﻿266 ON THE CLASSIFICATION" OF BIRDS. 



the second mode is that generally used. The incisior 

 should only be skin deep, to prevent the issue of blood 

 or of the intestines ; it may be made, to the end of the 

 breast bone, by a penknife, but beyond, as the belly is 

 soft, the scissars had better be used, passing the under 

 point just below the outer skin, so as not to cut the 

 inner ; this being done, rub the skin gently away from 

 the flesh on both sides with the forefinger, scraping 

 some chalk upon the carcass, as it becomes exposed, 

 that all moisture may be absorbed, and the feathers 

 kept dry : so soon as a little of the skin has been 

 loosened, lift it up with one hand, and with the other 

 pass the stick between the skin and the flesh, in order 

 to separate them : but this, and in fact all stages of the 

 process, must be done very gently with small birds, and 

 such others as have thin skins. Work with the stick 

 in this manner until you come to the shoulder joint, 

 from around which the skin must also be detached ; 

 when this is done, and your stick will pass between the 

 loose skin and the joint, cut the latter through with a 

 knife, or, if the bird is small, with the scissars. The 

 clearing away of one wing greatly facilitates your future 

 progress, which is prosecuted by continuing to detach 

 the skin on the sides and back, using the thumb nail, 

 or the scissars, to separate any muscles that impede 

 your progress. Arriving at the leg, the knee joint 

 is to be cut through, after the skin around it is re- 

 moved. Having thus separated the skin from the flesh 

 on one side, proceed to do the same on the other, and 

 in precisely the same way : it will be as well, how- 

 ever, in this stage of the process, to separate the neck 

 from the breast, by detaching the skin all round the 

 base, and cutting the neck away, at its lowest part, with 

 the strong scissars. By this operation the skin, being 

 so much detached, may be separated from the other 

 wing and leg with much more ease : and when this has 

 been done, the carcass will only remain attached to the 

 skin by the tail ; draw away the skin, therefore, very 

 gently all round the vent, until you come to the hard 



