34 THE CREGON NATURALIST. 
very efficient as a substitute, being perfectly 
harmless: 
ALUM MIXTURE. 
Powd. Alum, ¥% pound, 
Powd, Salt, dry. I ounce. 
Powad. Napthaline Flakes, 
Mix and keep dry. 
I ounce. 
—and with proper after care of the spec.mens, 
they may be kept a long period, and on ac- 
count of its non-poisonous properties, is better 
adapted to the beginners use. 
Now make a stuffing rod by taking 
7 inches of No. 15 Wire, siightly flatten one 
end, and insert the o-her end in a handle, this 
completes the necessary tools, for, as the oper- 
ator progresses in the work, he cau supply 
others as his wants require. 
If, when the specimen to be skinned was 
shot, cotton had not been put into the throat, 
it must now be done, by opening the bill, and 
first putting in a small quantity of plaster 
place two small wads of cotton, one on top of 
the other. 
Space will not permit, to explain why these 
details are necessary, but the importance of at- 
tending to all of them will be self evident, as 
advancement is made in the work—close the 
bill by passing a thread through the nostrils 
and around the lower mandible and tie, if a 
long neck bird, leave an end of thread a little 
longer than the neck, to assist in returning 
skull to place. Any shot holes must be 
plugged with cotton as well as the nostrils and 
anus. 
Now lay your bird on a sheet of paper and 
trace an outline, this is kept until your speci- 
men is dry and entirely completed. 
Make the following measurements: 
Length from tip of bill, to end of longest 
tail feather. 
Distance between outstretched wings as the 
bird lies on its back. 
Length from bend of wing to end of longest 
primary. 
Length from roots of tail to end of longest 
feather. 
Length of bill, tarsus, toes, claws and head, 
place the measurements on your outline sheet, 
also the eolor of eyes, feet, bill and color of 
any bare places on bird, that are exposed. 
Make use of this sheet for any notes that will 
aid in the final touches, frequently necessary 
10 make the specimen assume a natural and 
life like appearance. 
Examine your bird carefully, observe how 
tbe feathers he, the position tkey occupy, how 
the colors blend, retain this knowledge so that 
they may be reproduced in the finished speci- 
men, 
Lay your bird on its back, on the table be- 
fore you with head pointing to the left hand, 
carefully part the feathers lengthwise in the 
cen‘er of the breast, if a land bird you will ob- 
serve a bue place nearly the entire length. 
Cut from top of breast bone to the anus, 
being careful to cut no deeper than will sever 
the skin, now Jift skin on side next you, and 
gradually work it loose from the body all that 
can be done without stretching, as you go 
down the side of body, you come to the thigh, 
bend the tarsus up to ti ia, or thigh, and draw 
skin over the knee-joint, pushing up sligntly on 
the leg until joint is fully exposed to view, 
mike cut across this joint and dislocate. turn 
skin down over leg until head of tarsus is 
reached, remove flesh from bone wrap sliver of 
tow around bone, being careful to make it not 
larger than when in the flesh, and push back 
to place. 
The bird may now be turned, that the other 
leg can be skinned in like manner. Loosen 
skin around tai!, bearing in mind. not to 
stretch the skin, and if the bird bleeds or is 
very fit, absorb with the plaster, use plenty of 
plaster, for it is ersier to keep feathers clean, 
than to clean them after becoming soiled, 
Corn meal may be used as a substitute for 
plaster by those whe prefer, but is not nearly 
as efficient. 
A cord should now be tied around right 
thigh bone, to suspend bird from above at such 
height as is most convenient for the operator to 
work to advantage. 
The skin having been loosened around base 
of tail, the next cnt is to sever tail from body; 
cut across as close to quills as can ba, with-out 
cutting ends of quills or skin on back. Separ- 
ate skin from back, using the fingers for that 
Se 
_—eOoooooeeee 
