376 PBEPARATION OF BIRD SPECIMENS 



1. Place the bird with its back on the paper and its head 

 toward your left. With your fingers separate the feathers of 



the belly from the 



breastbone to the 



tail, and thus expose 



the bare skin which 



will be found in this 



region. AVith your 



knife cut through 



the skin from about 



^' the lower end of the 



breastbone back along the middle line of the body to the vent. 



Especial care must be taken to cut only through the skin and 



not through the membrane which covers the abdominal cavity. 



2. ^Xith. the left hand lift the edge of skin toward you, 

 and with the side of the knife blade press the flesh from the 

 skin till you reach the knee. The first illustration' shows 

 the bird at this stage. If at this or any other time during 

 the skinning process any fluid escapes, the meal is to be used 

 to absorb it. 



3. Press the leg up under the skin and thus make the knee 

 project; cut off the leg at this point either with the knife 

 or, better, with a pair of scissors. Eeverse the position of 

 the bird and sever the other leg. 



4. The next step is a difficult one ; the body is to be cut off 

 at the base of the tail, without cutting the skin, loosening the 

 tail feathers, or opening the body cavity so that the entrails can 

 escape. First separate the skin from the body as far back as 

 you well can with the side of the knife and your fingers ; place 

 the thumb and first finger of the left hand between the skin 

 and the body near the tail ; and, holding the second or third 

 finger above the tail (that is, on the lower side of the bird as 

 you hold it), to feel for the action of the scissors so as not to 

 cut through the skin, cut carefully between the bones and 

 entirely sever the flesh. 



5. Hold the bird so that it rests with its breastbone on the 



