Guide to Taxidermy 



43 



Grasp the body by its hips, with the right hand 

 and, with the left, separate the skin from the body, 

 working towards the shoulders until you reach the 

 wing joints. You can easily work your fingers 

 around these joints until they meet; then introduce 

 one point of the scissors and sever the bone near 

 the body. 



Continue skinning towards the head, turning the 

 skin inside out the same as you would in taking off 

 a kid glove. When you reach the base of the skull, 

 work the skin over carefully with the thumb nails, 

 pushing first on one side then the other as well as 

 top and bottom. Never pull on the skin in any of 

 the operations but, with the fingers or nails push it 

 ajjart from the flesh. Immediately upon getting 

 the skin turned over the largest part of the head 

 you will come upon the ears, one on each side and 

 with the skin tucked into a small opening in the 

 skull. 



On most all birds up to the size of a crow you 

 can readily pull this skin out of the ear with the 

 thumb and fore-finger; some of the hawks, owls, 

 ducks, etc., require that the skin should be cut as 

 close to the skull as is practicable. 



On turning the skin a trifle more over the skull 



