Aves. 113 



What is their weight? What fraction is this of the weight of the 

 entire bird ? 



Use Jordan's Manual of the Vertebrates for finding the names 

 of our native birds. 



HOW TO PREPARE A BIRD SKIN. 



Materials Needed. i. A freshly killed bird, in good condition. 

 2. Arsenic, or arsenic and powdered alum in equal parts. 3. 

 Cotton. 4. Several sheets of paper ; stiffer paper than newspaper 

 is preferred. 5. A plate. 6. Scissors. 7. Knife (scalpel, if pos- 

 sible). 8. Forceps. 9. String. 10. Corn meal, to sprinkle on 

 for absorbing blood or other liquid escaping. 



Process. First make a wad of cotton and with the forceps 

 push it into the throat. This is to keep moisture from escaping 

 and soiling the feathers. Do the same with the anal opening. 

 Break both wings as close to the body as possible. Now lay the 

 bird on its back, with the head toward your left. Part the feathers 

 along the breast and abdomen. Hold them apart with the thumb 

 and fingers of the left hand, while with the scalpel you cut through 

 the skin, beginning at the center of the breast and going straight 

 back to the anus. Here make a fork in the cut and go around the 

 anal opening. With forceps hold up the edge of the skin while 

 loosening it with the handle of the scalpel. Be careful during the 

 whole process to keep the feathers turned back so they will not be 

 soiled by coming in contact with moist tissues. Sprinkle with corn 

 meal to absorb moisture. Loosen the skin on one side down to 

 the thigh, and around the knee. Then with the thumb and finger 

 take hold of the tarso-metatarsal joint (heel) and push the knee 

 out, at the same time pressing the skin back so as to expose the 

 knee. Run one blade of the scissors under the bend of the knee 

 and cut through the joint (cut close to the joint of the scissors to 

 avoid straining them) . Cut through the remaining flesh, being care- 

 ful not to cut the skin. Take hold of the leg with thumb and fingers 

 of one hand, thus suspending the whole body. With the thumb 

 and fingers of the other hand carefully scrape the skin away from 



