Aves. 1 1 5 



and tail. Roll balls of cotton and place m the eye sockets. Now 

 proceed to turn the skin. Placing the thumbs at the base of the 

 skull, use as many fingers as can work in pulling (or rather rolling) 

 the skin back over the head, the thumbs meanwhile pushing. Care 

 and patience must be used here, otherwise a good skin may be 

 ruined. When the skin has been turned back over the head it is 

 easy to grasp the bill, and the entire skin is again outside out. It 

 will probably look rather dilapidated, but do not be discouraged. 

 Shake it, holding by the bill, to get rid of the loose powder and to 

 rearrange the feathers. With forceps or scalpel handle arrange the 

 feathers where needed. Lay the skin on its back. Make a slender 

 roll of cotton for a neck, and with the forceps insert it so it will 

 reach the base of the skull. Next make a body of cotton (you have 

 the model before you) . In inserting the body, see that the feathers 

 around the edge of the cut are not turned in. Draw together the 

 edges of the ventral cut ; it is pot necessary to sew, but the feathers 

 should be made to overlap naturally. Cross the feet and tie them 

 together, thus crossed. Make a stiff paper cylinder, and tie or 

 pin it so it will not spread. Slip the skin in, head first of course, 

 taking care that the feathers overlap properly. Especial attention 

 needs to be paid to the region of the shoulders. Attach a label, 

 with the name of the bird, sex, date, locality, and your name. Lay 

 away in a safe, dry place for at least a week, before removing from 

 the cylinder. Birds may be mounted on a board with wings spread. 



DISSECTION OF THE PIGEON. 



In dissecting the pigeon place it on a smooth board about twelve 

 inches wide and eighteen inches long. If a sheet of paper be 

 fastened to the board by thumb tacks, the board may be kept clean 

 for repeated use. In dissecting it is better to turn the board than 

 to turn the specimen on the board. The wings and legs or any 

 flaps of muscle may be stretched out and tacked down to suit 

 convenience at different stages of the work. 



Pluck the pigeon before dissecting it ; dipping the bird in hot 

 water makes this easier. 



