost certain of sinking down, partly from the air escaping, partly from the heat, and from the pressure which is used in applying the different substances; air must again be supplied from time to time to prevent it from losing its form. This becomes particularly necessary when glass is applied, and when it is extended over the whole surface of the iris.

The eye having got its form and size, the pipe is taken away. To effect this, after the air has been introduced, the entrance of the pipe is stopped with the finger, and the back part of the eye exposed to the flame; when the air contained in the globe, and rarefied by the pipe, comes through at the place where the flame has most action. This opening is prolonged by turning the point of the flat pincers, or an iron-wire, all round the pipe; one point only is left by which the eye remains fixed. It is then warmed equally all over, after which it is exposed to a gentle heat, and when it again cools, it is separated from the pipe.

ARTICLES REQUIRED FOR SKINNING AND MOUNTING QUADRUPEDS, BIRDS, REPTILES, AND FISHES.

1. A box containing scalpels of different shapes; a pair of scissors with pointed blades, and two or three pointed forceps of different sizes, the extremities of one of which ought to be indented.

2. Two flat pincers, or pliers, large and small.

3. A round pincer for turning wire.

4. A cutting pincer for wire.

5. A hammer.

6. Two files.

7. A triangular.

8. Points for perforating holes.

9. A saddler’s awl for drilling holes; also various shoemakers’ awls, which will be found useful.

10. Brushes of different sizes for putting the preservative on the animals’ and birds’ skins, and for smoothing and dusting the feathers.

11. An assortment of iron-wire of all sizes.

12. Flax and tow, coarse cotton. When these cannot be had, untwisted ropes or cords. A quantity of tow and flax slivers for twisting round the leg-bones of small quadrupeds and birds.

13. Some small hardwood meshes for assisting in stuffing.

Instructions to Travelers. The best means of procuring living animals, is by applying to the natives of the different countries, who are accustomed to their habits, and the situation in which they are likely to be found, and to take them in traps and snares. They are also more likely to be able to find their retreats, so that they may take these animals in a young state, and also birds in their nests.

By thus securing animals while young, they are much more likely to reach home in a living state. Every exertion should be used to render them familiar, when, being habituated to the appearance of man, they will be more able to resist the effects of a tedious sea voyage than those which have been taken when wild, and are under a continued degree of excitement. Every care should be taken to soothe and caress them; and there is no animal whose manners cannot be softened by gentle treatment. During fine weather, they should be allowed to take exercise on the deck, as nothing is so injurious to their health and growth as being long pent up in a small cage. While thus confined, it will be obvious that they require a much smaller portion of food than when they can have sufficient room to exercise themselves. Many of these animals are lost from over-feeding. Their diet should be given with great regularity, but always in such quantity as they can easily digest.

Next to food, cleanliness is of the utmost importance, and of this requires too much of the attention of those who are bringing them home, it will be easy to procure the assistance of some of the crew. And unless this is strictly attended to, there is little chance of preserving their health.

When animals’ skins are imported, it is also necessary to bring the head and feet. Those of the mammalia, which can be put into a barrel or bottle, should be preserved entire in spirits.

In the event of not being able to transport the carcase, the next best thing is to bring the skeleton along with the skin. It will not be necessary to mount these. All that is required is to boil the bones, take off the flesh, and dry them. Afterwards all the bones belonging to the same skeleton should be put in a bag by themselves, taking care to fill up the bag with dried moss, or any other substance which will prevent friction. The more effectually to secure this, the small and tender bones ought to be wrapped in paper. It is of the utmost consequence that not a bone should be lost.

In shooting birds, it is of much importance not to use the shot too large; indeed, it ought to be proportioned, as nearly as possible, to the size of the bird to be shot at. When the bird is killed, the blood must be carefully wiped away, and a little cotton must be put into the bill to prevent the blood flowing from it to injure the feathers. The wound should also be stuffed with cotton.

Birds should be skinned as soon as possible, as the feathers are apt to fall off if kept too long. The os coccygis must be kept attached to the skin. If several individuals of the same species be killed, one should, if possible, be preserved entire in spirits, with the whole muscles of the body. If the bird has a fleshy crest, it ought to be preserved in spirits.

It is of the utmost consequence to procure the male, female and young, and these at different ages besides, as many species are subject to great variety, in their progress from the young to the adult state. This is more particularly the case with Eagles and Hawks, many of which have been described as different species in their immature state. The eggs and nest should also be procured.

Reptiles. The chief thing to be attended to in skinning reptiles is not to injure the scales; and in the lizard kind, care must be taken not to break the tail. But for all the smaller and middle sized species, the best mode is to preserve them in spirits; and of the larger kind which are skinned, the skeletons ought to be kept. The flesh should be taken away with knives and scalpels as well as possible, and the bones thoroughly dried, and packed in a box with cotton or grass, and they can be articulated after they are brought home. When the skeletons are too large, they may be separated into convenient parts for packing.