There may be something in the increased temperature in the south which the birds have found to be unsuitable while raising their young, and a change has become a matter of necessity, though the cause may not be to us apparent.

How are we to account for the habit in such birds as the Little Bittern, very many of which are resident in the south, and raise their young in tropical America, while those we see in Ontario are regular migrants, generally distributed, some straggling as far north as Manitoba and Hudson's Bay, but all leaving the country before the first touch of frost ?

With these facts in view, it is not surprising to find some difference of opinion among ornithologists regarding the causes of migration. It seems as if the habit were, to some extent, coincident with the origin of the species, had extended very gradually through a long succession of ages, to meet the various climatic and other changes which have taken place in the surroundings of this part of the animal kingdom since the beginning." Even within our short lifetime we have seen changes taking place in the distribution of the birds, some of which we can account for, and for others we have no explanation to offer; but the whole subject is one about which we have yet much to learn.

66

I commend it to the special consideration of my youthful readers, who, I feel sure, will find it most interesting, and I hope that they may yet be able to explain many of the difficulties which at present surround the subject of bird migration.

COLLECTING AND PREPARING
SPECIMENS.

Since it is possible that the perusal of these pages may create in some of my younger readers the desire to collect and preserve specimens of the birds whose history they have been considering, I would advise them, by all means, to cultivate the taste, for I know of no pastime so conducive to health, nor one that will afford so much rational enjoyment. An outing in our bracing Canadian air is enjoyable at any season of the year, and the capture of a rare bird is an event productive of feelings which only the enthusiastic collector can understand.

In spring, to watch the daily arrival of migrants from the south,

clad in their gayest attire and uttering their sweetest notes, is a constant source of delight. In summer the nests and eggs engage the attention for a time. In autumn the return of the birds seen passing north in the spring is again looked for with interest, and the changes in the dress of many are carefully recorded in the notebook which should be always at hand. But winter, after all, is the season in which we expect to find the rarest of our birds. We say our birds, for those we look for at that season are Canadian in the fullest sense of the term, having been born and brought up in the Dominion, but only on very rare occasions do they come so far south as our southern boundary. The collector in Southern Ontario who is fortunate enough to secure such birds as the Gyrfalcon, Ptarmigan, Three-toed Woodpecker, or Greater Red Poll, will not soon forget his agreeable sensations on the occasion, but he will gaze on the interesting strangers with regret if he does not know how to preserve their skins. It was probably some such experience that first suggested the attainment of this accomplishment, and in order to place it within the reach of all, I shall here give a brief account of how anyone may, with a little practice, become proficient in the art.

Since bird collecting can be successfully practised only by the use of the gun, let me here, for the guidance of beginners, repeat the directions so often given to guard against accidents in its use. The excuse for three-fourths of the mishaps which occur is, "Didn't know it was loaded," but the safe way to avoid this is at all times to handle the gun as if it were known to be loaded, for in the Irishman's way of putting it, "It may go off, whether it's loaded or not." When in company with others, never under any circumstances allow the gun for an instant to be pointed toward anything you do not wish to shoot. Never for any purpose blow into the muzzle, and do not have it "on cock" till the moment you expect to use it.

With regard to the choice of a gun, I am supposed to be speaking to a reader who has made up his mind to make a collection of the skins of those birds he finds near his home in Ontario. Water-fowl shooting, I may here remark, is a special department by itself. A 12-bore double breech-loader, and cartridges charged with No. 5 shot, with a few of No. 1 or BB, would be a suitable equipment for ducks, with the possibility of a chance shot at geese or swans.

The collector going into the country may unexpectedly meet with some very desirable bird, and should be prepared to take it, whatever be its size or shape, and to do so with the least possible injury to its plumage.

The birds met with on such excursions range in size from a horned owl to a humming-bird, the majority being intermediate between the two. Supposing that only one gun is desirable, the most suitable weapon is a No. 14 double breech-loader of good make. This will be just right for the majority, and with a little care in loading the cartridges, it can be made to suit the two extremes. I have found three sizes of shot to be sufficient for ordinary collecting trips,Nos. 5, 8 and 12,-but the size of the charge must be varied to suit circumstances. For instance, a charge of No. 12 will bring down a snipe at 30 yards, but to shoot a kinglet, or a warbler, for preserving, with the same size shot, the charge would have to be very much lighter. Just how much lighter is a point to be learned by experience. It depends to some extent on the individual peculiarities of the gun, equal measure of powder and shot being in all charges the usual rule. I have often used dust shot for very small birds, but to be sure of getting them with that, one has to be pretty close to the birds, and then their feathers are a good deal cut up and broken. I find that a warbler killed by a single pellet of No. 12, is in better condition to make into a specimen than one that is killed with a dozen pellets of dust. No. 5 is big enough for hawks, owls, etc., and No. 8 is right for plovers, sandpipers, rails, etc., but the nature of the locality and the size of the birds most likely to be met, are the best guides in such matters.

To approach birds without alarming them, a mild form of deception is sometimes practised with advantage. They have keen sight, sharp hearing, and are at all times on the alert to escape danger, so that a direct approach is almost sure to make them take wing; but by walking as if intending to pass and yet gradually slanting nearer, a better chance may be obtained. Birds are used to the sight of horses and cows, and do not usually object to their presence near their haunts. I once knew an aged gunner who was aware of this fact, and for a time turned it to good account. He lived on the Bay shore not far from Hamilton, at a part of the beach which was a favorite resort of curlews, plovers and sandpipers. His old nag used to graze on the sward close by, and the gunner got into the way of steering him by the tail till he was within shot of the birds, when he would step out from behind and blaze away without alarming "Jerry" in the least. The same flock would rarely be deceived twice, but fresh arrivals were sure to be taken unawares.

A game bag, such as used by sportsmen, is not suitable for a collector, for the specimens are injured by the pressure to which they

are often subjected. I have found a fishing basket very suitable for carrying small birds. It is not heavy to handle, and the birds, when once placed therein, are beyond the reach of injury. In this basket, when leaving home, should be placed some sheets of brown paper about the size of letter paper, and a little cotton wadding. When a bird is killed, the shot holes should be plugged with cotton to stop the bleeding, and a pellet of the same material put into the mouth to prevent the juices of the stomach oozing out and soiling the feathers. If the bird is wing-broken or otherwise wounded, it should be killed at once, and the simplest way of doing this is to catch it firmly across the small of the back and press hard with the fingers and thumb under the wings, which will suffocate the bird in a few seconds. The throat and shot holes can then be filled as described.

A paper cone of suitable size is made next, the bird dropped into it headforemost, and the outer edges of the paper turned inwards to prevent it slipping out, and so it is placed in the basket.

Having reached home, the collector divests himself of his muddy boots, gets a pair of slippers and a change of coat, and sets himself to work to prepare his specimens. In his tool box should be the things he needs and nothing more, for the surplus only causes confusion: a very fine penknife suitable for the smallest birds, and a larger one for larger specimens; two or three knitting needles of different sizes, a pair of cutting pliers, a few needles and some thread, a paper of pins, a bottle with the preserve, and a bag with some cotton and a small lot of tow.

The birds being removed from their cones are laid out in order, and the one most desired for a specimen is selected to be first operated upon. The cotton is taken from the mouth and a fresh pellet put in. The wing bones are then broken close to the body with the pliers, and the bird laid on its back on the table with the bill towards the operator. The middle finger, slightly moistened, will separate the feathers from the breast-bone downward, leaving a bare space exposed. About the end of the breast-bone the point of the knife is inserted, back downward, under the skin, and a clean cut of the skin made from this point down to the vent. The skin is then loosened from the body till the thighs are exposed, which are here cut through at the joints. The tail is next separated from the body and the skin turned carefully down, the turn-over being greatly facilitated by the wings being loose, and they can now be separated from the body, and the skin turned back to the base of the bill. This should be done with the finger nails, assisted here and there

INTRODUCTION.

19 with the knife, but it must not be pulled or drawn or it will be injured by being stretched. The neck is then cut off where it joins with the skull, and the body laid aside for the present. The brains and eyes are next scooped out, and all the flesh and muscles removed from the bones of the legs and wings. The skin is now ready for the preserve, which is simply arsenic procured from the drug store. If the skin is thick and greasy it may be dusted on dry, giving the skin as much as will adhere to it; but if it is a thin, dry skin it is better to mix the arsenic with water to about the thickness of cream and put it on with a brush. When the preserve is thus applied to all the parts, a little cotton is wrapped around the bones of the legs and wings, the eye-sockets are filled with the same, and a piece about the length and thickness of the neck pressed firmly into the skull. The wings and legs are then pulled outward till they take their proper place, and the skin turned backward till it assumes its natural position, and it is filled with wadding to its former size. The mandibles are then fastened together by a thread passed through the nostril and tied under the bill. The legs are crossed and tied together with a thread just above the feet; the feathers of the body are drawn together so as to cover the opening. Just in proportion to the care and pains bestowed on the specimen at this point, will it be a good skin or the reverse, for whatever position the feathers now get, that position they will retain. The body should next be examined to ascertain the sex of the specimen. This is done by cutting a hole in the side opposite the small of the back. Attached to the backbone at this point may be found the testicles of the male, two round bodies of dirty white, varying in size according to the size of the bird, but always largest in spring. Those of such birds as the warblers are no larger than pin heads. If the specimen is a female, the ovaries will be found in the same position, a mass of flattened spheres, similar in color, ranging in size according to the size of the bird, and also with the season. There should be attached to the legs of the specimen by a thread, a "tag" giving its scientific and common naine, the sex, date of capture, locality where found, and name of collector. This is the course followed with birds up to the size of a Robin, the time required to complete the operation being twenty minutes. Three in an hour is about my rate of progress, but I have seen statements made of a much larger number being done in that time.

The specimen is now put away to dry, and the position in which it is left will decide its future appearance. I have a setting-board