ON PHESERVING BIRDS. 339 



That, you must press as lightly as possible on the bird, 

 and every now and then take a view of it, to see that the 

 feathers, &c., are all right. 



That, M'hen you come to the head, you must take care 

 that the body of the skin rests on your knee ; for if you 

 allow it to dangle from your hand, its own weight will 

 stretch it too much. 



That, throughout the whole operation, as fast as you 

 detach the skin from the body, you must put cotton im- 

 mediately betwixt the body and it ; and this will effectually 

 prevent any fat, blood, or moisture from coming in contact 

 with the plumage. Here it may be observed that, on the 

 belly you find an inner skin, which keeps the bowels in 

 their place. By a nice operation with the knife, you can 

 cut through the outer skin, and leave the inner skin whole. 

 Attention to this will render your work very clean; so 

 that, with a little care in other parts, you may skin a bird 

 without even soiling your finger ends. 



As you can seldom get a bird without shooting it, a line 

 or two on this head will be necessary. If the bird be still 

 alive, press it hard with your finger and thumb, just behind 

 the wings, and it will soon expire. Carry it by the legs, 

 and then, the body being reversed, the blood cannot escape 

 down the plumage through the shot-holes. As blood will 

 often have issued out before you have laid hold of the 

 bird, find out the shot-holes, by dividing the feathers with 

 your fingers, and blowing on them, and then, with your 

 penknife, or the leaf of a tree, carefully remove the 

 clotted blood, and put a little cotton on the hole. If, 

 after all, the plumage has not escaped the marks of blood ; 

 or if it has imbibed slime from the ground, wash .the 

 part in water, without soap, and keep gently agitating 

 the feathers, with your fingers, till they are quite dry. 

 Were you to wash them, and leave them to dry by 



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