146 



THE PEOPLE'S PRACTICAL POULTRY BOOK. 



circles both portions of the bow. When the hooks are first put in and only 

 half the strength of the bow is required to act upon them, this ring is slipped 

 to the end e. But if the whole strength of the bow is needed to force the 

 hooks apart and stretch the wound open, the ring is passed towards the 

 end d. Thus, by means of the split bow and sliding ring, the strain upon 

 the hooks can be increased or slackened at pleasure. , a tube of silver or 

 other metal three or four inches long, made square at the upper, and flattened 

 at the lower end &, to the width of three-tenths of an inch ; this tube is for 

 the purpose of passing the fiber or hair ligature m, forming the loop n. </, a 

 narrow curved spoon, the slender handle of which tapers off, and has a steel 

 point fitted into it, furnished at the extremity with a very small hook, h ; 

 the inner edge of this hook is sometimes sharpened. 



THE OPERATING TABLE. 



The operating table is represented in the following cut, figure 1. This 

 table may be about two and a half feet long by one and a half feet wide, and 

 two and a half feet high. At two of its corners it can have a raised molding 

 about half an inch high, extending along the sides six or nine inches, for the 



FIG 1 



FIG. 2 



purpose of placing the instruments at one corner and at the other some of 

 the feathers under a stone, to keep them from being blown away. On one 

 side there is a slit c, passing through the table, about one and three-quarters 

 of an inch long by one-half an inch wide, running diagonally ; being about 

 three inches from the end and six and a half from the side. Through this 

 slit the padded band or soft list, d, d, for confining the wings, passes below 

 to be attached to the lever e. This lever has a four or five pound weight 

 hung to it, and works on a screw or pin, by which it is attached to the leg. 

 When not in use the lever rests on a pin or ledge in the other leg. On being 

 let down, the attached band clasps the wings of the chicken lying on the 

 table, with greater or less force as the weight is drawn to or from the end 



