PROCESS OF SKINNING. 61 
sion of the skin, you now find you have a naked body con- 
nected dumb-bell-wise by a naked neck to a cap of reversed 
skin into which the head has disappeared, from the inside 
of which the legs and wings dangle, and around the edges of 
which is a row of plumage and a tail.* Here comes up an im- 
portant consideration: the skin, plumage, legs, wings and tail 
together weigh something — enough to stretch unduly the skin 
of the neck, from the small cylinder of which they are now 
suspended; the whole mass must be supported. For small 
birds, gather it in the hollow of your left hand, letting the 
body swing over the back of your hand out of the way; for 
large ones, rest the affair on the table or your lap. To skin 
the head, secure the body in the position just indicated, by 
confining the neck between your left thumb and forefinger ; 
bring the right fingers and thumb to a cone over the head, and 
draw it out with gentle force; or, holding the head itself be- 
tween the left thumb and forefinger, insert the handle of the 
scalpel between the skin and skull, and pry a little, .to enlarge 
. the neck-cylinder of skin enough to let the head pass. It will 
generally{ slip out of its hood very readily, as far as its 
greatest diameter ;§ there it sticks, being in fact pinned by 
the ears. Still holding the bird as before, with the point of 
the scalpel handled like a nut-picker, or with your thumb-nail, 
detach the delicate membrane that lines the ear-opening; do 
the same for the other ear. The skull is then shelled out to 
the eyes, and will skin no further of its own accord, being 


* You find that the little straight cut you made along the belly has somehow be- 
come a hole larger than the greatest girth of the bird; be undismayed; it is all 
right. 
{if you have up to this point properly pushed off the skin instead of pulling it, 
there is as yet probably no stretching of any consequence; but in skinning the 
head, which comes next, it is almost impossible for a beginner to avoid stretching 
to an extent involving great damage to the good looks of askin. Try your utmost, 
by delicacy of manipulation at the lines of contact of skin with flesh and only 
there, to prevent lengthwise stretching. Crosswise distension is of no conse- 
quence—in fact more or less of it is usually required to skin the head, and it tends 
to counteract the evils of undue elongation. 
{ The special case of head too large for the calibre of the neck is treated beyond. 
§ And you will at once find a great apparent increase of amount of free skin in 
your hand, owing to release and extension of all that was before shortened in 
length by circular distension, in enlargement of the neck-cylinder. 
