BIRDS 39 



and work the skin up over the back. Continue this until the 

 legs are fully exposed, cut them at the usual joint and clean them. 



Fat left on skins will ruin them eventually, but care must be 

 taken in removing it not to have grease run out on the feathers. 

 It is necessary to use quantities of the very fine hardwood sawdust 

 or corn meal to absorb it. In handling water birds that are very 

 fat, where corn meal is available, heat the meal in a pan, apply 

 it hot, and scrape the fat off with the meal. Apply more hot 

 meal and repeat the scraping until all grease is absorbed. 



It is often necessary to cut carefully with the point of a very 

 sharp knife between the projecting bases of the feathers on the 

 inside of the skin where these are buried in fat to get out all 

 the grease. In doing this, follow the feather rows, using care 

 not to cut through. The side of an ordinary tablespoon makes 

 an excellent scraper for large skins. Hold it with the thumb 

 against the back of the bowl to support it and scrape by pushing 

 gently. In pelicans and some other species the inner surface of 

 the skin is covered with air cells that penetrate between the bases 

 of the feathers. It is necessary to cut carefully through all these, 

 following the feather rows, to allow the arsenic to reach the skin. 



Very large birds may be skinned out and not made up, but 

 thoroughly salted and sent in from the field in that condition. 

 This is especially desirable if the birds are greasy, as they can 

 be cleaned more efficiently in the museum than in the field. Rub 

 fine salt thoroughly into the flesh side of the skin, being sure to 

 work it in around the base of the bill, into the wings, base of the 

 tail, and into the openings in the feet from which the tendons 

 have been drawn. Turn the skin right side out, smooth out the 

 feathers and dry well, in the sun for a brief time if needed, and 



