THE ART OF PRESERVING BIRDS. 31 
bird’s life might at first sight be mistaken for the testicles 
of the male, but, upon looking closely the ovary (2) can 
be perceived, very small; upon applying a magnifying-glass 
it appears granular. 
With these remarks and diagrams, I think any one with 
ordinary ability will, with a little practice, be able to de- 
termine this very important character in the scientific 
study of birds. 
Contes of Stomach, etc. —The contents of the stomach 
must next be examined, which is done by opening the giz- 
zard and crop. A little practice will enable the collector 
to state correctly what it contains, although the glass is 
sometimes necessary, as in the case of small birds. This 
is then recorded upon the slip of paper, which is put on 
file, to be copied into a book, in the following manner, — 
leaving a page, or, if the book is not wide enough, two 
pages, for each species, — first placing the scente/ic name at 
the head, as seen on the following page. 
A book prepared in this manner, carefully indexed and 
paged, will, when it is filled with the measurements of 
birds, be of immense value for comparative measurements, 
besides giving the collector a complete history of each of 
his specimens. 
Exceptions to the usu? Method of Skinning. — All birds 
are to be prepared in the receding manner, with the fol- 
lowing exceptions. 
All Woodpeckers with a large head and small neck — of 
which the Pileated Woodpecker (A ylotomus pileatus, Baird) 
is an example — should be skinned in the same manner as 
far as the neck, which sheuld be severed, as it is impos- 
sible to turn the skin over the head; cut through the skin 
on the back of the head, making a longitudinal insertion 
of an inch or more, and craw the head through this. It 
should be carefully sewn vp after the skin is turned back. 
Such specimens, when laid out to dry, should have the 
