SKINNING AND PRESERVING BIRDS. 101 



operations; it may therefore be advantageously sliortened by 

 one-half.) Anoint witli the preservative and neatly wrap a 

 piece of tow around the leg- bone (or tibia) to the supposed shape 

 of the flesh previously removed. E-eturn the leg to its natural 

 position; and repeat the same on the other side. The tail is 

 now the only thing left which requires to be freed from flesh. 

 Keeping the beak still from you, push the tail, with the left 

 hand, as far up into the body as possible, then clear it of every 

 particle of flesh by scraping and cutting, taking care to cut 

 away the oil ducts or glands — usually full of a thick fat — and 

 being careful also not to cut away the attachment of the roots of 

 the feathers to the skin ; anoint with the preservative, and 

 return. Several little streaks of fat in various parts of the 

 skin may now be seen, which must be carefully scraped away 

 The wing bones must now be tied nearly together by the pieces 

 of thread previously attached ; the distance between them varies 

 with the size of the bird's body previously removed (this 

 knowledge is, of course, gained by experience, but amateurs are 

 recommended to take careful measurements of this and other 

 analogous points). The whole of the skin of the back, body, 

 and throat is to be well anointed. Now take the forceps (see 

 Fig. 20), and form a little neck of tow on it, introduce it 

 into the skin, leaving the end of the tow resting against the 

 back of the head. Then insert some larger pieces of tow with 

 the fingers or tongs into the body, and when you have shaped 

 it as nearly as possible to the original body of the bird 

 — taking care to nicely observe the adjustment of the several 

 parts — neatly sew up the skin with a fine needle and thread by 

 an under stitch on the edges of the skin, drawing it tight after 

 two or three stitches ; and thus proceed until the bottom is 

 reached, avoiding the common fault of sewing the feathers in 

 with the stitches. Some few ends of tow will possibly be 

 protruding from the lower part, which must be cut off before the 

 final stitch. The bird's legs are tied one across the other, and 

 the wings pressed close to the body in the proper position ; the 

 neck is also shortened, and a little narrow band of paper is cut, 

 and placed underneath the bird, brought round the butts of- 

 the wings or shoulders, and pinned together on the top of the 

 breast; a needle and thread are inserted through the nostrils, 



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