322 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



root of the tail, together with the oil-gland, dis- 

 sected from the body. Apply plenty of cotton. 



After this, seize the end of the back-bone with 

 your finger and thumb : and now you can hold up 

 the bird clear of your knee, and turn it round and 

 round, as occasion requires. While you are hold- 

 ing it thus, contrive, with the help of your other 

 hand and knife, by cutting and shoving, to get the 

 skin pushed up till you come to where the wing 

 joins on to the body. 



Forget not to apply cotton; cut this joint 

 through; do the same at the other wing, add 

 cotton, and gently push the skin over the head; 

 cut out the roots of the ears, which lie very deep 

 in the head, and continue skinning till you reach 

 the middle of the eye; cut the nictitating mem- 

 brane quite through, otherwise you would tear 

 the orbit of the eye; and after this, nothing diffi- 

 cult intervenes to prevent your arriving at the 

 root of the bill. 



When this is effected, cut away the body, leav- 

 ing a little bit of skull, just as much as will reach 

 to the fore-part of the eye; clean well the jaw- 

 bones, fasten a little cotton at the end of your 

 stick, dip it into the solution, and touch the skull 

 and corresponding part of the skin, as you can- 

 not well get to these places afterwards. From 

 the time of pushing the skin over the head, you 

 are supposed to have had the bird resting upon 

 your knee; keep it there still, and with great 

 caution and tenderness return the head through 

 the inverted skin, and when you see the beak ap- 

 pearing, pull it very gently till the head comes 

 out unruffled and unstained. 



