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The cost of mounting speci-
mens is about 50 or 75 cents ^each for the
small run of animals, up to
2.00 or 3.00 for large birds. Large quad-
rupeds cost from five to twenty dollars
or even more. I would not have
these mounted however for a year ,
^{or more}, as the cases should all be
ready to put them in, and indeed
you will not be able to make proper
selection of the best specimens to
mount fr until you have a good stock
on hand.

The market for the sale of
bird skins is precarious; but I think
that 25.00 per hundred could be got
for bright colored specimens, as Jays,
blue birds, Orioles, Tanagers, Red head
woodpeckers, &c.

If the bargain is made I
think I would push right down to
Cairo – as early in the spring as pos-
sible and remain there two or three
months. You already know Northern
Illinois very well. And the other
extreme is vastly different in its
zoology. Excursions to the New Mad-
rid country would give you much of the
highest interest, and through great light
generally. Five and a half degrees