REPTILES. 265 



gape, along the cheek, to facilitate the extraction ot" the 

 contents of the head, which could not be effected through 

 the reversed skin. The more ordinary defects of stuffed 

 birds, consist in the belly being too lean, and the neck too 

 long. 



It is sometimes a desirable object with the ornithologist, 

 to keep alive the wounded birds which may be sent to him, 

 for the purpose of observing their manners. To efrect 

 this, it is frequently necessary to remove a portion of the 

 wing, to save the animal from death, by bleeding at the 

 wounded part, or effectually to prevent its escape. The 

 late Mr Montagu has given some valuable directions on 

 this subject, which the reader will find at the end of the 

 Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary. Supposing 

 the object in view is merely to prevent escape, and that the 

 subject on which the operation is to be performed belongs 

 to the duck tribe, the amputation should take place at the 

 part of the wing corresponding with a. fig. 2. plate 2. 

 v/here the bones of the wing of the Corncrake are repre- 

 sented. By passing the needle through the wing, close by 

 the inside of the smaller bone at «, and making a ligature 

 with the thread across the larger bone, and returning it on 

 the outside of all, the principal bloodvessels are secured, 

 which could not be accomplished by a ligature confined to 

 the surface. The part of the wing may now be removed by 

 a pair of shears or a chissel, without the loss of blood, and 

 the wound speedily heals. In short-winged birds, such as 

 the gallinaceous kinds, the operation is more advantage- 

 ously pei-formed at b., making the ligature embrace all the 

 vessels between the smaller bone or ulna, and the larger 

 one called the radius. We have frequently seen amputa- 

 tion performed in this manner, on wounded as well as 

 sound subjects, without the loss of a single drop of blood. 



