378 



PREPARATION OF BIRD SPECIMENS 



joins the eyeball and skin is to be carefully cut with the scis- 

 sors. In this process the eyelids must not be injured nor the 

 eyeballs ruptured. The skin is next pressed from the skull 

 about to the bill. The eyes are now fully exposed and can be 

 readily removed without rupture by the aid of the rounded end 

 of the commercial steel pen. 



8. With the scissors cut off the back part of the skull 

 obliquely, as shown in the next figure,* and pull away the body, 

 neck, and tongue from the skin. This oblique cutting with the 

 scissors is performed by four cuts, — one across the roof of the 

 mouth, two obliquely upward along the sides of the skull, and 

 the last across the top just above the neck. Next remove the 

 i)rain with the rounded end of the steel pen. This can often 

 be done without rupturing the surrounding membrane. If the 



tongue was not 

 pulled out with 

 the neck it must 

 now be removed, 

 together Avith all 

 the fleshy parts 

 about the base of 

 the skull. 



9. Pull the leg 



and wing bones 



out the proper 



■* distance from the 



skin and cut away all the flesh possible. The illustration * will 



sliow how far to pull and what to remove. The base of the 



tail needs also to be cleaned of superfluous flesh. 



10. The skin is now ready to be treated. With the small 

 brush, paint the arsenic mixture over every part of the skin 

 and bones, being especially careful to leave a full supply wher- 

 ever there is flesh. (See caution in regard to this poison on 

 page 387.) 



11. Nearly fill the eye sockets with small, twisted-up wads 

 of cotton, and plaster them even full of clay in about the plastic 



