PREPARING THE RABBIT 207 
a difficult operation, in fact, much easier than 
dressing a chicken. 
The proper way to kill a rabbit is to hold 
it by the hind legs and strike it a sharp blow 
on the back of the head behind the ears with 
a stout stick or club. Then bleed it imme- 
diately by inserting a sharp paring knife in 
its throat. As soon as this has been done, 
hang it up by the heels and commence to 
remove the skin. 
First, make a cut around the hind feet at 
the first joint, then cut the skin across the 
vent to the other hind leg. You now have an 
opening, after the legs have been freed from 
the skin, through which you can take the body 
of the rabbit. This is done by taking the skin 
off cased; that is, over the head. No more 
cuts are made in the skin, for, if it is winter, 
you will want to save it as it is valuable. 
You will find that the skin will slip off 
easily like a glove. As soon as the skin has 
been removed, slit the abdomen from a point 
about midway between the hind legs up to 
