MISCELLANEOUS PARTICULARS 



73 



thrown in unskinned should have the belly opened, to let in the 

 alcohol freely. Birds may be skinned, after being in alcohol, by 

 simply drying them ; they often make fair specimens. Watery 

 moisture that may remain after evaporation of the alcohol may 

 be dried with plaster. 



Osteologieal and other Preparations (Figs. 1-3). — While complete 

 skeletonising of a bird is a special art of some difficulty, and one 

 that does not fall within the scope of this treatise, I may mention 

 two bony preparations very readily made, and capable of rendering 

 ornithology essential service. I refer to the skull, and to the 

 breast -bone with its principal attachments. These parts of the 

 skeleton are, as a rule, so highly characteristic that they afford in 

 most cases invaluable zoological items. To save a skull is of course 

 to sacrifice a skin, to all intents ; but you often have mutilated or 



Figs. 1, 2. — Views of sternum and pectoral arch of the ptarmigan, Xagfopus aZ6u5, reduced ; 

 after A. Newton. (1) Lateral view, with the hones upside down ; (2) viewed from helow. a, 

 sternum or breast-bone, showing two long slender lateral processes ; &, ends of sternal ribs ; c, 

 ends of humerus, or upper-arm bone, near the shoulder-joint ; d, scapula, or shoulder-blade ; 

 fi, coracoid ; /, merrythought, or furculum (clavicles). 



decayed specimens that are very profitably utilised in this way. 

 The breast-bone (Figs. 1, 2, a) excepting when mutilated, is always 

 preservable with the skin, and for choice invoices may form its 

 natural accompaniment. You want to remove along with it the 

 coracoids (the stout bones connecting the breast-bone with the 

 shoulders, Figs. 1, 2, e), the merrythought (Figs. 1, 2, /) intervening 

 between these bones, and the shoulder-blades (Figs. 1, 2, d), all 

 without detachment from each other, for these bones collectively 

 constitute the shoulder-girdle, or scapula/r arch. Slice off the large 

 breast muscles close to the bone, and divide their insertions into 

 the wing-bones (c) ; scrape or cut away the muscles that tie the 

 shoulder-blades to the chest ; snip off the ribs (Figs. 1, 2, 6) close to 

 the side of the breast-bone ; sever a tough membrane usually found 

 between the prongs of the wish-bone ; then, by taking hold of the 

 shoulders (Figs. 1, 2, at c), you can lift out the whole affair, dividing 

 some slight connections underneath the bone and behind it. The 



