38 MANUAL OF TAXIDERMY. 



wings by grasping the end of the humerus in 

 the left hand, and press the skin back with the 

 right, to the forearm ; then with the thumb-nail, 

 or back of the knife, separate the secondary quills 

 which adhere to the larger bone from it, thus 

 turning out the wing to the last joint or phalanges. 

 Cover the skin well with preservative, especially 

 the skull, wings, and base of tail ; roll up balls 

 of cotton of about the size of the entire eye 

 removed, and place in the cavities in such a condi- 

 tion that the smooth side of the ball may come 

 outward so that the eyelids may be arranged 

 neatly over them. Nothing now remains but to 

 turn the skin back to its former position. Turn 

 the wings by gently pulling the primaries and the 

 head, by forcing the skull upward until the bill 

 can be grasped ; then by pulling forward on this, 

 and working the skin backward with one hand, 

 the matter will be accomplished, when the feathers 

 may be lightly smoothed and arranged. It must 

 be borne in mind that the quicker and more 

 lightly a skin is removed the better the specimen 

 will look. By lightly, I mean that the skin should 

 not be tightly grasped nor stretched by pulling. 

 Some workmen will remove a skin from a bird 

 which is nearly spoiled without starting a feather, 



