Section I.: Trapping, etc.—Several devices for securing birds for specimens may be successfully practised, one of the simplest of which is the box-trap, so familiar to every schoolboy. If this be baited with an ear of corn and placed in woods frequented by jays, when the ground is covered with snow, and a few kernels of corn scattered about, as an attraction, these usually wary birds will not fail to enter the trap. I have captured numbers in this way, in fact, the first bird which I ever skinned and mounted, was a blue jay, caught in a box-trap. I was only a small boy then, so I do not now remember what first suggested mounting the bird, but the inherent desire to preserve the specimen must have been fully as strong then as in later years, or I never could have brought myself to the point of killing a bird in cold blood. In fact, putting the bird to death is the worst of trapping; and with me, unless I do it at once, during the first excitement of finding the bird entrapped, the deed is likely never to be done at all. Sparrows, snow-buntings, and in fact nearly all birds of this class may be caught in box-traps in winter. For these small birds, scatter chaff over the snow so thickly as to conceal it, then use a spindle upon which canary-seed has been glued, for bait, scattering some of the seed outside. Other traps, however, may be used more successfully for fringilline birds. For example, the clap-net trap, where two wings, covered with a net, close over the birds, which are attracted by seeds strewn in chaff, scattered in the snow. This trap, which is similar to those used by wild-pigeon catchers, is sprung by means of a long cord, the end of which is in the hands of a person who is concealed in a neighboring thicket or artificial bower. A very simple trap, but excellent for catching sparrows, may be made by tilting a common coal sieve on one edge, keeping it up by means of a stick which has a cord attached to the middle (see Fig. 1). The birds will readily go under the sieve, in search of food, when the trapper, who is concealed at a short distance, jerks out the stick by means of the cord; the sieve falls and the birds are captured. This trap requires constant watching, which, in cold days, is not very pleasant; thus a much better trap may be found in one of my own inventions, which is called the “Ever-ready Bird Trap.” It is made of strong netting stretched over wire, and is placed on the ground or on a board in a tree. A decoy bird, of the same species as those to be captured, is procured if possible, and placed in the back of the trap at Fig. 2, and then the birds enter the front of the trap, B; pass through the way of wires, C, which pointing backward after the manner of the well-known rat-trap, prevent their egress. This trap is constantly set, and several birds are captured at one time. Orioles, bobolinks, rose-breasted grosbeaks, goldfinches, snow-buntings, all other sparrows and finches, in fact, all birds which will come to a decoy or bait, may be taken in this trap.

I have frequently taken jays in small snares similar to those used in capturing rabbits. Quail and ruffed grouse were also taken in this manner before the present time, but it is now illegal to trap game-birds in nearly all the States.

The steel trap of the smallest size is exceedingly useful in capturing hawks, owls, and even eagles, as well as many other large birds. One way is to set it in the nest of the bird, first taking care to remove the eggs, substituting for them those of a hen. Almost all large birds may be taken in this manner, and it is an excellent way to identify the eggs in case of some rare hawks or herons. The topmost portion of some dead stub, which is a favorite roost of a hawk or eagle, is a good place to set a trap; and small hawks and owls may be captured by putting the trap on the top of a stake, some eight or ten feet high, in a meadow, especially if there are no fences near. Hawks and owls haunt meadows in search of mice, and invariably light upon a solitary stake, if they can find one, in order to eat their prey or to rest, and thus are very apt to put their “foot into it,” in a manner decidedly agreeable to the collector, if not so pleasing to themselves. Steel-traps may also be set on boards nailed to trees, in the woods or on hill-tops, but they should in this case be baited with a small mammal or bird. I have succeeded in capturing marsh hawks by tying a living mouse to a steel-trap, and placing it in a meadow which was frequented by these birds. Other hawks and also eagles may be captured by using decoys; the best thing for this purpose being, strangely enough, a live great horned owl. The owl is fastened to a stout stake in an open field or meadow during the migration of hawks, in the spring or fall, and surrounded by baited traps. The hawks passing over are attracted by the novel spectacle of an owl in such a peculiar position and come swooping down for a nearer view, when they perceive the bait, and in trying to eat it are caught. A hawk or eagle may be used in this way as a decoy, but the great horned owl is by far the best.

In using steel traps, care should be taken to wrap the jaws with cloth, so as to prevent injury to the legs of the bird captured. Vultures may be taken in steel traps by simply baiting them with any kind of flesh. Many species of birds may be successfully captured by one or another of the methods given. In fact, we are in constant receipt of trapped birds during the proper seasons, and thus many hawks and owls which would have been difficult to procure are taken in numbers by our collectors.

Bird-lime, although scarcely advisable when the birds are intended to be preserved, may be used to advantage in capturing birds for the cage. A small quantity of it is spread on a twig or small stick, one end of which is lightly stuck in a notch on some upright branch or stem, in such a position that the bird must alight on it in order to reach the bait. The stick should be poised so lightly that the slightest touch of the bird’s feet will cause it to drop, when the bird, giving a downward stroke with its wings to save itself from falling, will strike the outer quills against the stick, and thus both feet and wings become fastened to it by the adhering lime. In case of a rare specimen, the lime may be removed from the plumage by the aid of alcohol, or the bird will remove it in time, if permitted to live. Good bird-lime is difficult to procure; that made from linseed-oil and tar, boiled down, is the best; but this process must be carried on in the open air, as the mixture is exceedingly inflammable. The sticky mass thus obtained must be worked with the hands under water, until it assumes the proper consistency. In spreading lime on the sticks, the fingers should be wet to prevent the lime sticking to them. Another way in which I have taken such unsuspicious birds as pine grosbeaks, cross-bills and red-polls, is by placing a noose of fine wire on the end of a pole, and by approaching a tree cautiously, in which the birds were feeding, have managed to slip it over their heads, when they are drawn fluttering downward, and the noose removed, before any permanent injury is done. I have even taken pine grosbeaks in an open field in this manner, and have ascended a tree and captured them with only the noose attached to a stout piece of wire, in my hand.

Section II.: Shooting.—Although, as shown, many valuable species may be secured by trapping, snaring, etc., yet the collector relies mainly on his gun. This much being decided, it at once occurs to the beginner, What kind of a weapon shall I get? Of course, muzzle-loaders are now out of the question; and among the multitudes of breech-loaders in the market, one has only to consult his taste or the length of his purse. Therefore it is simply useless for me to recommend any particular make of gun. Good single-barrel breech-loaders can be bought for from nine dollars to twenty dollars, while double-barrels cost from fifteen dollars upward. For ordinary collecting, a twelve-gauge is perhaps better than any other, as such birds as ducks, hawks and crows can be readily killed with it. For warblers, wrens, and other small birds, however, a much smaller gauge gun is almost indispensable, as a large gun sends the shot with such force that it not only penetrates the body of the bird, but also goes out on the opposite side; thus each shot makes two holes, when one is all that is necessary to kill. This fact should then always be kept in mind, and as a rule load lightly, with just enough powder to cause the shot to penetrate well into the bird without going through it. In a twelve-gauge gun, two drachms of powder behind an ounce of shot is sufficient to kill a bird like a jay or golden-winged woodpecker, at a distance of thirty or forty yards; then if more penetration is necessary, more powder may be used with the same quantity of shot, but this will cause the shot to scatter more. A good collecting gun, one which will kill small birds with a very small amount of ammunition and little noise, has long been a desideratum. I have tried many kinds, but nothing has proved so satisfactory as a small repeating gun of my own invention, and which is manufactured by us. This gun consists of two brass tubes, a smaller one within a larger, with an air space between, thus greatly deadening the sound; and both are securely fastened to a finely nickel-plated five-shot revolver. We make two sizes, a twenty-two gauge, the report of which is very slight, and a thirty-two gauge, which makes a little louder noise. The former will kill warblers at fifteen yards, and the latter at twenty yards, while birds like jays, thrushes, and robins, may be brought down with the thirty-two gauge at a distance of ten yards. This gun served me well in Florida last winter, and I killed at least two-thirds of the birds that I collected there with it. The light report of such a gun does not frighten the birds, while the fact that one nearly always has a second shot ready in the revolving cylinder, is a great help, in case of a wounded bird, or in the sudden appearance of a second specimen, as so often happens, after the first has fallen. The price of this gun varies from four dollars and fifty cents to five dollars and seventy-five cents, according to quality and size. Blow-guns, air-guns, catapults, etc., are useful only in cases when a shot-gun cannot be used, as they cannot be depended upon. A collector, in order to procure birds with a certainty, requires a good shot-gun. The ammunition used in the small collecting gun is copper shells, primed, of three lengths for each size. For shot, I use dust numbers ten and eight, but for a larger gun, coarser shot is sometimes necessary; collectors, however,—especially beginners,—are apt to use too large shot. On the contrary, I do not like to shoot too fine shot at large birds; thus a hawk killed with a heavy charge of dust-shot at twenty yards would have the feathers cut up very badly, whereas a warbler shot at the same distance would be likely to make a good specimen, as it would only receive a few pellets of shot, whereas a large number would strike the hawk. As a rule, then, use dust-shot for birds up to the size of a cedar-bird, then number ten to the size of a jay, after which number eight will kill better and cleaner, and I should use this size as long as it will bring down the birds; and it is surprising to see how large species may be killed with it. I have taken brown pelicans, wild geese, and large hawks with number eight, and I once secured a frigate-bird with it, all at good distances. For very large birds like cranes, white pelicans, or eagles I have used a rifle very successfully. A thirty-two gauge Allen is my favorite gun, and I have killed birds at all distances from twenty to three hundred and twenty-five yards with it. Of course, nearly all successful rifle shots must be made at sitting birds, as I have met with but few who could bring them down when flying. Another good method of securing large shy birds which go in flocks, is to load with buckshot, putting a stiff charge of powder, say three to five drachms, behind it, then fire into the flock from a distance, elevating the gun at an angle of some forty-five degrees above the birds. I have killed both species of pelicans at two hundred yards distant in this way.

Section III.: Procuring Birds.—Birds are to be found nearly everywhere, in fact, there is scarcely a square acre of land on the face of the earth which is not inhabited, at one season or another, by some species, and many are found on the beaches, and on the ocean itself. Following are some of the localities in which our American species are to be found; and, presumably, foreign birds of the same families will occur in similar places.

TurdidÆ: Thrushes.—Of these, the robin is the most common and is found everywhere. Next among the true thrushes are the olive-backed, hermit, and allied species. These occur usually in woodlands, and are rather shy, keeping at a distance. The wood thrush inhabits deeply-wooded glens. The mocking thrushes prefer thickets in the neighborhood of dwellings,—for example, the cat-bird. The brown thrush also inhabits thickets, but are not, as a rule, fond of the society of man, while the smaller thrushes, of which the golden-crowned is an example, prefer the woodlands; and the two water thrushes are found in swampy localities.

SaxicolidÆ: Stone-chats.—The blue-birds are often sociable, building in orchards and farmyards, while the western species appear to prefer mountain cliffs as breeding-places. The rare stone-chat is, I think, found in open sections where it occurs at all.

CinclidÆ: Ouzel.—The solitary species of ouzel found with us inhabits the mountain streams of the far west.

SylvidÆ: True Warblers.—Are pre-eminently birds of the woodlands, but occasionally the kinglets, notably the golden-crowned, will wander into orchards during mild days in winter.

ChamÆidÆ: Wrentits.—The only species found in the United States inhabits the sage-brush in the far southwest.

ParidÆ: Titmice.—Are also found in the woods or thickets, but some species wander into the orchards during winter.

SittidÆ: Nuthatches.—Are birds of the woodlands as a rule, but the white and red-bellied nuthatches wander considerably in autumn, while the brown-headed seldom if ever leave the piny woods of the south.

TroglodytidÆ: Wrens.—The creeper-wrens are found among the cacti of the far southwest, while the rock-wrens occur among thickets in a similar region. The true wrens are found in thickets, often in the neighborhood of dwellings, in which they frequently build, while the two marsh wrens occur on both salt and fresh water marshes throughout the country.

AlaudidÆ: True Larks.—These birds occur on the far prairies, on the coast of Labrador, and in winter along the barren seashores of the northern and middle section.

MotacilidÆ: Wagtails.—Are also birds of the open country, and the titlark is found in fields during the migrations, especially along the coast from Maine to Florida.

SylvicolidÆ: American Warblers.—These gems of the woodland and of wayside thickets abound throughout the length and breadth of our country. During the migrations they are generally distributed, it not being uncommon, then, to find even the Blackburnian warbler, which, during the nesting season, is pre-eminently a bird of the deep woods, feeding in the open fields, while I have taken the Cape May warbler, which occurs in summer in the thick evergreens of the north, feeding among the oranges and bananas in the gardens of Key West. Warblers then should be looked after nearly everywhere, among willows by the brookside, on the barren hill-tops which scarcely support a scant growth of pine or cedars, and on the blooming trees of orchards. Some species are exceedingly shy, so as to require a heavy charge of dust-shot to reach them, while others are so tame as to peer inquisitively into the very face of a collector as he makes his way through their chosen retreats.

TanagridÆ: Tanagers.—These strikingly colored birds are usually found in the woods, occasionally however visiting the open sections. They are rather shy and retiring in habits, and their presence must be usually detected by their song.

HirundinidÆ: Swallows.—Are birds of the open country, and are more common in the vicinity of settlements than elsewhere. The violet-green swallow, however, occurs among the cliffs of the Rocky Mountains.

AmpelidÆ: Waxwings.—Are, as a rule, found in the open country in the vicinity of settlements; and even the Bohemian waxwings occur abundantly in some of the cities of Utah in winter, feeding upon the fruit of the ornamental trees.

VireonidÆ: Vireos.—These widely-distributed birds are usually fond of the woodlands, but the white-eye prefers thickets in swampy places, while the warbling is seldom found far from settlements; indeed, more often inhabits trees which grow in the streets of villages than other sections.

LaniidÆ: Shrikes.—Are found in open sections, often in fields, and on the uninhabited Indian hunting-grounds of Florida. I found the loggerheads along the borders of the open prairies.

FringillidÆ: Finches, Sparrows, and Grosbeaks.—These are, as a rule, found mainly in the more open country. The cross-bills, however, enter thick woods, especially evergreens. The grosbeaks, notably the rose-breast, prefer the woodlands. The blue sparrows, like the indigo bird, are found in open fields grown up to bushes. The snow-buntings occur in open fields and along barren sections of seaboard, while the sharp-tailed and sea-side finches inhabit the marshes. The grass sparrows, notably the yellow-winged, Henslow’s, and Leconte’s, prefer grassy plains. Last winter I procured all three species of this genus (Coturniculus) on a plantation in Western Florida, securing them all in three successive shots, a feat which has, I am certain, never before been accomplished. Many of these grass-haunting birds have to be shot as they rise from the herbage to fly away, but I found, by persistingly following a specimen from point to point, that after a time it would settle in a bush, when I could secure it with my repeating collecting gun.

IcteridÆ: Orioles, Blackbirds, etc.—Orioles prefer, as a rule, orchards and ornamental trees about dwellings, but they sometimes occur in the more open woodlands. The marsh blackbirds, like the red-wings and yellow-headed, prefer wet meadows. The rusty and brewer’s are found in swamps. The crow blackbirds and boat-tailed occur in fields and along the borders of streams.

CorvidÆ: Crows, Jays, etc.—These usually occur in the woodlands or thickets. Crows frequent the seashore in numbers in winter, and may be secured by exposing meat which is poisoned by strychnine, as they will frequently eat it during the inclement season. Canada and blue jays occur in woods, while the Florida and California jays inhabit thickets.

TyrannidÆ: Flycatchers.—Are widely distributed species. The king-birds are found in the more open sections, and the same is true of the crested flycatchers. The bridge pewee inhabits the vicinity of dwellings, while the wood pewee occurs in the woods. The least flycatcher prefers orchards, but the greater portions of the genus Empidonax are found in woodlands or thickets.

CaprimulgidÆ: Goatsuckers.—The whip-poor-wills and chuck-wills-widow occur in the thick wood, emerging occasionally at night, but seldom straying from their retreats. A good way to secure these birds is to note as accurately as possible the point where one begins to sing; then, on the following evening, conceal yourself near the spot, when the bird will be seen to emerge from its retreat and alight on some particular rock, post, or branch, on which it invariably perches, and utters its song. Then if the bird be too far away to secure at the time, it may readily be taken another evening by the collector posting himself nearer. These birds may also be started from their concealment during daylight, and thus be shot. The night-hawks inhabit the more open sections, but perch on trees during the day. They may readily be secured while flying over the fields.

CypselidÆ: Swifts.—The white-throated swift occurs among the clefts of the Rocky Mountains, and is exceedingly difficult to procure. The well-known chimney swift inhabits chimneys almost everywhere, but, as it never alights outside of these retreats, must be shot on the wing.

TrochilidÆ: Hummingbirds.—Inhabit as a rule the open country. I have secured numbers of our ruby-throats on cherry-trees when they were in blossom, and later, on beds of flowers; and I presume the western species may be found in similar situations. I shoot them with light charges of dust-shot, fired from my collecting gun.

AlcidinidÆ: Kingfishers.—These noisy birds are found plentifully in the vicinity of streams. They are shy and require a heavy charge of number eight to bring them down.

CuculidÆ: Cuckoos.—The roadrunner of California, Texas, and intermediate locality, occurs in the sage bush, but our species of cuckoos, even the mangrove, inhabit thickets from which they occasionally emerge. They are usually betrayed by their notes. They are easily killed, their skin being very thin and tender.

PicidÆ: Woodpeckers.—Occur, as a rule, in the woodlands, but the smaller species and the golden-winged inhabit orchards. They are all tough birds to kill. They are a generally distributed family, but some species are confined to certain localities, for example, the great ivory-billed is not found outside of Florida, and even there, is confined to a limited area, and very rare. Strickland’s woodpecker has as yet only been found in the United States in a single range of mountains in Arizona.

PsittacidÆ: Parrots.—Our Carolina paroquet is now exceedingly rare out of Florida, and then occurs in the neighborhood of cypress swamps, but occasionally visits the plantations.

StrigidÆ: Owls.—The burrowing owl occurs in the western plains and in a limited area of Florida. The snowy owl inhabits sand-hills of the coast in winter, and the short-eared occurs in the marshes, but all other species are birds of the deep woods, occasionally emerging, however, especially at night. The great horned and barred may be decoyed within shooting distance in the spring by imitating their cries, and the latter-named species will also eagerly fly toward the collector when he produces a squeaking sound similar to that made by a mouse. The small owls may be often found in holes of trees.

FalconidÆ: Hawks, Eagles, etc.—Marsh hawks occur in fields, meadows, and marshes. Everglade kites are found on the widespread savannahs of Florida, while the swallow-tailed Mississippi and white-shouldered are found on the prairies of the south and west. The buzzard hawks usually occur in the woods, but during the migrations pass over the fields, flying high. The fish-hawk is abundant on the seacoast, but also visits the ponds and lakes of the interior. The duck-hawk is fond of clefts, and migrates along the seacoast. The sharp-shinned sparrow and pigeon are often found in solitary trees in fields, where they hunt for mice, but they also occur in open woods. The bald eagle occurs on the seashore or on large bodies of water, but the golden eagle prefers the mountainous regions.

CathartidÆ: Vultures.—Occur everywhere throughout the south. The great California vulture is now very rare.

ColumbidÆ: Pigeons.—Are usually found in fields, but the wild pigeon is often taken in the woods. The ground doves are found in fields which are bordered with thickets, to which they retreat when alarmed. Two or three species are found on the Florida Keys, and about as many more in Texas.

MeleagridÆ: Turkeys.—Wild turkeys occur in the wilderness of the south and west. They inhabit open woods as a rule, often roosting at night in swamps.

TetraonidÆ: Grouse, Quail, etc.—The Canada, ruffled, and allied species of grouse occur in the woodlands. The prairie sharp-tail and sage-hen are found on the plains of the west, while the ptarmigans inhabit the bleak regions of the north. The common quail is widely distributed throughout the more open country, from Massachusetts to Texas, and the plumed California and allied species occur in the southwest, frequenting the thickets of the prairies, or along the mountain-sides.

CharadridÆ: Plovers.—These are, as a rule, maritime birds, especially during the southward migrations, but many of the species breed in the interior, and the kildeer and mountain plovers are always more common on bodies of fresh water. None of the species are, however, found far from water, but they all alight in dry fields in search of food.

HÆmatopodidÆ: Oyster-catchers and Turnstones.—All these birds inhabit the seacoast. They occur in oyster-beds or among rocks.

RecurvirostridÆ: Avocets and Stilts.—Both these species are birds of the interior, being found in the south and west in the vicinity of water.

PhalaropodidÆ: Phalaropes.—These singular birds are found off the coast, often far out at sea during winter, but, oddly enough, breed in the interior, nesting throughout the northwest and north. They are, however, occasionally found on the coast during the northward migration, especially during storms.

ScolopacidÆ: Snipes, Woodcock, etc.—Woodcock and snipes are usually found in freshwater swamps, especially in spring. The true sandpipers, like peep, grass-birds, etc., haunt the pools in marshes or accompany the sanderlings on the beaches. The godwits are found on the marshes, as are also red-breasted snipe, but the curlews inhabit hill-tops, especially during the autumnal migration. I have, however, found the long-billed curlew on the beaches of Florida. Willets and yellow-legs occur on the marshes or on the borders of streams.

TantalidÆ: Ibises and Spoonbills.—Occur along the borders of streams and other bodies of fresh water, or on mud-flats in the far south.

ArdeidÆ: Herons.—These are widely distributed birds. The true herons occur along the margins of bodies of water, both on the coast and in the interior, while the bitterns generally haunt only the fresh water.

GruidÆ: Cranes.—Are found on the prairies of the west and south, frequenting the vicinity of water.

AramidÆ: Courlan.—The well-known crying-bird is found only in Florida, inhabiting swamps along the rivers and lakes of the interior.

RallidÆ: Rails, Gallinules, and Coots.—The true rails inhabit very wet marshes, both salt and fresh, concealing themselves in the grass. Gallinules and coots are found on the borders of fresh water.

PhoenicopteridÆ: Flamingoes.—The flamingo occurs only with us, on the extensive mud-flats in extreme Southern Florida, where they are exceedingly difficult to procure, being very shy.

AnatidÆ: Geese, Ducks, etc.—These are all inhabitants of the water, being seldom found far from it. Some species, like the teal, prefer secluded pools in the interior, while the wood-duck and others frequent woodland streams; and the eiders and marine ducks are abundant in the waters of the ocean.

SulidÆ: Gannets.—Excepting while breeding, these birds keep well out to sea, and are thus quite difficult to procure. All of the marine species are liable to be driven inland during severe storms, and the collector should not fail to take advantage of such circumstances.

PelecanidÆ: Pelicans.—The brown pelican is a resident of the extreme southern coast, and may be found on sand-bars or perched on trees in the immediate vicinity of water. The white pelican is found in similar localities in winter, but migrates northward during the summer, breeding in the interior, from Utah to the Arctic regions.

GraculidÆ: Cormorants.—Occur on sand-bars in the south, or on rocky cliffs in the north, and on the Pacific coast. During migrations they keep well out to sea. They have the habit, in common with the gannets and pelicans, of alighting on barren sand-spits which rise out of the water.

PlotidÆ: Darters.—The snake-bird of the south occurs on bodies of fresh water, and may be seen perched on trees or flying high in air. They are exceedingly difficult to kill, being, as a rule, shy, and very tenacious of life.

TachypetidÆ: Frigate Birds.—The frigate bird is found with us only on the Gulf of Mexico and among the Florida Keys. They are usually seen upon wing, but I have observed thousands perched on the mangroves on the Keys. They roost on the trees on lonely islets at night, at which time they appear so stupid that they may be approached quite readily.

PhÆtonidÆ: Tropic Birds.—These fine birds occur only in tropical waters unless they are accidentally blown out of their latitude by storms. They breed on the rocky cliffs of the Bahamas and Bermudas.

LaridÆ: Gulls, Terns, etc.—The Skua gulls keep well out to sea, as a rule, but occasionally enter harbors and bays in pursuit of gulls and terns, which they rob of their prey. Gulls and terns of the various species rest on sand-bars or fly along the shore.

ProcellaridÆ: Petrels.—Excepting while breeding, these birds keep well out to sea and are thus quite difficult to procure. They haunt the waters which are frequented by fishermen, however, and may be procured by visiting these localities on some fishing-smack.

ColymbidÆ: Loons.—Are found in both fresh and salt waters, but are somewhat difficult to procure on account of their habit of diving.

PodicipidÆ: Grebes.—These birds have similar habits to those of the loons, but are found in smaller bodies of water, notably the Pied-billed, one or more specimens of which occur in almost every little pool throughout the country, especially during the southward migration.

AlcidÆ: Auks, Puffins, etc.—These birds are found off the coast during migration, but breed on the rocky shores of both coasts.

Although the foregoing list gives the locality in which a given species may be found, as a rule, it is always well to bear in mind that birds have wings, and by the use of them may stray into unaccustomed localities far distant from their usual habitance. For example, a burrowing owl was shot on the marshes of Newburyport, and a petrel, which has hitherto been known to science through a single specimen which was taken many years ago in the southern hemisphere, was picked up, in an exhausted condition, in a ploughed field of the interior of New York. The young collector then should ever be on the alert, keeping well in mind the fact that the art which he is pursuing is not lightly learned. I have frequently heard the inexperienced remark that he could easily kill a hundred birds in a day; and although this might be true on certain occasions,—for I have seen over this number killed by one person in two discharges of a gun,—yet, as a rule, a good collector will seldom bring in over fifty birds during his best days. A man must not only be experienced, but will be obliged to work hard in order to average twenty-five birds in a day. Although there are some “born” collectors who will procure birds, even if they be provided with no more formidable weapon than a boy’s catapult, yet the peculiar attributes which make up a good collector are mainly to be acquired. A quick eye to detect a flutter of a wing or the flit of a tail among waving foliage; an ear ready to catch the slighest chirp heard amid the rustling leaves, and so skilled as to intrepret the simple gradations of sound which distinguish the different species; a constant wide-awake alertness, so that nothing escapes the observation, and which gives such nice control over the muscles that the gun comes to the shoulder with a promptitude that combines thought with action; and an unwearying patience and pluck which totally disregard minor obstacles, are some of the characteristics which must be possessed by the individual who wishes to bring together a good collection of birds by his own exertions. If one does not possess these traits, why, then study to acquire them; for securing birds is as fine an art as is preserving them after they are obtained.

Section IV.: Care of Specimens.—Just as soon as a bird is shot, examine it carefully by blowing aside the feathers in order to find the shot-holes; if they bleed, remove the clotted blood with a small stick, or, better, the point of a penknife, then with a pointed stick, or the knife, plug the hole with a little cotton, and sprinkle plaster, or better, some of my preservative, on the spot. Next plug the mouth with cotton, taking care to push the wad down far enough to allow the bill to close, for if the mandibles are left open the skin of the chin and upper throat will dry, causing the feathers to stand upright. Smooth the specimen lightly and place it, head down, in a paper cone, which should be long enough to allow folding the top without bending the tail feathers. Then the bird may be placed in a fish basket, which is the best receptacle for carrying birds, as it is not only light to carry, but also admits the air. Never shut a bird up in a close box in warm weather, as it will spoil very quickly. Care of a bird in the field will save much labor, and your cabinet specimens will look enough better to warrant it. Blood left under the plumage gradually soaks through the feathers, thus causing them to become matted, when they are exceedingly difficult to clean. Some specimens however, will bleed, and if they are to be preserved this blood must be removed. I have always found it best to wash the blood off in the first water I could find, and then let the bird dry, either by carrying in my hand, or, by suspending it to a limb of a tree, where I could return for it afterwards. Care should be taken in such cases, however, to wash all the blood off, and then plug the wound with cotton, as if any flows out when the plumage is wet it will spread on the feathers and stain them. In picking up birds that are only wounded never take them by the tail, wing, or any part of the plumage, but grasp them firmly in the hand in such a way as to imprison both wings, then kill them by a firm pressure of the thumb and forefinger, applied to the sides just back of the wings. This compresses the lungs, and the birds die of suffocation almost instantly. Never strike a bird, no matter how large, with a stick, but in case of hawks, eagles, etc., the talons of which are dangerous, seize them first by the tip of one wing, then by the other, work the hands downward until the back is grasped, then apply the pressure to the lungs. There is no danger from the beak of even the most formidable species after the pressure is put upon the lungs, for I never knew a specimen to bite while being killed in this way; the only thing necessary is to keep out of the way of their talons. I have frequently been obliged to remove eagles from a box and kill them, and have done it with my hands alone.

Wounded doves and pigeons should be grasped very firmly, and not allowed to struggle in the least, as their feathers fall out very easily; and the same is true, though to a less extent, with cuckoos; in fact, it is always best to brush the plumage as little as possible, handling the specimen when dead by the feet or bill. In picking up white herons or other birds which have fallen in mud or other dirty water, take them up by the bill and shake them gently to remove the ooze. The feathers of all birds, especially aquatic species, are covered with a delicate oil, and all extraneous matter glides off the plumage if they are not soaked in water. In catching wounded herons, take them by the beak to avoid the danger of losing an eye from a lunge of the sharp point. When a bird is to be placed in a basket or on a bench, do not throw it down, but lay it gently on its back, always bearing in mind that the smoother a bird is kept before it is skinned the better it will look when preserved. I have even noticed that the true ornithological enthusiast always keeps his birds in good condition, while others who merely shoot birds for the momentary pleasure of the thing, or for gain, are very apt to handle them roughly. In other words, the student of nature possesses an innate love of his pursuits, which causes him to respect even a dead bird.