30 MANUAL OF TAXIDERMY. 



in my hand, or, by suspending it to a limb of 

 a tree, where I could return for it afterwards. 

 Care should be taken in such cases, however, to 

 wash all the blood off, and then plug the wound 

 with cotton, as if any flows out when the plumage 

 is wet it will spread on the - feathers" and stain 

 them. In picking up birds that are only wounded 

 never take them by the tail, wing, or any part of 

 the plumage, but grasp them firmly in the hand 

 in such a way as to imprison both wings, then 

 kill them by a firm pressure of the thumb and 

 forefinger, applied to the sides just back of the 

 wings. This compresses the lungs, and the birds 

 die of suffocation almost instantly. Never strike 

 a bird, no matter how large, with a stick, but in 

 case of hawks, eagles, etc, the talons of which are 

 dangerous, seize them first by the tip of one 

 wing, then by the other, work the hands down- 

 ward until the back is grasped, then apply the 

 pressure to the lungs. There is no danger from 

 the beak of even the most formidable species 

 after the pressure is put upon the lungs, for I 

 never knew a specimen to bite while being killed 

 in this way ; the only thing necessary is to 

 keep out of the way of their talons. I have fre- 

 quently been obliged to remove eagles from a box 



