Chapter V. 
SKINNING. 
The beginner will doubtless find the skinning 
process a little irksome at first, but the knack of 
overcoming the most awkward parts is soon acquired 
with practice. Do not hurry the operation, as haste 
often leads to stretching, or even tearing the skin, 
which are the first things you want to avoid. The 
skin, in fact, should be pushed, rather than pulled, 
off the flesh. 
It is not advisable to operate on freshly-killed 
Specimens owing to their tendency to bleed rather 
freely. Time, therefore, should be given to allow 
the blood to coagulate. A couple of days in average 
weather is a convenient time to leave a bird before 
commencing to skin it. 
Should the specimen have been soiled by blood 
oozing from the shot wounds, the stains may be re- 
moved by a piece of wadding soaked in benzoline, 
which should be gently drawn over the injured parts 
in the direction of the feathers. When the stains 
have been removed, cover the damp parts with 
Plaster of Paris, and then leave them until they are 
dry, when a few sharp taps with a piece of wire will 
free the feathers from the plaster, and the bird will 
appear quite clean, if the operation has been carried 
out properly. This cleaning process is perhaps 
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