134 WITH BOAT AND GUN IN THE YANGTZE VALLEY. 



THE PROCESS OF SKINNING. 



Tie a piece of thread a few inches long through the nostrils or the lower mandible of 

 the beak ; the use of this will be seen later on. 



Break the wing bones close to the body, by pressing with the thumbs or giving a smart 

 tap with a hammer. 



Lay the bird on its back, and part the feathers down the centre of the breast and 

 belly ; they will part naturally and leave a semi-bare strip exposed. 



Make a clean cut through the skin (not too deep) from the middle of the breast to the 

 vent. 



With the fingers and blunt knife work the skin away from the flesh, exposing the 

 body as much as possible, using the dry powder freely that the feathers may not be soiled 

 by touching the flesh. 



Take a leg in the right hand, and push it inwards towards the body while the left 

 hand retains the skin ; when the joint next the body is fully exposed cut it through and thus 

 detach the leg and thigh. 



Do the same with the other leg. 



Then take the bird from behind, with the thumbs placed on the back behind the 

 wings, and the fingers on the breast against the already detached skin. 



Press gently with the thumbs and draw back the fingers, until the body stands well 

 out, exposing the wing joints and the base of the neck. 



Cut through the wing joints and neck. 



Take the body in one hand, or if large tie it up to a peg, and with the knife detach 

 the skin gently all down the back until the root of the tail is reached; cut through this 

 and the skin is then completely freed from the body. 



Before throwing away the body examine the sex. 



Clean away all flesh adhering to the small piece of bone left at the root of the tail, 

 including the two small oily glands which will be found on the upper surface. This will 

 require gentle handling. 



Next take the leg bones and clean oflf the flesh, put on a little preservative, wrap some 

 cotton wool round the bones to the natural size, draw them back into their place again, and 

 smooth the feathers which have become rumpled. 



Next take the wing bone and expose it down to the last joint ; a little difficulty will be 

 experienced at the first joint, but when that is passed the wing will turn inside out readily 

 enough ; remove all the flesh, put on some preservative and then turn it right side out again, 

 making sure that the bone goes well home, and that the wing feathers lie smooth. In large 

 birds it is better to clean the wing bones from the inside, as far as the first joint only, the 

 elbow, the outer joint and the forearm being cleaned from outside by slitting it on the under 

 surface for its full length. 



Now take the end of the neck where it was cut from the body, hold it up and gently 

 draw the skin back from it ; the head and neck will thus be turned inside out like a glove. 

 The skin must be drawn completely down with the aid of fingers and knife until the whole 

 skull is exposed close to the base of the beak. 



Cut off the neck at the base of the skull, remove the brains, eyes, tongue and all flesh 

 from the skull, put on a liberal quantity of preservative, clean off" any flesh or fat adhering 



