al
shades with oil paints. The dealers supply a great variety of artificial
foliage, some of which may be used to advantage, in case work
especially. Dried mosses and lichens of various sorts may be used in
this. Some of these powdered and glued on papier mache or cork bark
stumps and limbs produce a very pleasing effect.

Snow scenes are frequently attempted but are not always a success. The
peculiar fluffy and glittering appearance is rather difficult to
reproduce. Torn or ground up white blotting paper mixed with a little
ground mica has been used for this purpose. Glass icicles are listed by
dealers and are quite natural in appearance, but the simulation of water
is difficult and often disappointing.

It is often desirable to mount small specimens, of birds especially, in
cases of some kind which will protect them from dust, dirt and rough
handling and at the same time display them to advantage. The oldest and
at the same time the least suitable contrivance for this is the well
known bell glass or globe. It is difficult to find a safe place for this
in the average house and it is not at all adapted to many specimens.

A plain wall case with glass front and a painted or decorated background
will give the necessary protection with the least expense. For small
bird groups, and singles and pairs of game birds, the oval convex
glasses probably present the finest appearance. The backgrounds for
these may be either plush or wood panels or hand painted, and any style
of picture framing may be used. These are made in several sizes, listing
at $2.00 to $8.00 each without backgrounds or frames. This cost has
probably prevented their more common use.

There is on the market a papier mache background also adapted to any
picture frame, called the "concave dust proof case." This has the flat
face glass of the old style wall case, but with the square corners and
much of the weight eliminated. Any of these styles of wall cases may be
placed on shelves as well as hung on the wall like pictures, at once
preventing breakage and becoming valuable decorations.

Special cases are often built (as in museums) for large and valuable
mounted specimens. Of these the top and at least three sides should be
of glass. The preparing and placing of the accessories in some large
museum cases have required an unbelievable amount of time and expense to
attain the desired natural appearance of the mounting.

CHAPTER V.

FIELD WORK, COLLECT