xxviii INTRODUCTION 



bird on its back on a rule or tape-measure, with neck and body 

 straight. 



Wing. — From the front of the bend of the wrist joint of the 

 wing to the tip of the longest feather. This can be taken with either 

 tape or dividers. 



Tail. — From the extreme base of the tail to its tip. To get this 

 exactly place one point of the dividers at the base of the tail be- 

 tween the two middle tail feathers, and the other point of the 

 dividers at the tip of the tail. 



Bill. — From edge of feathers on top i)f bill to tip 

 of bill. When it would be necessary to part the 

 feathers to reach the base of the bill the expression 

 ' exposed culmen ' is used for the mea- 

 surement. 



Tarsus. — From heel joint to angle 

 of toe with tarsus. If this is difficult 

 to determine, put the dividers on the outside and 

 bend the toes. 



Middle toe. — From angle of tarsus and toes to base of claw, the 

 length of the claw not being taken unless specified. 



Such measurements as length of toes, depth of bill at base, at 

 nostril, etc., and relative lengths of certain feathers and spots and 

 markings can usually be taken most accurately and conveniently 

 with dividers. 



Making bird skins. — For making bird skins a few simple tools 

 and materials are needed, — two sizes of scalpels or slender-bladed 

 knives for skinning, a pair of stout, sharp scissors, and a pair of 

 forceps, some powdered arsenic and corn -meal, cotton (for large 

 species tow), a round-pointed needle, thread, and labels. 



The English sparrow is a good bird to begin with and practice on 

 until skins can be made that are worth keeping, an end not attained 

 without patient and painstaking effort. 



Having shot a bird, examine it for bloody or soiled spots, and 

 sprinkle any that are found with corn -meal or fine sand, and plug 

 the throat with cotton to keep any blood or liquids from coming out 

 and soiling the feathers. If an eye is broken remove it with the 

 forceps, and fill the orifice with cotton and corn-meal, to prevent the 

 fluids from soiling the feathers of the head. To keep the bird from 

 injury until you can skin it, make a paper cornucopia, and after 

 smoothing the feathers drop the bird in bill first ; then fold together 

 the gaping edges of the cornucopia, and your bird will carry safely 

 in your game-bag or hunting-coat pocket. 



