104 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



of the bone and kidneys, and keep them for reference untill 

 experience teaches the way to readily decide sexes. 



A label is attached to the le^s, giving scientific and common 

 name of bird, sex, locality, and date, and name or initials of 

 collector. Thus : 



No. 1. STURNUS VULGARIS, L. 



(Starling). 

 Sex.— ^ Jav. 



Colour of irides— Dark brown. 

 „ beak— Dark slate. 

 „ leg's & toes —Reddish-brown 

 Leicester. 21/9 &3. Collector-. MJ 



In the cases of such birds as the hawks, which have bare spaces 

 around the eyes (sub, and super-ciliary patches) and around the 

 base of the beak (cere), note down the colours of these parts 

 also. In the cases of rare birds the measurements of the 

 extreme length from tip of beak to tail — again from inner edge 

 of gape to vent, the bill and tail being measured separately 

 from those points — should be carefully taken, as also the 

 length of culmen, carpus, and tarsus, and set down in inches 

 and tenths, on the label, or in the note book, when the matter 

 becomes too voluminous. The reference number and name, in 

 the latter case, will be sufficient for the lahel, thus keeping 

 it very small. In ordinary cases, all information, excepting 

 name, date, and collector's name, may be written on the back. 

 Part of the label may be printed ready for filling in. 



Another plan of skinning a bird is to work upward instead of 

 downward, and by raising the skin on top of the breast and 

 throat to approach the neck, which is then cut off by slipping the 

 point of the scissors underneath. This gives room for one wing 

 to be loosened, and ultimately cut off, the other one then easily 

 follows as a matter of course, and by alternately skinning away 

 the back and the breast, the legs and the tail are arrived at, which 

 kre treated as before described. This method is useful in cases 

 where the lower extremities are badly shot or "high," but ia 

 otherwise objectionable, as, in any other but the most careful 

 hands, it is apt to stretch or split any delicate skin, in the 

 attempt to get the shoulders out, but for which I should 

 have nothing to say against it. Curiously enough, however, it 

 is more practised by amateurs than by professionals. 



