Chapter VII: 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.