TO PINION OR AMPUTATE A WING. 463 



cient to prevent the passage of blood along the vessels that lie 

 in close contiguity with the bone. This done to our satisfaction, 

 the Bird may be set at liberty, and the ligature carefully re- 

 moved in the course of a day or two. 



If the wound be below the second joint, as at c?, pass the 

 needle, armed as before, between the two bones, and close up 

 to fZ, and tie the large bone c, which will thus include the bleed- 

 ing vessels. 



If at a, below the third joint, pass the needle, as in the pre- 

 ceding case, between the bones, as near as possible to the small 

 bone b, then pass it again on the opposite side of the bone a ; 

 now bring the ends together and tie them; this beim? done, 

 the artery will be included in the ligature. 



TO PINION OPt AMPUTATE A AVING. 



If we should wish to pinion or amputate any portion of the 

 wing, either on account of a fracture or to prevent the Bird 

 from escaping, it will be necessary first to put on a ligature 

 just above the portion of wing to be taken off; this must 

 be done according to the directions laid down above. The 

 flesh is then to be cut down to the bone with a sharp knife, 

 and the bone sawed through with a very fine saw, at a point 

 just above the fracture. If a saw is not at hand, a pair of 

 sharp shears may be used for cutting the bone. 



Nipping the bones, however, with shears is very apt to frac- 

 ture the bones and leave a ragged and uneven edge protruding 

 from the wound, which will prove very painful to the Bird, 

 and retard the healing of it up ; the small saw is far better for 

 this operation. These operations, although very simple in 

 themselves, and such as any schoolboy can practice, still re- 

 quire some little skill and artistical cunning to perform them 

 properly. 





