CHAPTEE XXIV. 

 CLEANING THE PLUMAGE OF BIRDS. 



I SHALL never forget how vainly I sought, when a lonesome 

 and isolated amateur, to find somewhere in print some useful 

 information about how to remove grease, dirt, and blood-stains 

 from the plumage of birds. I remember well my disgust and 

 anger at the makers of the so-called " complete " manuals of 

 taxidermy that left me groping in Egyptian darkness on that 

 subject, and most others also ; and I registered a solemn vow 

 that should I ever write on taxidermy I would do my best to 

 afford some practical information on cleaning the plumage of 

 birds. 



As has been previously stated, the time to clean the plumage 

 of a bird is while you are making up the fresh skin (Chapter 

 VI.), before the skin has been laid away to dry, before the blood 

 dries and imparts a,permanent stain (to white feathers, at least), 

 and before the oil has had a chance to ooze out into the feathers 

 to gather dirt, and presently form a nasty, yellow oil-cake upon 

 the skin. In cleaning the skin of a fat or oily bird, scrape all 

 the grease from the inside of the skin, and absorb it with corn 

 meal or plaster Paris. Scrape the skin until it looks as if the 

 feathers are about to fall out, until no more oil is raised, and 

 then you may call it clean. When you have done this, you need 

 not fear that any oil will ever exude upon the feathers. 



FRESH SPECIMENS. If a freshly killed bird has blood upon its 

 plumage, separate the bloody feathers from the others, lift them 

 on your fingers, and with warm water and a sponge gently 

 sponge them off. Give the blood a little time to soften, and 

 when the feathers are as clean as you can get them with water, 

 wipe them as dry as you can, then sponge them over" with clear 

 spirits of turpentine or benzine, and absorb this with plaster 



