COLLECTING SKINS OF SMALL BIRDS. 57 



two breeding 1 seasons). But there are ways in which we can 

 help ourselves. If you begin with birds during- or near the 

 breeding 1 season, you will have plain sailing- long 1 enough to 

 become familiar with the subject. 



In birds the organs of generation lie close up to the lumbar 

 vertebrae, near the kidneys, in the region called " the small of 

 the back." The best way to reach this region for examination 

 is to make a cut clear across the wall of the abdomen, break the 

 back over at the last pair of ribs, and the intestines will at once 

 fall down, exposing the lumbar region. You will then see the 

 kidneys two large, dark-brown masses situated in the concavity 

 of the sacrum and on their surface, at the upper end, lie the 

 reproductive organs. The testicles of the male are two dull, 

 whitish, ellipsoidal, or nearly round bodies, of the same size, 

 lying close together. The sign for this sex is the astronomical 

 sign for the planet Mars ( <3 ). 



The ovary of the female is, except during the breeding sea- 

 son, the most difficult to distinguish. Look first for a little 

 bunch of minute round globules, of varying sizes and grayish- 

 white color. In the breeding season the eggs are easily found. 

 Failing in that, you must look for the ovary itself, which, when 

 found, will be recognized as a little, irregular, flattish bunch of 

 a light gray color. If you search with a magnify ing-glass, you 

 may be able to detect it by its peculiar granulated appearance. 

 The sign for the female is the sign for the planet Venus ( $ ). 



