SKINNING AND PRESERVING BIRDS. 125 



place to cut it is under the side ; tlie suspending wire then conies 

 along the off side and is hidden by the wing. If the wings are 

 to be raised and the breast or side shown, cut it on the back ; 

 if closed wings, the same ; in either case the cut is perfectly 

 hidden, and is where it should be, out of the way of grease. 



Perhaps it may be as well to state here that — contrary to my 

 usual custom of working from the lowest to the highest animal 

 form — I have written upon birds out of their proper natural 

 order ; the reason being that birds are always selected because 

 of easiness of treatment for the student's first lessons in 

 taxidermy, before his teacher allows him to " try his 'prentice 

 hand " on the more difficult branches of the art. 



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