140 ANIMAL CASTRATION. 



the flesh and the power of accumulating fat, in the 

 domestic fowl is a fact too familiar to those who have 

 learned to appreciate the exquisite juicy quality of 

 the meat of the capon to need any comment at our 

 hands. The operation upon these animals is one of 

 considerable difficulty and requires skill and experi- 

 ence to perform with nicety and success. 



In birds the testicles are situated in the abdomi- 

 nal cavity, immediately behind the lungs, under the 

 vertebral column and in front of the kidneys (Fig. 

 44). They correspond exactly to the articulation of 

 the last three ribs with the spinal column, where 

 they lie close together and in contact with the blood 

 vessels which separate them from the kidneys. They 

 are held in position by the peritoneum spread above 

 them, and by minute blood vessels, branches of the 

 aorta or of the vena cava. 



In the operation the fowl is placed on his side, 

 the tail being towards the operator, with the hind 

 leg carried backwards, in order to expose the flank 

 of the side selected for the incision. The first step 

 of the operation consists in plucking the feathers 

 irom a sufficient extent of surface, and making an 

 incision a little behind the lateral internal processes 

 of the sternum, from within outwards, and from be- 

 fore backwards, and slightly oblique, through the 

 skin and the thin muscles of the abdomen, and when 

 reaching the peritoneum carefully opening it with a 

 puncture, having it raised with a pair of forceps. 

 The second step, or that which involves the extirpa- 

 tion of the gland, is performed by the introduction 



