38 Guide to Taxidermy 



3. Forceps or Tweezers. — These are very neces- 

 sary especially in picking over and arranging the 

 feathers when mounting your bird. Those hav- 

 ing sharp points are the best for the work ; you can 

 procure them from your dealer in supplies or at 

 hardware stores. 



4. Cotton; the ordinary cotton batting that you 

 can purchase at any drygoods store. 



5. Sawdust or corn meal; fine hardwood saw- 

 dust that you can procure at a cabinet-makers is by 

 far the best^ although fine soft-wood sawdust will 

 answer. Failing to get either of these, you can 

 use un-bolted corn meal. 



Skinning 



First remove the cotton, which you placed in the 

 bird's mouth when you procured it, and replace it 

 with a fresh piece. Never attempt to skin a bird 

 unless you have cotton in its throat for the blood 

 or juices will be certain to soil the feathers; to be 

 sure, blood stains can be removed as we shall ex- 

 plain later, but it is far better to avoid them and 

 you will get better results in your finished work. 



Excei3t in tropical countries, a bird will skin the 

 best, four or more hours after its death. If it is 

 attempted sooner, the plumage will be very apt to 



