56 TAXIDERMY. 



in our instructions, enough to assist their zeal for 

 the preservation of exotics. 



Manner of skinning Birds. 



After having taken the precautions recommended 

 by us when speaking of the chace, we pass a needle- 

 full of thread across the nostrils, tie it underneath 

 the inferior mandible, having the thread the 

 length of the bird, to prevent the blood from 

 coming out of the beak during the operation. 



We have before said, that when a bird is killed, 

 we must introduce a little cotton into its beak, we 

 repeat this injunction ; for the beauty of a mounted 

 bird depends on the freshness of its head ; it is easy 

 to repair and clean the soiled feathers of the belly 

 and back, but not so of the head without a great 

 expense of time. 



These precautions taken, we stretch the bird on 

 the table, the head turned towards the left of the 

 operator ; we divide the feathers of the belly right 

 and left with small forceps, pull out the down which 

 covers the belly, make an incision in the skin from 

 the commencement of the sternum or breast-bone 

 until beyond the middle of the belly, raise the skin on 

 one side by the forceps, separate it from the muscles 

 with a scalpel, approaching as near as possible to 

 the wings ; this done, we put a. little floured or 

 powdered cotton on the skin and flesh, that the 



