I70 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



anything like the original, and in nearly every instance it must 

 be sewn up. To say nothing of the difficulty of getting the 

 feathers to lie in position and not show a draggled and untidy 

 line, there is the certainty, especially in white or light-breasted 

 birds, of a greasy or dark line showing sooner or later, and, in 

 fact, the very part of a bird which should be least disturbed is 

 clumsily cut into and as clumsily rearranged. 



It is supposed that this method of flaying, probably derived 

 from the practice of some primaeval butcher, is easier for the 

 beginner to learn than any other system. Nothing of the kind ! 

 and so convinced is the writer, from observation of the proceed- 

 ings of numberless pupils, that a sound method of skinning can 

 be learned as easily as an unsound one, that no description of 

 the " flaying " method will be perpetuated here ; the proper 

 method — that of skinning out from under the wing, which has 

 everything to recommend it and absolutely nothing against it — 

 being given, in the hope that it will entirely supersede the 

 crudities of the older method. 



At the outset, it may be stated that a bird of sufficient size 

 should be procured. A starling, although one of the best of birds 

 for such a purpose owing to the extraordinary toughness of its 

 skin in proportion to its size, is, however, rather too small for 

 the beginner to practise upon. Really a rook is the best bird, 

 but, as this cannot always be procured, a domestic pigeon, which 

 can be, is perhaps the next best, — that is to say as regards size. 

 It must, however, be observed that the skin of a pigeon is by no 

 means tough, and difficulties may occur, which are to be guarded 

 against when skinning over the back ; and, if the pupil is too 

 clumsy, or too well endowed with extra-sized fingers, he would 

 do well to try upon a starling, which only a budding taxider- 

 mist with more than ordinary strength can very well damage. 

 However, for the purposes of this chapter, and especially for the 

 sake of the figures, a pigeon has been chosen throughout, this 



