Taxidermy and Zoological Collecting Part 9

When sh.e.l.ls are obtainable, who can resist the impulse to gather them? The man, woman, or child who is proof against the seductive powers of the beautiful and many-colored sh.e.l.ls of the seash.o.r.e "is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils." Next to the pleasure of collecting sh.e.l.ls one's self is that of witnessing the keen delight of children and ladies in gathering these beautiful treasures of the sea. If you have never yet had an opportunity to stroll along the smooth sands of an ocean beach at low tide, and gather your basketful of beautiful sh.e.l.ls, curious sponges, bits of coral and coralline, while your soul is soothed by the rhythmic music of the surf, then I pity you. You have indeed yet something left to live for.

Hooker has divided the sh.e.l.l-bearing mollusca into three great groups--land, fresh-water, and marine--and the sh.e.l.l collector will do well to study each one separately.

_Land Sh.e.l.ls._--These are most abundant in the tropics, less so in the subtropical regions, and are rare elsewhere. They are seldom found where moisture is not abundant. In the tropics they are to be collected all the year round, but in the temperate zone it is best to collect them in the autumn, when they are fully grown. It is impossible, without devoting too much s.p.a.ce to this subject, to give more than a general idea of the situations in which land sh.e.l.ls are found. Some species are to be looked for on trees and bushes; others on rocks and stone walls; others again on the ground, and others again on the blades or in the roots of gra.s.s. In the tropics it is particularly desirable to watch for the beautiful land snails, which are almost strictly arboreal in their habits. They are to be found on the trunks and leaves of palms, the banana, myrtle, orange, and scores of other trees and shrubs.

_Fresh-Water Sh.e.l.ls_ which inhabit clear and shallow water are easily gathered with a stout hand-net. Where the water is murky, or so deep that the bottom cannot be seen, it is necessary to have an instrument like an iron-toothed rake, with the teeth set closely together, to be used as a sort of clam-dredge, raking the bottom and gathering up the mussels. In our own country the amateur collector will doubtless be surprised at the number of species of _Unio_ which will repay the labors of a diligent collector.

_Marine Sh.e.l.ls._--If you would have one of the jolliest picnics in the world, don a suit of old clothes, equip yourself with a stout basket, a screw-driver with a long handle, and a case-knife with a thin blade,

"Hang up thy lute and hie thee to the sea."

Go before the tide is at its lowest ebb, and search in the vicinity of the largest bowlders, under ledges of rock, under loose stones, in shallow pools, in bunches of sea-weed, in fact everywhere along the sh.o.r.e.

In these various places you will find cowries, ormers (_Haliotis_), chitons, limpets, and more others than I could name in an hour.

When wading in shallow water it is well to look out for the pestiferous sting-ray, and not step on one unawares, lest you find its caudal spine driven through your foot like a poisoned arrow. But, fortunately, they seldom trouble the collector. With the limpets, chitons, and other small sh.e.l.l-fish, you must work the point of your case-knife under them, and with it gradually detach them from the rock. Where such prey is plentiful, the collecting of it is grand fun, I a.s.sure you.

There are many bivalves which burrow or bury in the mud or sand, which must be dug out with a stick or trowel, while other species, still more enterprising, bore into wooden piles, and even into rocks! These, of course, can be collected only with the aid of a hatchet, or chisel, or stone-hammer, as the case may be. If you are on the Florida coast you will do well to search over the coral reefs and the mud flats at low tide. On the latter you will find conch-sh.e.l.ls, pinnas, and numerous other species.

I once made a very successful search for pinnas by wading around barefooted on a sandy flat on which the receding tide had left the water but little over a foot in depth. These sh.e.l.ls were always found standing up in the sand, at bay, with their sharp edge up. By going barefooted as I did, you find the sh.e.l.ls by stepping on them and cutting your feet, which is to be accomplished, however, without hurting the thin edge of the sh.e.l.l. A cut foot will heal up, but a broken sh.e.l.l never will.

CLEANING Sh.e.l.lS.[7]--In gathering sh.e.l.ls, particularly the marine species, many of them will be found covered with a thick, leathery, and persistent epidermis, and many others will be so buried under rough, limy accretions that their own fathers would scarcely recognize them. However beautiful such sh.e.l.ls may be when cleaned, it is no child's play to clean them and get them ready for the cabinet. To anyone willing to learn, the processes are really very simple; and what manual labor under the sun could be more interesting to a lover of natural history?

_Removing the Animal._--With a large sh.e.l.l, such as a conch, the first step is to remove the living animal. In some cases I have accomplished this by hooking a fish-hook into the head of the animal and hanging it up so that the weight of the sh.e.l.l constantly pulling down on the animal would cause it to gradually relax and draw out. An excellent plan is to place the sh.e.l.l for a few days in fresh water and macerate the animal sufficiently that it may be drawn out. Fortunately the great majority of molluscs are very small, and it is possible to prepare them for the cabinet without the necessity of removing the animal. Mr. Greegor's plan is to soak the sh.e.l.l in alcohol for a few days, to completely preserve the animal, and then dry it thoroughly to expel all the water from it. When that is done, the final step is to pour into the sh.e.l.l, through a rubber tube, a little thick varnish, or hot beeswax mixed with a little vaseline to make it flow readily, and thus cover the dried-up remains of the animal with an impervious coating which does away with all odors which might otherwise arise from it. This part of the process, be it understood, is to be attended to _after_ the cleaning and polishing has been done.

_Removing the Epidermis._--The epidermis is so tough and h.o.r.n.y, and sticks so tightly to the sh.e.l.l that tools cannot remove it successfully and it must be done chemically. Make a strong solution of chloride of lime and water, by putting into a jar one-fourth its bulk of chloride of lime, two-fourths water, and leaving the remaining fourth part of the s.p.a.ce for the froth that will rise. Soak sh.e.l.ls in this pasty solution for a short time, and it will eat the epidermis off.

_Removing Limy Accretions._--The bulk of all these thick, irregular coatings must be removed with steel tools--file, sc.r.a.per, knife, sand-paper, or hammer--to suit each individual case. The tool that Mr.

Greegor most relies upon is a small and very light hammer, made especially for him, which is shaped somewhat like a square-headed tack-hammer, with the pointed end drawn out to a blunt cutting edge, like the edge of a cold chisel. With this cutting edge a skilful hand can peck the lime or coral incrustations off a sh.e.l.l very neatly, and without injury to the surface of the specimen. Acid will not remove the thick, limy deposits, and they must be cleaned off by mechanical means.

After the bulk of the limy deposits have been removed by means of tools, the sh.e.l.l usually has a dull, l.u.s.treless appearance, and appears to require something that will remove the remaining particles of lime, impart to it a permanent gloss, and bring out its beautiful colors. Fortunately there is a way to do this to perfection, which consists in dipping the sh.e.l.l in a weak solution of muriatic acid and water, boiling hot. The strength of this solution must vary according to the nature of the specimen. For thick and strong sh.e.l.ls, which by their solid character you are a.s.sured cannot be damaged by a maximum of acid, put 3 parts of muriatic acid in 10 parts water. For thin and delicate specimens, use 1 part acid to 10 of water, varying the amount of acid from 1 part to 3, as your experience will soon teach you is most desirable. Put this solution in a porcelain kettle, bring it to a boil, and then with a pair of wooden tongs or forceps dip each sh.e.l.l into it and hold it there for a second or more, as may be necessary.

On removing it, wash it in clear water and dry it, and if its appearance is not satisfactory dip it again.

For very delicate sh.e.l.ls, having a thin surface color, such as the _Cypreas_ and _Olivias_, or such sh.e.l.ls as have very delicate sculpture, the weaker solution is best. When it is desired to cut more on one part of a sh.e.l.l than another, the acid may be applied with a brush, finishing with a quick dip. Never allow any of the acid solution to remain on the sh.e.l.l, or it will eat into it and dull the l.u.s.tre. For fine work, dry each specimen with a towel.

Sh.e.l.ls which have on their exterior a great deal of h.o.r.n.y or organic matter, such as _Haliotis_, _Ostrea_, _Lingula_, and a few others, work badly in acid, and require to be brushed constantly while cutting, to remove the organic matter, for the reason that the acid acts only on the lime of the sh.e.l.l.

Chloride of lime and muriatic acid are both very volatile, and when not in use should be kept in tightly closed vessels.

FOOTNOTE:

[7] For the best part of the information given under this heading I am indebted to Mr. I. Greegor, the well-known dealer in sea-sh.e.l.ls and Florida "curios," at 61 Laura Street, Jacksonville, Fla., who is an acknowledged expert in the treatment of sh.e.l.ls, not only in cleaning, but in cutting sections, polishing, etc. I obtained the facts from him while he occupied a very high position in the Smithsonian Inst.i.tution--in the north tower, at least fifty feet from the ground.

CHAPTER XI.

COLLECTING BIRDS' EGGS AND NESTS.

IDENTIFICATION.--Positive and unmistakable identification of the builder and occupant of a nest is quite as imperative on the collector as the gathering of the nest and eggs themselves. There must be no guess-work on this point, for eggs without a pedigree are often valueless. If an oological expert is within reach--one who can tell to a certainty the species of doubtful eggs, or if the eggs themselves are so characteristic and unique in their shape, size, and markings as to render their certain identification an easy matter, then is it safe to take home a "find" without finding the owner.

It is only the fledgling oologist who needs to be told that in all cases of doubt regarding the ident.i.ty (_i.e._, the exact species) of a nest-builder, the only proper course is to collect the bird as well as the nest and eggs.

This may often involve long watching, but it relieves the result from all uncertainty. No collector should think of going afield in quest of nests and eggs without taking his gun along. In South America, the only way in which I could get possession of the wonderful pensile nest of the crested cacique was by cutting off the limb to which it hung, with a rifle bullet.

In all timbered regions the collector must have a pair of good climbing-irons, such as telegraph linemen use, to enable him to climb with ease the nest-bearing trees that would otherwise defy him. It was before the days of climbing-irons that aspiring Sir Walter Raleigh wrote for the fair eyes of Queen Elizabeth,

"Fain would I climb, but that I fear to fall,"

to which his august mistress promptly responded with a piece of wisdom which every young oologist will do well to paste in his hat:

"If thy mind fail thee, do not climb at all!"

Very good and serviceable climbing-irons can be obtained of Mr. Frank B.

Webster, 409 Washington Street, Boston, for $3.50 per pair. Mr. Webster also keeps, at his very complete naturalist's supply depot, nearly every requisite that an oologist or taxidermist requires, except one thing that is indispensable in hunting and lofty tree-climbing,--nerve. Every collector or taxidermist should send Mr. Webster ten cents for a copy of his ill.u.s.trated catalogue, which of itself is probably the finest of its kind ever issued, and in which all naturalist's and oologist's supplies are pictured, described, and priced. The following are the princ.i.p.al articles needed to make up a proper outfit for an egg collector, and Mr. Webster's prices thereon:

Collecting-box, 75 cents. Pasteboard trays, for eggs, Egg drills, six sizes, 15 cents to $1.50. per dozen, 12 cents.

Calipers, for use in measuring, 60 cents. Pocket-case (leather), complete, with drills, Embryo hooks, 25 cents. blower, hooks, scissors, and forceps, Embryo scissors, 25 cents to $1.50. $5.00.

Egg measures, 75 cents to $1.00. Climbing-irons, per pair, $3.50.

COLLECTING NESTS.--Our boys pay too much attention to collecting eggs, and not half enough to nests. To the average observer who takes an interest in perusing the pages of Nature's story-book, a fine collection of bird's nests is a joy forever. It is ever ready to unfold chapter after chapter of bird lore, tales of wonderful intelligence and divine ingenuity in adapting means to ends, and stories galore of difficulties surmounted by the cunningest little architects in the world. Notice, if you please, the bewildering variety of materials employed in the construction of these bird-dwellings, great and small. Why, even the human architects of our own time are completely surpa.s.sed by the Baltimore oriole, the marsh wren, and the humming-bird.

There is food for thought and cause for admiration in a really good collection of bird's nests. To me there is much more of interest in any nest than in the eggs it contains. The latter is a plain and simple product of nature, to which the bird is merely an interested party to circ.u.mstances beyond its own control. The former is an exhibit of the instinct, intelligence, reasoning powers, industry, and mechanical and artistic skill of a living creature of a high order. The nest is what the bird makes it, and it often tells quite a story. Boys, let us give eggs and skins a rest, and make a fine collection of nests, _in situ_, as the rockologists say. We can do this after the nestlings have flown, if you like, without stealing any eggs or shedding any innocent blood. After the young have tumbled out, the nest is a back number, and becomes your lawful prey. Take it, and enjoy it, without remorse over blood that you haven't shed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 21.--Bird Nest, _in situ_.]

The most interesting and valuable nests are those that are collected _in situ_, or, in other words, in the particular crotch, or bunch of gra.s.s, or bush in which the bird placed it. Anything that will show just where a nest was placed by its builder adds immensely to its interest, and increases its scientific value. The accompanying ill.u.s.tration of such a nest in Captain Bendire's collection (Fig. 21), may be taken as an example of how nests of a certain cla.s.s can be collected and displayed. The section of the sapling was sawn squarely off a few inches below the nest, and screwed (from below) upon a highly polished ebonized pedestal. In drawing this specimen the label was removed in order that no portion of the princ.i.p.al object should be concealed, but Captain Bendire's system of labelling is fully shown in another figure.

The possibilities in collecting and displaying nests _in situ_ are almost endless. Indeed, so far as I have observed, this is a new and very attractive field for the collector, for although I have visited a great many large museums, and in both the New and the Old World have seen many ornithological collections, I have never yet seen a collection of birds'

nests which represented a t.i.the of the possibilities in that direction.

Every oologist should have in his library a copy of Rev. J.G. Wood's charming book, "Homes without Hands," which portrays many of the wonders of bird architecture.

In collecting nests one must go prepared to saw off branches, to cut sections of gra.s.sy earth, to gather up big tufts of gra.s.s, and transport all these to some safe destination. Very often it will be necessary to protect a nest by filling its cavity with some soft material, and then with fine thread or wire to wrap it securely to the limb on which it is placed.

Or again, it may be necessary to remove a nest temporarily from its resting place, wrap it thoroughly, and transport it separately to the museum, to be put in its place later on.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 22.--Wire Standard for Nests.]

Most naked nests, _i.e._, those that have been plucked from their resting-place, require to be wrapped to keep them from gradually falling to pieces. This may be done with fine thread of the same color as the outside materials of the nest, or, what Captain Bendire uses and recommends as being better, the finest kind of wire which, in large cities, can be bought, neatly made up on spools, at five to ten cents a spool. The wire or thread is wound on quite as one would wind thread on a ball, except that the wire must never be allowed to cross the cavity of the nest, which would at once make it conspicuous. Put on only enough winding to hold the nest well together, and distribute it so that the wire will not be noticed when the nest is placed on exhibition.

For the display of naked nests, Captain Bendire uses a very simple but ingenious little standard made of four wires twisted together so as to form an upright stem, a horizontal platform of the right size, with four perpendicular standards to receive and hold the nest. These standards are easily bent to conform to the shape of the nest, and if the upper ends project above the nest they are snipped off with a pair of cutting pliers.

The ill.u.s.tration on page 93 (Fig. 22) shows the exact character of the wire standard, and Fig. 23 shows it in use, supporting a naked nest. Captain Bendire's method of labelling his nests is also shown in full. It is to be noted that the locality of the specimen exhibited, and the name of the collector, appears in full upon the label--two features which should never be omitted on a specimen that is of sufficient value to occupy a place in a museum. Nevertheless, by less careful curators both these statements are frequently omitted from labels.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 23.--Nest on Wire Standard, with Labels.]

COLLECTING EGGS.--In connection with a collection of nests, each nest holding its own lawful and original contents, a good collection of birds'

eggs possesses much interest and beauty.

In collecting and preserving eggs, the most difficult feature of all is to remove the embryos successfully. In the days when I diligently collected eggs in many lands, it seemed to me that out of every dozen eggs I gathered, about thirteen contained from one to two embryos each! But there are ways in which this difficulty can be successfully overcome.

The full set of eggs laid by a bird for one brood is called a "clutch," and in collecting it is of scientific importance that whole sets should be collected and always kept separate, and the number of eggs in each set taken should be recorded.