22 the taxidermist's guide. 



(See fig. 2 for the manner of separating the feathers and using 

 the scalpel.) A sharp penknife, or scalpel, must be inserted at 

 the point of the bone, and cut the outer skin from thence to the 

 vent, taking care not to penetrate so deep as the flesh, or upon 

 the inner skin which covers the intestines. The skin will then 

 easily be separated from the flesh; in larger specimens, by the 

 fingers, or, in smaller ones, by passing a small blunt instrument 

 betwixt the skin and body, such as the end of the scalpel handle ; 

 with this you may reach the back. The thighs should now be 

 pressed inwards, as in the common method of skinning a rabbit, 

 and the skin turned back, so far as to enable you to separate the 

 legs from the body, at the knee-joint. The skin is then pulled 

 downwards, as low as the rump, which is cut close by the inser- 

 tion of the tail, as shown in fig. 2, but in such a manner as not 

 to injure its feathers. The skin is now drawn upwards the 

 length of the wings, the bones of which must also be cut at the 

 shoulder- joints ; it is then pulled up, till all the back part of the 

 skull is laid bare, when the vertebrae of the neck are separated 

 from the head, and the whole body }§ now separated from the 

 skin. You next proceed to remove the brain, through the ope- 

 ning of the skull, for which purpose it may be enlarged by a hol- 

 low chisel, or other iron instrument. The eyes must then be 

 taken out, by breaking the slender bones which separate the 

 orbits from the top of the mouth, in which you may be assisted 

 by pressing the eyes gently inwards, so as not to break them. In 

 skinning the neck, great care must be taken not to enlarge the 

 opening of the ears, and not to injure the eyelids. The whole of 

 the flesh is next to be removed from the under mandible. 



Several species will not admit of the skin being thus pulled 

 over their heads, from the smallness of their necks ; some Wood- 

 peckers, Ducks, &c. y fall under this description ; in which case a 

 longitudinal incision is made under the throat, so as to admit of 

 the head being turned out, which must be neatly sewed up before 

 stuffing. The flesh from the head, wings, legs, and rump, must 

 then be carefully removed with a knife, and the cavities of the 

 skull filled with cotton or tow. The whole inside of the skin, 

 head, &c. , must be well rubbed with arsenical soap, or preserving 

 powder, or spirit of turpentine, or the solution of corrosive subli- 

 mate. When it is wished to stuff the bird, it may now be imme- 



