80 HOW TO MAKE A BIRDSKIN. 



44. DECOMPOSITION. It might seem unnecessary to speak 

 of what may be smelled out so readily as animal putrescence, 

 but there are some useful points to be learned in this connec- 

 tion, besides the important sanitary precautions that are to be 

 deduced. Immediately after death the various fluids of the 

 body begin to "settle" (so to speak) and shortly after, the 

 muscular system as a rule becomes fixed in what is technically 

 called rigor mortis. This stiffening usually occurs as the ani- 

 mal heat dies away ; but its onset, and especially its duration, 

 is very variable, according to circumstances, such as cause of 

 death ; although in most cases of sudden violent death of an 

 animal in previous good health, it seems to depend chiefly upon 

 temperature, being transient and imperfect, or altogether want- 

 ing in hot weather. As it passes off, the whole system re- 

 laxes, and the body soon becomes as "limp" as at the moment 

 of death. This is the period immediately preceding decompo- 

 sition in fact, it may be considered as the stage of incipient 

 putridity ; it is very brief in warm weather ; and it should be 

 seized as the last opportunity of preparing a bird without 

 inconvenience and even danger. If not skinned at once, 

 putrescence becomes established ; it is indicated by the efflu- 

 vium (at the outset "sour," but rapidly acquiring a variety of 

 disgusting odors) ; by the distension of the abdomen with 

 gaseous products of decomposition ; by a loosening of the 

 cuticle, and consequently of the feathers ; and by other signs. 

 If you part the feathers of a bad-smelling bird's belly to 

 find the skin swollen and livid or greenish, while the feathers 

 come off at a touch, the bird is too far gone to be recovered 

 without trouble and risk that no ordina^ specimen warrants. 

 It is a singular fact that this early putrescence is more 

 poisonous than utter rottenness ; as physicians are aware, a 

 post-mortem examination at this stage, or even before it, in- 

 volves more risk than their ordinary dissecting-room expe- 

 rience. It seems that both natural and pathological poisons 

 lose their early virulence by resolution into other products 

 of decay. The obvious deduction from ail this is to skin 

 your birds soon enough. Some say they are best skinned per- 



