100 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



tion sliown in Fig. 22. As tlie bird now lies, it is optional 

 whether the flesh is cleaned away from the root of the tail first 

 or from the legs and wings. I will, however, in this case take 

 the wing on my right. Place the right hand underneath, lift 

 the wing as far up into the skin as possible, and by holding it 

 tightly in that position with the finger and thumb of the left 

 hand, a ridge of skin becomes visible, running down each side, 

 and framing in, as it were, a little oval-shaped piece of flesh, i.e., 

 that lying between the " radius " and " ulna " The broken bone 

 and flesh of the wing is now toward you. Clean the flesh away 

 from this and then devote the attention to the before-named 

 oval- shaped piece of flesh. Putting the point of the knife down 

 on the right, lift and scoop away (using the greatest care 

 meanwhile) some small pieces of flesh. This by degrees reveals 

 the top of another little bone, from under which all the flesh to 

 be seen must be scraped away ; anoint this freely with the 

 preservative, and return it to its normal position after tying a 

 small piece of strong thread through the loop of the bone (in 

 large birds a little tow should be placed in the cavity). If this 

 process is too tedious, or not quite comprehended by the amateur 

 — i.e., the clearing out of the flesh between the radius and ulna — 

 the smaller bone of the two — the radius (F, Plate II) may be 

 twisted or cut out entirely, leaving only the larger bone of 

 the two to clear of flesh. Sometimes — but this with large 

 birds only — the wing may be advantageously cut from the out- 

 side along its entire length underneath, the flesh removed, skin 

 dressed, and the cut carefully sewn up. Do the same by 

 the other wing, and then push the leg on the same side up 

 through the skin, pushing the skin down with the fingers and 

 thumb of the left hand, and pulling with the right, until you 

 have stripped the skin nearly down to the so-called " knee," q 

 (not the proper knee, however, that being situated higher up — 

 (2:*, Plate II), or tibio-tarsal joint. At this joint a bundle of little 

 "leaders," or muscles, assemble; cut them away from around 

 the bone (without interfering with the joint, however), and they 

 will roll up with the flesh to the head of the bone previously 

 cut off at the proper knee joint, and can there be easily pulled 

 off. (In iDractice, it will be found that retaining the full length 

 of this bone — the tibia — is not desirable for subsequent 



