12 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTORS 



corner of the table for discarded flesh and brains. A repellent fly-spray is 

 useful. 



Fresh blood stains can be removed from the plumage after the bird has 

 been skinned. Dry blood clots can be brushed away with a small stiff brush 

 and the stains removed by repeated applications of cold water and a little 

 soap on a swab of cotton wool, renewing the swab frequently. Dry the 

 plumage by mopping with absorbent cotton wool and then applying liberal 

 amounts of absorbent dusting powder until the plumage is quite dry and 

 fluffed out. Small birds with extensively wetted plumage may be dried more 

 easily by gently shaking them with dusting powder in a closed container. 



Shortly after death rigor mortis occurs, the wings, legs, and neck of the 

 specimen becoming rigid for a period. To ease such stiffness prior to 

 skinning, the limbs should be gently and firmly worked to and fro at the 

 joints until they feel relaxed and flexible. Care must be taken when mani- 

 pulating small birds, since the leg bones break easily. 



It is often an advantage when skinning birds with small beaks first to 

 pass a short length of sewing thread through its nostrils and then to tie the 

 ends to form a loose loop which can be used later to draw the skull back 

 through the neck after cleaning it. 



Skinning 



1. First incision (fig. 1). Place bird on flat surface covered with clean 

 paper, belly up and bill to your left (if right-handed). Part breast feathers 



Fig. 1. 

 with fingers to expose bare skin along mid-line of body. Cut along skin 

 down middle of body from mid-breast to vent, using scalpel or pulling up 

 small fold of skin with forceps and cutting skin with scissors. The latter 

 method avoids deep cuts, especially over the thin belly wall. 



2. Detaching skin. Hold skin with fingers or forceps, using fingertips 

 and nails or scalpel handle to ease it away from flesh. Keep flesh and skin 

 of bird, and fingers, dry with dusting powder constantly applied. If blood 

 or fluid escapes plug holes with cotton wool and dredge with dusting powder. 

 Ignore very small holes or splits in skin. Large ones should be left until 

 skin is well clear of body, then sewn up from inside. 



