Guide to Taxidermy 



47 



scientific skin. In our course of personal instruc- 

 tion this usually constitutes the first lesson. If 

 your skin is quite free from tears and cuts you may 

 at once proceed with the mounting or making up a 

 skin ; if not, however it will be much better for you 

 to try this lesson over again on another day. When 

 you try your first mounting you should have a skin 

 in as good condition as possible before commenc- 

 ing; therefore it is much better not to make the at- 

 tempt unless your first effort at skinning is very 

 successful. 



Some Exceptional Cases 



As you make progress in the art of taxidermy 

 and handle different species of birds, you will soon 

 find that there is a vast difference in the case of 

 operation on various birds. Some have fairly tough 

 skins, like woodpeckers and hawks, while others, 

 as the woodcock and nighthawks, have very tender 

 skins and require very delicate manipulation ; a 

 rent once made in such a skin enlarges with alarm- 

 ing rapidity, but a few stitches will mend the worst 

 tears. Some birds, like all pigeons and doves, have 

 feathers very loosely fastened to the skin and they 

 fall out with the least provocation or, in fact, no 

 provocation at all. 





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