MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 645 



cotton, rag, or bibulous paper, so as to protect the 

 plumage. When the body has been removed it is 

 still requisite to take away as much as possible of 

 the fat from the skin by scraping it off, and absorbing 

 the remainder with plaster of Paris ; not only to 

 preserve the feathers clean, but also to prevent the 

 skin from becoming rotten. 



Birds which are clothed on the breast with very 

 delicate and satin-like feathers, such as the Grebes, 

 are frequently skinned from the back, the incision 

 being made from below the shoulders to the rump. 

 The advantage derived from this is, that the purity 

 of the plumage on the breast can be better preserved, 

 and the appearance of a seam, which it is difficult to 

 conceal, avoided ; while the opening on the back is 

 of less consequence, as there the seam can be better 

 disguised by the difference in colour and arrange- 

 ment of the feathers. 



Some time should elapse after a specimen has 

 been killed before attempting to skin it ; but if 

 from any cause it is found necessary to skin a bird 

 immediately after death, which, from the rapidity of 

 putrefaction, as well as from other causes, will some- 

 times happen in very hot climates, care must be taken 

 to injure as few as possible of the large vessels, and 

 some cotton should be at hand to staunch the flow 

 of blood. The blood will be found to flow freely 

 from most water birds even at a considerable time 

 after death, so that the same precautions are neces- 

 sary. 



When the skins are dry they should be examined, 



