Enquire within upon everything

[TRUST NOT THE MAN WHO PROMISES WITH AN OATH.] 2339. To Stuff Birds, Quadrupeds, &c. Large animals should be carefully skinned, with the horns, skull, tail, hoofs, &c., entire. Then rub the inside of the skin thoroughly with the mixture of salt, pepper, and alum, and hang up to dry. Large birds may be treated in the same way, but should not be put into spirits. 2340. Small Birds may be preserved as follows: Take out the entrails, open a passage to the brain, which should be scooped out through the mouth; introduce into the cavities of the skull and the whole body, some of the mixture of salt, alum, and pepper, putting some through the gullet and whole length of the neck; then hang the bird in a cool, airy place--first by the feet, that the body may be impregnated by the salt, and afterwards by a thread through the under mandible of the bill, till it appears to be free from smell; then hang it in the sun, or near a fire: after it is well dried, clean out what remains loose of the mixture, and fill the cavity of the body with wood, oakum, or any soft substance, and pack it smooth in paper. 2341. Birds' Eggs. In selecting eggs for a cabinet, always choose those which are newly laid; make a medium-sized hole at the sharp end with a pointed instrument, and one at the blunt end: let this last hole be as small as possible; this done, apply your mouth to the blunt end, and blow the contents through the sharp end. If the yolk will not come freely, run a pin or wire up into the egg, and stir the yolk well about; now get a cupful of water, and immersing the sharp end of the shell into it, apply your mouth to the blunt end and suck up some of the water into the empty shell; then put your finger and thumb upon the two holes, shake the water well within, and after this, blow it out. The water will clear the egg of any remains of yolk or of white which may stay in after blowing. If one injection of water will not suffice, make a second or third.