MANUAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 643 



tail, and draw the neck down to its proper length ; 

 with some soft material fill out the skin to the 

 proper size ; close the opening by bringing the 

 edges together with a few stitches ; tie the feet 

 together, and retain the wings in close contact with 

 the body by a paper band. Apply some solution of 

 corrosive-sublimate to the bill and feet, and when 

 the skin is dry a specimen thus prepared is fit to be 

 packed for transportation. 



The foregoing instructions apply to the ordinary 

 birds ; but it will be necessary to allude to the 

 methods to be pursued with peculiar species. 



Long-necked birds with large heads, such as the 

 Flamingo. — When half the neck; has been skinned 

 it should be cut across, and the remainder removed, 

 and the skull exposed by an incision made in front 

 of the neck from the throat, extending it sufficiently 

 low down for the skinning to be effected without 

 difficulty. It sometimes happens that the bird has 

 a sort of crest, in which case a transverse cut may 

 be made, if preferred, across the occiput, and the 

 remaining portion of the neck taken away by first 

 separating it from the skull. The incision down 

 the neck is sometimes made on the side which is 

 intended to be hid from view. The large skulls of 

 some Parrots frequently oblige the operator to skin 

 their necks by some such method ; and some of 

 the Ducks and Geese likewise require it. 



Birds with large tarsi, as the Screamers. — It is 

 not bnly of importance to attend to the feet of such 

 specimens, in order to prevent the loss of the epi- 



