MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 639 



will save much time and trouble. When a bird has 

 been shot, the flow of blood from the wound should 

 be stopped by putting a little dry powder or a piece 

 of cotton over it ; and if a wing be broken, a piece 

 of soft paper should be placed between it and the 

 body, to prevent injury to the plumage ; the bill 

 should be opened, and a piece of cotton thrust into 

 the mouth to absorb, and partly prevent the flow of, 

 any moisture : the plumage should be put straight, 

 and the wings closed on the sides, when the speci- 

 men may be put into one of the paper cones and 

 deposited in the collecting box. 



Skinning. — It will first be necessary to attend to 

 wounds, and prevent the escape of blood from them, 

 by sprinkling a little plaster of Paris, or covering 

 the place with cotton ; if an eye has been wounded, 

 a piece of cotton should be applied, and a plug of 

 cotton must also be put into the mouth ; a thread 

 should now be passed by the aid of a needle through 

 the nostrils, and tied beneath the lower mandible, 

 from which a loop is then to be formed proportionate 

 to the size of the bird and the length of its neck, 

 which is to be used in returning the skin to its proper 

 position on the completion of the operation of skin- 

 ning. If the bird be large, of delicate plumage, and 

 much blood has flowed from the wound, which is 

 frequently the case with water birds, as for example, 

 the gulls, it will be necessary before commencing the 

 skinning to sponge the soiled feathers first with 

 lukewarm water, then with water having a little 

 alum in it, and afterwards to dry them with plaster 



