METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 69 



rate the feathers along the breast, and, with a scalpel or sharp pen- 

 knife make an incision, beginning high up on the breastbone and down 

 to the vent' ( Plate X, Fig. \ a io b). Do not cut through the wall of 

 the abdomen, for the intestines, blood, etc., will come out and give you 

 trouble. Now raise the skin carefully along the cut until the muscles 

 of the leg are visible; push gently but with sufficient force until the 

 knee-joint protrudes, and cut it off here (Plate X, Fig. 2 af), leaving 

 the thigh attached to the body.- Most of the cutting from this point 

 until the bird is finished may be done with the scissors. Skin the leg 

 down to the heel, strip the flesh off perfectly clean (Plate X, Fig. 3 /) 

 and poison thoroughly with arsenical paste or arsenical soap (see for- 

 mulas, page 34). 3 Proceed in the same manner with the other leg, then 

 loosen the skin down on the back as far as possible, stand the bird on 

 its breast, bend the tail down and cut carefully through the tail joint 

 or pope's nose (Plate X, Fig. ^g). In doing this you will find it neces- 

 sary to work slowly and carefully in order to avoid cutting the skin. 

 You may now hang the specimen up on one of the hooks suspended 

 from the ceiling. Be sure, however, to leave enough of the pope's nose 

 to hold the feathers fast. Skin down the body, cut off one of 

 the wings at the shoulder joint, as indicated by the dotted lines in 

 Fig. 5 //, Plate X. Strip off the flesh from the humerus or upper arm 

 bone and also the forearm (ulna and radius) or double bones, detaching 

 the secondaries of the wing down to the carpus or wrist joint ( Fig. 6 

 /, Plate X). In the smaller birds, like the robin for example, you may 

 cut the wing-bones off at the dotted lines in Fig. G, Plate X, and leave 



1. Opening Cut in the Backs of Birds. — In the grebes, loons, gulls and many of the ducks I shall recom- 

 mend making the opening cut along the back as this will enable you to preserve with more certainty the beauty 

 of the underparts which in these birds are so much exposed to view. 



2. Skinning the Legs of Birds. — In skinning the legs of birds the rule is to skin down as far as feathers 

 grew or in all cases to the heel. The legs of many of the owls should be skinned down as far as the base of the 

 toes which is as far as we can reach from the inside. The legs in all hawks and eagles should be skinned to 

 below the heel. 



3. Removing Tendons from Legs of Birds. — The tendons in the legs of eagles, large hawks, pelicans, flamingoes 

 and lari;e herons, down to the m/i; of tlie American Bittern Botaitrus lentiginosus (Montag.j, should be 

 taken out so that the wire will pass more easily through the leg. To do this make a cut in the ball of the foot 

 and draw the tendons out by means of a hook turned on the end of a piece of hard wire. If you choose to do so 

 you may put a wooden handle on the wire and make it a permanent tool for your outfit. This whole procedure is 

 well illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, Plate XVII. After making the slit in the h:.\\ of the foot I sometimes cut the 

 tendons where they branch to the toes, take hold of them with pliers and draw them out. It requires much 

 longer time to remove the tendons from a drj- skin which you have relaxed than from a fresh bird. 



In making up large birds in the form of skins the tendons should, by all means be taken out and the legs 

 thoroughly poisoned, both to cure them and protect them against the attacks of insects. 



The best plan to follow is illustrated in Plate XIV. After the tendon has been removed run a sharp-pointed 

 wire in at the sole all the way up and through the heel as seen in our illustration. On this wire, at the sole and 

 at the heel place with a brush, all the arsenical paste or arsenical soap that the wire will hold, and then draw 

 the wire up and down until the tarsi has been thoroughly poisoned. I have frequently repeated this operation 

 two and three times, and then coated the outside of the tarsi and toes with the clear arsenical solution. See 

 also page 45. 



