ADVENTURES OF THREE YOUNG NATURALISTS. 205 



transversely banded on the back with black and white, and grayisn beneath, 

 with a red tinting on the abdomen. This is called the red-bellied woodpeck- 

 er on this account. The red- headed woodpecker is red, black and white in 

 masses. That is, the head and neck are red, the wings and back, black, 

 with a wide band of white across them and the tail is black. All the col- 

 ors are thus, in masses with no fine markings. 



" Yes, we may see the red-head here, as they occasionally occur in Flor- 

 ida," he rejoined, in anticipation of a question which he saw George wes 

 about to ask. 



" Here is another woodpecker," said Paul, " which is black and white, 

 with a tiny spot of red on either side of the back of the head." 



" It looks something like a downy woodpecker," remarked George, "but 

 it is different, for it is banded on the back, not streaked, and the red, as 

 Paul, says, is in two small patches on the back of the head." 



" I think that will do for a first lesson, as far as the birds are con- 

 cerned," added the Professor. " Now I must begin to skin these birds, and 

 I will give your first lesson in this also." 



The boys were requested to seat themselves at the table in such a way 

 that they could see, and not impede the light, then the Professor began his 

 instructions as follows. 



" I shall begin with the small birds first because they are apt to spoil 

 the quickest. So I will take this brown-headed nuthatch. As you see, I 

 lay the bird on its back, with its head a little to the right. I then part 

 the feathers on the abdomen, disclosing a naked space. I run the point of my 

 skinning knife down under the skin of this space, beginning at a point on the 

 lower part of the breast bone and going backward quite to the vent. With 

 my thumb and forefinger I peel back the skin on either side. Then by pushing 

 up on the right leg, I disclose the knee joint; pushing my knife beneath 

 this, I sever the leg at this joint. Then I pull out the leg, skinning it to the 

 heel, or tarsal joint. With my thumb and forefinger nails, I break the tip of the 

 bone at its upper extremity, and pull down the muscles to the heel. With a 

 twist these muscles are brought together and all cut with one sweep of the scis- 

 sors. The other leg is treated in the same way. I now grasp the tail firmly 

 with my thumb and second finger, and with one downward stroke of my knife, 

 I sever the small vertebra of the tail. The extent of the downward stroke is 

 ascertained by feeling with my fore finger, which I placed beneath the tail, and 

 thus avoid cutting through the skin. 



Taking hold of the end of the exposed tail vertebra which projects from 

 the body, with the thumb and fore finger of my left hand, I peel down with my 

 right hand all around the body, taking care pus h rather than pull the skin off. 

 I now come to the wings. With a motion of my thumb and fore finger, I 



