292 BACKBONED ANIMALS, 



forceps, scissors, scalpels, and a syringe for injecting the 

 veins, etc. The student should be able to skin a bird, but 

 mounting can only be learned by practice. Several works 

 are published on the subject, as Maynard's " Taxidermy." 

 To skin a bird, first measure its girth over the wings. 

 Make an incision low on the breast ; skin carefully around 

 the wings, cutting the bone at the elbow (Fig. 268 e), 

 and the legs at the knee - joint, pushing the skin with 

 the handle of the knife in preference to cutting. Care 

 should be taken with the neck, and, if the head is not 

 too large, turn the skin over it to the bills. Scrape away 

 all the flesh, being careful at the eyes and ears. Sever the 

 neck close to the skull, take out the brain, and powder 

 thoroughly all the parts beak, wings, legs, and tail with 

 powdered arsenic. Fill up the body in all parts with cot- 

 ton and sew up. the incision. The feathers may be cleaned 

 by boiling in warm water. Oil-stains can be removed with 

 a solution of soda or potash, and colored feathers are 

 cleansed by using equal parts of warm water and ox-gall. 

 Finally, inclose the skin in a paper band the size of your 

 measurement, number and enter it in a blank book with 

 the common and scientific name, sex, locality, measure- 

 ments, and all the facts concerning its habits that you can. 

 In collecting eggs, divide fairly with the birds, and if pos- 

 sible do not take the nest until the brood is reared. Eggs 

 can be blown by making a single hole in the shell with a 

 tooth-drill or some such instrument, and with a glass tube 

 or straw the contents can be blown out. If the young bird 

 has formed and can not be removed, break the shell and 

 use it as an alcoholic specimen. 



Works on birds for further reference. 



" Key to Birds of North America," Elliott Coues ; " Birds of North 

 America," S. F. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway ; Huxley's " Manual of 

 Vertebrates " ; Owen's " Anatomy of Vertebrates " ; Audubon's " Birds 

 of North America"; "Animal Locomotion," Pettigrew ; "Elements 



