. A flying trip to the tropics. A record of an ornithological visit to the United States of Colombia, South America and to the island of Curaçao, West Indies, in the year 1892 . t up in an oldtowel, and by wrapping it tightly with a strong string can compressit until its size is many times reduced, and it packs away is found all over Colombia, and I thought that I was doingsomething unnecessary when I carried some with me; but in Gua-duas my supply gave out, and when I sent for some it was broughtto me in little wads about the size of a walnut, and I found that Icould no more stuff
. A flying trip to the tropics. A record of an ornithological visit to the United States of Colombia, South America and to the island of Curaçao, West Indies, in the year 1892 . t up in an oldtowel, and by wrapping it tightly with a strong string can compressit until its size is many times reduced, and it packs away is found all over Colombia, and I thought that I was doingsomething unnecessary when I carried some with me; but in Gua-duas my supply gave out, and when I sent for some it was broughtto me in little wads about the size of a walnut, and I found that Icould no more stuff a bird with it than I could with a set of build-ing blocks. However, it was owing to this that I became acquaintedwith what I consider a splendid material for stuffing large andmedium-sized birds, — I refer to oakum as used for calking is inelastic and retains the shape given to it, and a birds bodycan be modeled exactly after the one of flesh just removed. Somebirds have wide projecting shoulders, with a deep depression be-tween the furculum and the neck, and it is just this shape that isdifficult to stuff with cotton, but can be fitted like a glove with. 172 A FLYING TRIP TO THE TROPICS. oakum. I obtained the oakumcW&^Ssk on the river steamer. The Span- ish name for it is estopa. Thebest preservative is dry arsenic,which should be carried in a tightcan with a screw cap. The canshould be conspicuously markedwith both the English word Poi-son and the Spanish word Ve-neno. And now, to change the subjectabruptly, I would say a few wordsabout photography. The abilityto sketch rapidly and accuratelyis much to be envied, yet for oneperson with Mr. Catherwoods tal-ent, there are ten thousand with-out ; and then, too, how rapidly a camera does its work ! I believea camera to be nowadays an essential part of every travelers outfit;yet it has its limitations. In regard to choice of cameras, it is likechoice of shot guns; every one thinks his own the best. I tookwith me
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1800, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectnaturalhistory
