THE CALL OF THE HEN. 71 



the corner of the sack, just enough to get her head through. 

 Hen in cut 38 is too far out of the sack.) 



The best way for a beginner to learn how to handle a hen 

 for prepotency is to select a hen you wish for the table. Cut 

 the corner off of a gunny sack, hold her as in cut 36, put> your 

 hen in sack and tie her as in Fig. 37 and 38, then make a hook 

 of wire or a hair pin, attach it to a string with small weight or 

 stone, hang hen up against barn or shed head down, back 

 against building, take long-bladed pocket or other knife with 

 sharp point, insert in hen's mouth and draw across the roof of 

 the mouth at the back of the brain, at the junction of the neck, 

 severing the blood veins, then immediately force the knife 

 through the roof of the mouth into the brain. The knife 

 should be forced well into the brain, which will sever the 

 nerves and the bird will feel no pain; then insert hook in the 

 nostril and the weight will hold the neck straight. The hen 

 should bleed freely. After bleeding has stopped clean mouth 

 and surrounding parts of blood and place hen in some conven- 

 ient place as in Fig. 39. The thumb nail on the left hand and 

 nail on the forefinger of the right hand should be longer than 

 the thumb and finger so the flesh on end of thumb and finger 

 will not prevent the nail from entering the slight depression 

 between the skull and neck. 



We will suppose the reader has handled the hen as suggest- 

 ed above. Lay the dead hen as in Fig. 39, take hold of comb or 

 head and pull neck up with right hand and while holding head 

 up to neck will be stretched out turn the head down with right 

 hand so the back of the head will point up and beak will point 

 down as much as possible. This will make the projection of 

 the brain No. 1, Plate 35 appear more prominent so it will be 

 easier to locate it; then draw ball of thumb of left hand down 

 on head until you feel back of skull ; when you feel back of 

 skull with ball of thumb then turn first joint of thumb down 

 until thumb nail fits in between end of skull and neck and well 

 up against base of brain; then while holding left hand and 

 thumb as in Fig. 39 put forefinger of right hand at base of 

 brain behind the ear as in Fig. 39 between the neck and the 

 skull and against the skull behind the ear as in Fig. 39. The 

 ear can be readily discovered by lifting up the hairy covering 

 that covers it. The thumb nail must be held perfectly straight 

 across the neck as in the cut, and not sideways; and the fore- 



