OPENING THE FOWL. 33 
ternal organs. The little blood which may have 
dropped in from the outside wound and clotted on 
this membrane, is most easily removed by picking 
up, with the tweezers or forceps, a little piece of 
moistened sponge, introducing it into the opening, 
and pulling it out again with all the blood adhering 
to it. The membrane now appears clean 
e fo rine and translucent. Then take up the 
steel-hook and carefully pick this mem- 
brane to pieces, always holding the sharp point of 
the hook upward, or in the direction of the back- 
bone, in order to avoid touching the organs that 
may be crowding against it from below. The tear 
through the membrane must be large enough to ex- 
pose, under good light, the internal organs to view. 
When bowels are nearly empty, you will plainly 
see, well toward the back-bone, the upper testicle, a 
yellowish body of about pea size (of course, larger 
in older cockerels), perhaps somewhat elongated, or 
in the Brahma, etc., quite long, almost worm-like. 
Sometimes both testicles come in plain view, es- 
pecially if you push the intestines aside with the 
probe or with a similar tool. Sometimes, again, it 
happens that the intestines crowd upon the upper 
testicle and hide it from view. Then introduce the 
probe and push them aside, and the testicle will 
come in full view. Its light color (although often it 
is partially dark-colored, almost black) makes it 
plainly visible. 
You are now coming to the object of all this pro- 
ceeding; namely, the removal of the testicle. Take 
up the canula. The single horse hair should pre- 
viously have been adjusted to form a loop of about 
