fine-pointed scissors. In doing this great care must 
be taken, for if the thin wall of the abdomen is 
pierced, the intestines will protrude and injure the 
plumage. Now begin to part the skin from the 
flesh, by taking one edge between the thumb and 
. forefinger, and with the knife blade (er a piece of 
wire in the case of small birds) gently press the flesh 
away from the skin, Ilcosening it as far as possible 
down the side of the body, afterwards proceeding 
with the other side in a similar way. 
All this time you should have been sprinkling 
the flesh freely with the Plaster of Paris. 
_ The skin now being separated from the flesh on 
each side of the body, the legs may be attended to. 
Take hold of the leg on the outside, and push it tn, 
until the ‘‘ knee’? is well exposed. Separate the 
tibia and femur, and then by means of the foot draw 
back the tibia into its place, to be dealt with as here- 
after described. 
Repeat the operation with the other leg. 
‘The tail must now be severed from the body at 
the last caudal vertebra. To do this, place the bird 
on its head so to speak, and press back the tail with 
the left hand, then cut through the lower portion of 
the abdomen just above the root of the tail, taking 
care not to penetrate the loose skin on the sides of 
the body, which should be held out of the way by 
the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. When 
the vertebra is reached snip it through with the 
nail scissors. The beginner will probably find this 
rather hard to understand, and dithicult to perform, 
FS 
