SPECIAL PROCESSES. 71 



I could put away a dozen sparrows in tlie time I should spend 

 over an eagle, and I would rather undertake a hundred hum- 

 ming birds than one ostrich. For "large" birds, say anything 

 from a hen hawk upward, various, special manipulations I have 

 directed may be foregone, while however you observe their gen- 

 eral drift and intent. You may open the bird as directed, or, 

 turning it tail to you, cut with a knife.* Forceps are rarely 

 required — there is not much that is too small to be taken in 

 hand. As soon as the tail is divided, hang up the bird by the 

 rump, so you will have both hands free. Let it swing clear of 

 the wall or table, at any height most convenient. The steel 

 hooks of a dissecting case are not always large enough ; use a 

 stout flsh-hook with the bart) filed off. "Work with your nails, 

 assisted by the scalpel if necessary. I know of no bird, and 

 I think there is none in this country at least, the skin of which 

 is so internally adherent by fibrous or muscular tissue as to. 

 require actual dissecting throughout ; a pelican comes perhaps 

 as near this as any ; but in many cases the knife may be con^ 

 stantly employed with advantage. Use it with long clean 



teauty of result, but iu rapidity of execution. Ihave seen taxidermists make good 

 small slsins at the rate of ten an hour; but this is extraordinary. The quickest 

 work I ever did myself was eight an hour, or an average of seven and a half lAinutes 

 apiece, and fairly good skins. But I picked my birds, all small ones, well shot, 

 labelled, measured and plugged beforehand, so that the rate of work was excep- 

 tional besides including only the actual manipulations from first cut to layin p away. 

 No one averages eight birds an hour, even excluding the neoessarj preliminaries 

 of cleansing, plngging; etc. Four birds an hour, everything included, is good 

 work. A very eminent ornithologist of this country, and an expert taxidermist, 

 once laid a whimsical wager, that he wonld skin and stuff a bird before a certain 

 friend of his could pick all the feathers off a specimen of the same kind, I forget 

 the time, but he won, and his friend supped that night on some very tough game I 

 * Certain among larger birds are often opened elsewhere than along the belly — 

 with what advantage I cannot say from my own experience. Various w^ter birds> 

 such as loons, grebes, auks, gulls and ducks tin fact any swimming bird with 

 dense under plumage) may be opened along the side by a cu t under the wings from, 

 the shoulder over the hip to the rtimp ; the cut is completely hidden by the make-up, 

 and the plumage is never ruffled. But I see no necessity for this; for, as a rule, 

 the beUy opening can, if desired, be completely effaced with due care; though a 

 very greasy bird with white under plumage generally stains where opened, in spite 

 of every precaution. Such birds as loons, grebes, cormorants and penguins are 

 often opened by a cnt across the fundament from one leg to the other; their con- 

 formation in fact suggests and favors this operation. I have often seen water 

 birds slit Atfrrn the back; but I consider it very poor practice. 



