70 METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



the double bones of the wing remain intact.' Anoint the wing- 

 bones and skin thoroughly with poison and let them drop back in their 

 place. Both wings being detached and skinned we now proceed down 

 the neck until the base of the skull is reached.- For good reasons do 

 not pull or stretch the neck skin in this operation. In order to keep 

 back any blood or liquid which is often ready to flow before severing 

 the head from the neck tie a cord firmly about the neck just above the 

 skull, as shown in Plate X, Fig. 6 i. Before severing the head from 

 the body we will carefully detach the membrane of the ear by insert- 

 ing an awl or other pointed instrument under it, and by pulling up- 

 ward and outward quickly the membrane will come out (Plate X, Fig. 

 6 k). The eyes come next and can be observed through the thin 

 membrane ; cut very slowly through this until the eye is exposed, and 

 be careful not to cut through the eye-lids (Fig. 7 ?w, Plate X).^ Now 

 loosen the skin from the skull until you come down to the base of the 

 mandibles. Scoop out the eye-balls, sever the head from the neck at 

 the base of the skull, as in Fig. 7 n^ Plate X, taking out with the neck 



1. Leaving All the Bones in Wings of Birds. — Never take any of the wing-bones out of any of file larger 

 birtls, such as eagle;., hawks, owls, loons, pelicans, geese, ducks, large gulls, lierons, etc. Vou can hardly esti- 

 mate the value there is in leaving all the wing-bones in the larger birds and, I may say, even in the smaller 

 ones. Skin down to the double bones of the wing (ulna and radius) or elbow, clean the flesh thoroughly from 

 the single bone (humerus) and stop there; and if it has been done properly the humerus w ill be seen as it is in 

 Plate XIX, Fig. 7. After treating both wings alike, and, after you have skinned the bird completely as directed, 

 and it is lying V>efore you, separate the feathers along the under side of the wing, make an incision, take out all 

 the flesh, but leave the secondaries of the wing attached to the ulna. This is clearlj' illustrated in Plate XIX, 

 Fig. 7. In order to thoroughly clean the entire wing of the flesh an opening between the metacarpal bones should 

 be made. This is also seen in the Fig. just referred to. While it is of great importance to make this cut in 

 order to take out all the flesh and poison the skin and bones thoroughly to the end of the wing, many taxidermists 

 overlook this important point. In order to skin the wing in this manner, make the incision along the under side 

 of the wing as indicated in our drawing, and after having the skin lifted up along both sides of the cut drive pins 

 along its edge into your bench to hold the skin back out of the way while you are removing the flesh. Poison 

 the bones and skin thoroughly, take the pins out and the wings are completely prepared. If the wings are to be 

 spread you should sew this opening up very nicely. In mounting a bird with the wings spread never detach the 

 feathers from the ulna of the wing, for you cannot replace them as nature has done; nor can you spread them so 

 regularly if you detach them. In skinning the wings as 1 have described there are many advantages to be 

 gained. The wings fold up or spread out perfectly; you can also always depend upon getting the proper length 

 of the wing by placing the knob of the humerus in the coracoid hollow or socket which you have made in the 

 artificial body. This is well illustrated in Plate XXI, Figs. 1, 2, 5, and the folding of the wing in the hawk and 

 owl is shown in Figs. 3, 4, Plate XX. There is another point in the philosophy of leaving all the wing-boncs in 

 birds. They assist materially in obtaining the proper shape of the back, and it is absolutely impossible to find 

 any artificial structure whirh will fill tlnif place in this regard, while their solidity is beyond question. 



2. Exceptions in Skinning the Heads of Certain Birds.— The heads of some birds are too large to pass 



through the neck-skin, and they nuist be skinned and treated differently. To skin the heads of woodpeckers, 

 ducks, geese, swan, flamingoes, cranes, ostrich, peacock, etc., an opening cut must be made from the outside as 

 seen in Fig. 5, Plate XIX. Skin down to the base of the bill as usual, cut away the flesh, take out the eyes and 

 brain, poison thoroughly, fill the eye-sockets with cotton and sew up the slit as seen in Fig. C of the same plate. 

 This is done, of course, after skinning down as far as possible on the inside. Make a hole in your bench to fit the 

 shape of \n\\T bird's bill and rest it in there while skinning the head fPlatc XIX, Fig. 5.) 



3. Owls' Eyes. — Never remove the bony eye-cup in owls. If you take these out your owls will lose 

 their characteristic expression. Dig the eye-ball out with your scalpel and scissors as seen in Plate XVII, Figs. 1, 3. 

 If you desire to do so you can take the eye-cup out and clean it of its contents, as seen in Fig. 2, Plate XVII. but 

 you must put it back in its place. It is far better to leave the eye-cups in place and clean the contents out with- 

 out disturbing them. 



