314 



ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 



Preserving would cut tliG iiiiier skin of the bellv, and thus let the 



Birds. 



bowels out. To avoid this, let your knife be parallel to 



the body, and then you will divide the outer skin with 

 great ease. ' ' 



Begin on the belly below the breast-bone, and cut 

 down the middle, quite to the vent. This done, put the 

 bird in any convenient position, and separate the skin 

 from the body, till you get at the middle joint of the 

 thigh. Cut it through, and do nothing more there at 

 present, except introducing cotton all the way on that 

 side, from the vent to the breast-bone. Do exactly the 

 same on the opposite side. 



Now place the bird perpendicular, its breast resting on 

 your knee, with its back towards you. Separate the skirt 

 from the body on each side at the vent, and never mind 

 at present the part from the vent to the root of the taiL 

 Bend the tail gently down to the back, and while your 

 finger and thumb are keeping down the detached parts of 

 the skin on each side of the vent, cut quite across, and 

 deep, till you see the back-bone, near the oil gland at the 

 root of the tail. Sever the back-bone at the joint, and 

 then you have all the root of the tail, together with the 

 oil-gland, dissected from the body. Apply plenty of 

 cotton. 



After this, seize the end of the back -bone with your 

 finger and thumb : and now you can hold up the bird 

 clear of your knee, and turn it round and round, ajs 



