How To Stuff Birds And Animals - free ebook by Aaron A. Warford

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How To Stuff Birds And Animals

Aaron A. Warford

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HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND ANIMALS

HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND ANIMALS

HOW TO STUFF BIRDS AND ANIMALS A VALUABLE BOOK. GIVING INSTRUCTION IN COLLECTING, PREPARING, MOUNTING, AND PRESERVING BIRDS, ANIMALS AND INSECTS NEW YORK FRANK TOUSEY, Publisher 24 Union Square Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1902, by FRANK TOUSEY, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C....

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SKINNING.

SKINNING.

When a quadruped is killed, and its skin intended for stuffing, the preparatory steps are to lay the animal on its back, and plug up its nostrils, mouth, and any wounds it may have received, with cotton or tow, to prevent the blood from disfiguring the skin. The fox will serve admirably our purpose as an example. Therefore, Reynard being procured, we need not say how, lay him on his back in the same position as before recommended; and, having first stuffed the mouth with cotton and tied it up, a

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STUFFING QUADRUPEDS, ETC.

STUFFING QUADRUPEDS, ETC.

Let us suppose the animal which we intend to stuff, to be a Cat. Wire of such a thickness is chosen as will support the animal by being introduced under the soles of the feet, and running it through each of the four legs. A piece of smaller dimensions is then taken, measuring about two feet, for the purpose of forming what is termed by stuffers a tail-bearer. This piece of wire is bent at nearly a third of its length, into an oval of about six inches in length; the two ends are twisted together,

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APES AND MONKEYS.

APES AND MONKEYS.

One of the chief difficulties to contend with, in setting up Monkeys and Apes, is the preservation of their hands and hind hands, or what we commonly call their feet; because we must not attempt to deprive these limbs of their flesh, as we never could again supply its place anything like what is in nature. The hands must therefore be dried, and then well imbued with turpentine and the solution of corrosive sublimate, repeated eight or ten times at least, at intervals of four or five days. The ot

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BATS.

BATS.

The wing-membranes of this varied and numerous tribe do not require either wire or parchment to set them. They are very easily dried by distension. They are laid on a board of soft wood, the wings extended and pinned equally at the articulations, and, when dry, they are removed from the board....

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HEDGEHOGS.

HEDGEHOGS.

When it is wished to preserve Hedgehogs, rolled into a ball, which is a very common position with them in a state of nature, there should be less stuffing put into them than is usual with quadrupeds, so that they may the more easily bend. No wires are required in this case. The head and feet are drawn close together under the belly; then place the animal on its back in the middle of a large cloth, and tie the four ends firmly together; suspend it in the air till thoroughly dry, which finishes th

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BEARS.

BEARS.

The structure of the wires requires to be different in these larger animals from any we have before described. Procure a bar one inch thick, two inches broad, and as long as to reach horizontally from the shoulder to the connection of the thighs, or os pubis . A hole is bored four inches distant from one of its ends, from which a connecting groove must be formed, extending on both sides to the end of the plank next the hole; this groove must be cut out with a hollow chisel deep enough to receive

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BEAVER, ETC.

BEAVER, ETC.

The Beaver, Musk Rat, Common Rat, and other animals whose skins have a strong smell. These require to be plentifully supplied with the preservative. The tail of the Beaver should be cut underneath, and all the flesh removed, then stuffed with tow or chopped flax, and afterwards thoroughly dried and well primed with the arsenical soap to prevent putrefaction, to which it is very liable. It should also have repeated washings with oil of turpentine. The back should be round and short....

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THE PORCUPINE.

THE PORCUPINE.

In stuffing this animal considerable and varied expression may be given, both from the attitude and disposition of the quills. Great attention is therefore required in giving these a proper set during the process of drying. They will require to be looked at several times during the first and second day after they have been stuffed, and any of them that may have fallen out of the position required, to be adjusted....

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HARES AND RABBITS.

HARES AND RABBITS.

A very pretty attitude for the Hare or Rabbit, is to have it seated in its form in an upright position, as if alarmed at the noise of dogs, etc. An oval is formed of wire and attached to the interior frame-work, after having passed one end of it through the anus, which must be passed through a hole in the board on which the animal is to be fixed. The wires of the hind legs must be forced through the posterior part of them, and also fixed into holes formed for their reception in the board....

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DEER, ANTELOPES, GOATS, ETC.

DEER, ANTELOPES, GOATS, ETC.

These animals should be mounted on the same principles as recommended for the Bears. A different mode must, however, be adopted in skinning the animals, which the horns render necessary. It is performed in the ordinary manner until the operator reaches the neck. After cutting as near the head as possible, another incision must be made, commencing under the chin, which is continued to the bottom of the neck, or from eight to ten inches in length. By this opening, the remainder of the neck is sepa

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THE DOLPHIN, PORPOISE, ETC.

THE DOLPHIN, PORPOISE, ETC.

The structure of these animals, as well as the other species of the first family of this order, differs but little in general structure. In skinning these, an incision is made under the chin, and continued to the extremity of the tail; the skin is then detached right and left with the scalpel, or a sharp knife. When the skin has been cut back as far as possible, disengage the vertebræ at the tail, and this will enable the operator to detach the skin from the back; the vertebræ are now cut close

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SKINNING.

SKINNING.

Immediately after a bird is killed, the throat and nostrils should be stuffed with tow, cotton, or fine rags, and a small quantity wound round the bill to prevent the blood from staining the plumage; but should any get on the feathers, notwithstanding this precaution, the sooner it is removed the better, which should be effected by a sponge which has been merely moistened in water. Too much dispatch cannot be used in removing the skin, if the bird is shot in a warm climate; but, in temperate reg

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STUFFING BIRDS.

STUFFING BIRDS.

The first thing to be done in stuffing is to replace the skull, after it has been well anointed with the arsenical soap, and washed with the solution of corrosive sublimate inside. The thread with which the beak is tied is taken hold of by the left hand, and the head is repassed into the neck with the forefinger of the right hand, while the thread is pulled on the opposite side; and we are careful that the feathers, at the margin of the opening, do not enter with the edges of the skin. The bird

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MR. BULLOCK’S METHOD OF STUFFING BIRDS.

MR. BULLOCK’S METHOD OF STUFFING BIRDS.

Mr. Bullock, of the London Museum, Egyptian Hall, had another method of arranging the wires, which, after what we have already said, will be easily comprehended by a reference to figure 8, where we have given a figure of his mode. After the skin is taken off and prepared, different-sized, nealed, iron wires are procured, according to the size of the bird they are to support. The skin is laid on its back without stretching it; cut two pieces of wire, the one rather longer than the bird and the ot

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A NEW AND EASIER METHOD OF BIRD SKINNING AND STUFFING.

A NEW AND EASIER METHOD OF BIRD SKINNING AND STUFFING.

A fair specimen being obtained, take common cotton wadding, and with an ordinary paint-brush stick plug the throat, nostrils, and, in large birds, the ears, with it, so that when the skin is turned no juices may flow and spoil the feathers; you must then provide yourself with the following articles: A knife of this kind is very common; a pair of cutting pliers, a pair of strong scissors, of a moderate size; a button-hook, a marrow-spoon, and a hand-vise. With these, a needle and thread and a sha

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MOUNTING IN GENERAL.

MOUNTING IN GENERAL.

We will suppose that a proficiency, from practice, has been attained in the art of bird-preserving, according to the instructions given. The proficiency in preserving may apply only to the preservation and the form, great and necessary things, no doubt, as preliminaries; but, like matter without manner, of little avail alone. For attitude, I would say, as has been said to many a young artist, go to Nature, and there you will find an original in perfection. Would you make a willow-wren look like

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BIRD PINNED UP.

BIRD PINNED UP.

Having fixed on the attitude, it now only remains to put the feathers into their natural order as smoothly and regularly as possible; and to keep them in this state they should be bound around with small fillets of muslin fastened with pins as represented in fig. 17. The bird should then be thoroughly dried, by placing it in an airy situation, if in Summer; or if in Winter, near the fire, but not so close as to affect the natural oil contained in the feathers. The want of proper attention in dry

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METHOD OF MOUNTING DRIED SKINS.

METHOD OF MOUNTING DRIED SKINS.

We must now say something respecting the setting up of skins which have been preserved by travelers, and sent home from distant parts. The general method is exactly the same as in stuffing recent specimens. There are, however, some preliminary steps which it is necessary to know. If the specimen sent home has been partially stuffed, our first business is to undo the stitches, if it has been sewed—which was an unnecessary process. We then remove the whole cotton or tow from the inside, by the ass

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OF MOUNTING BIRDS, FEATHER BY FEATHER.

OF MOUNTING BIRDS, FEATHER BY FEATHER.

Rare birds are frequently received from foreign countries, the skins of which are in such a state of decay, that it is impossible to mount them by the ordinary process above described. The only way in which they can be preserved, is to mount them feather by feather, which, however, is a very tedious method. It is as follows: Procure a piece of soft pliable wire, such as is used by bell-hangers; or take some of the ordinary wire used, and make it red-hot in the fire, and allow it to cool graduall

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PRESERVATION OF COLORS.

PRESERVATION OF COLORS.

In the preservation of the feathers of Birds, little else is required to prevent the dissipation of their colors than to keep them as much as possible from air and light. These two agents, which were indispensable to their beauty and perfection in a living state, now exercise their influence as destroyers, and that influence will sooner or later work its ends according to the quality, texture, or color of the object with which it is contending. The feathers are now deprived of two agents, which

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CHAPTER IV. COLLECTING AND PRESERVING BIRDS’ EGGS AND NESTS.

CHAPTER IV. COLLECTING AND PRESERVING BIRDS’ EGGS AND NESTS.

Few objects of Natural History are more interesting than the nests of birds. To the reflecting naturalist, they open up a wide field for inquiry. Speaking of the examination of birds, in the exercise of their mechanical arts of constructing nests, Professor Rennie says: “This work is the business of their lives—the duty which calls forth that wonderful ingenuity which no experience can teach, and which no human skill can rival. The infinite variety of modes in which the nests of birds are constr

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TORTOISES AND TURTLES.

TORTOISES AND TURTLES.

Skinning. —The first operation is to separate the back and breast-shells with a strong short knife or chisel. If the force of the hand is inadequate, a mallet may be used, taking care not to strike so hard as to crack the shell. These two bony plates being covered by the skin, or by scales, the scapula, and all the muscles of the arm and neck, in place of being attached to the ribs and spine, are placed below, from which cause the tortoise has been termed a retroverted animal. The vertebral extr

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CROCODILES AND LIZARDS IN GENERAL.

CROCODILES AND LIZARDS IN GENERAL.

Skinning. —All this tribe are skinned in the same manner as quadrupeds. Care, however, is required in skinning the tails of the smaller species, as they are very liable to break. The skins being of a dry nature, require but little of the preservative. After they are thoroughly dried they will keep a very long time without decay. Stuffing. —Stuff them as directed for quadrupeds. They admit of but little variety of attitude. The small species are exceedingly apt to change color in drying; which mu

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SERPENTS IN GENERAL.

SERPENTS IN GENERAL.

Skinning. —In skinning serpents there is some nicety required, to cut them so as not to disfigure the scales; the opening should be made in the side, commencing at the termination of the scales; and they should on no account be divided, as upon their number the species is mostly determined. It is a very frequent practice to send home serpents without the head, which renders them quite unfit for any scientific purpose. This proceeds from the fear of receiving poison from the fangs. But there is n

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FROGS AND TOADS.

FROGS AND TOADS.

Skinning. —The mouth is opened, and the first vertebræ of the neck is cut. The whole inside of the mouth is cut out with scissors. The two jaws are next raised up, and the skin is pushed back with the fingers of the right hand, while the body is drawn back in a contrary direction with the other hand, and the whole body is then drawn out at the mouth. The legs are then returned to their proper place. Stuffing. —The simplest method of stuffing these animals is with sand. A small funnel is placed i

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FISHES.

FISHES.

The best method of securing the scales and colors of Fish, is, as soon as they are caught, to apply cambric or tissue paper to them, which will soon dry and adhere firmly; the body may be then taken out and the skin dried. When the skin is to be stuffed, roll it in a moist cloth, which will not only render it pliable, but also soften the tissue paper, so as it can be removed, when the colors will be found to be much brighter than by any other method with which we are yet acquainted. These specie

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SPIDERS.

SPIDERS.

The general directions which we shall give respecting Insects, hold good as to Spiders, only we must mention there is considerable difficulty in preserving the bodies of Spiders, which generally, in a very short time, shrink into a shapeless mass. To prevent this, the body should be pricked with the triangular awl and the contents pressed out; it should then be stuffed with very fine carded cotton or down, which can be pushed in by a pricker, blunted a little at the point. When properly distende

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INSECTS.

INSECTS.

Every country of the world is replete with this extensive and interesting class of beings, whose forms are infinitely diversified, and whose species are the most numerous of any class in the animal kingdom. Before any attempt is made to collect insects, certain apparatus must be provided, not only to enable us to secure them, but also to preserve them after they are caught. First, then, we must be provided with a quantity of wooden boxes, from 18 to 20 inches long, 15 to 17 inches wide; and two

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THE EGGS OF INSECTS.

THE EGGS OF INSECTS.

The eggs of insects preserve their form and color in a cabinet, in general, without much trouble. Swammerdam had a method of preserving them when they appeared to be giving way. He made a perforation within them with a fine needle, pressed out their contents, afterwards inflated them with a glass blow-pipe, and filled them with a mixture of resin and oil of spike....

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THE LARVÆ, OR CATERPILLARS.

THE LARVÆ, OR CATERPILLARS.

The easiest way of destroying the Caterpillar is by immersion in spirit of wine. They may be retained for a long time in this spirits without destroying their color. Mr. William Weatherhead had an ingenious mode of preserving Larvæ. He killed the Caterpillar, as above directed, and having made a small puncture in the tail, gently pressed out the contents of the abdomen, and then filled the skin with fine dry sand, and brought the animal to its natural circumference. It is then exposed to the air

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THE PUPA.

THE PUPA.

When the insects have escaped from their Pupa skin, the skin usually retains the shape and general appearance it did while it contained the insect. It is therefore ready for a cabinet, without any preparation whatever. But if the animal has not quitted its envelope, it will be necessary either to drop the Pupa into warm water, or to heat it in a tin case before the fire; the former mode, however, is the best, and least liable to change the colors of the Pupa....

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METHOD OF BREEDING INSECTS.

METHOD OF BREEDING INSECTS.

Breeding Cages. —These must be made of oak, or other hard wood, as pine is apt to kill the Caterpillars, from its smell of turpentine. The most convenient size for a breed ing cage is eight inches in breadth, four deep, and one foot in height. It is not proper to place within a cage more than one species of Caterpillar, as many of them prey upon each other. Indeed, animals of the same species will devour each other, if left without food. The Caterpillars of insects, for the most part, will only

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SOLUTION OF CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE. Mr. Waterton’s Method.

SOLUTION OF CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE. Mr. Waterton’s Method.

Put a good large tea-spoonful 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 substance, 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,

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ARSENICAL SOAP. Invented by Becoeur, Apothecary, Metz.

ARSENICAL SOAP. Invented by Becoeur, 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 w

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SOLUTION OF PEARL-ASHES.

SOLUTION OF PEARL-ASHES.

Two ounces of pearl-ash to one gallon of water....

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ANNEALED IRON WIRE.

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....

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CEMENT.

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....

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GUM PASTE.

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 table-spoonfuls 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....

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FLOUR PASTE.

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....

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SOLUTION OF GUM-ARABIC.

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....

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PAPER, PASTE, GUMMED.

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 for 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 f

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POLLEN POWDER.

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 Parrots’ 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’s-hair pencil, and the powder dusted on it and allowed to dry....

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RED VARNISH.

RED VARNISH.

Take a stick of red sealing-wax, beat it down with a hammer, and then put it into a vial, with an ounce of strong spirit of wine, which will dissolve it within four or five hours. It may be applied to any part with a camel’s-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 produ

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LUTING FOR RENDERING BOTTLES AIR-TIGHT.

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 wi

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TOW AND FLAX SLIVERS.

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....

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METHOD OF MAKING ENAMEL-EYES FOR ANIMALS.

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 siz

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INSTRUCTIONS TO TRAVELERS.

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 u

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