178 THE YOUNG 



hand gently separate the skin from the 

 body, the thumb nail of the left hand 

 will be found very useful in doing this. 

 Having come as far as the wings pull, 

 or cut, them asunder at the place 

 where they are broken, and go on 

 until you come to the head, turning 

 the skin completely inside out, The 

 body and skin must now be laid down 

 upon a piece of paper, and turn the 

 skin over thejbead until you come to 

 the ears, the skin of which must be 

 pulled from the sockets. When you 

 get to the eyes cut the skin, but be 

 very careful not to cut the eyelids, if 

 you do the bird is spoiled, at any rate 

 in the hands of a beginner. Now cut 

 the neck off, taking a bit of the scalp 

 along with it, scoop out the brains at 

 the opening thus made, take out the 

 eyes, and clear away any particles of 

 flesh that happen to remain. Now go 

 to one of the wings, push it up until 

 you have the joint clear of the skin, 

 and with the thumb nail close against 

 the bone, slip it down to the next joint, 

 and clear away all the flesh with the 

 knife. Do the same on the opposite 

 wing, and then turn to one of the legs, 

 draw this up until all the flesh is bare, 

 this must be cleared away the same as 

 in the wings. Do the same by the 

 other leg, and clear away any flesh or 

 fat from along the back or root of the 

 tail, and when this is done the skin is 

 ready for anointing with some preser- 

 vative medium. 



These preservatives have, for the 

 most part, been poisonous, generally 

 arsenic, either pure, or mixed with 



NATUEALIST. 



other ingredients, but as this is a 

 dangerous poison, we do not recom- 

 mend it into the hands of young per- 

 sons, but in place of it we give one of 

 Mr. Browne's non-poisonous prepara- 

 tions, which he says preserves the skin 

 quite as well as any, and better than 

 many preservatives he has used. It 

 is this : — " Burnt alum, lib. Salt- 

 petre, Jib. Pounded and thoroughly 

 mixed." This must be dusted all over 

 the skin, see that no part is left with- 

 out, especially about the wings and 

 root of the tail. Next put a pieee of 

 thread through each wing bone, and 

 tie them about an inch apart, place a 

 bit of cotton in each eye socket, and 

 then push the head back again, gently 

 bringing the skin over it all round. 

 When you have got it as far as you can, 

 take hold of the thread which is tied to 

 the bill, and turn the skin again, with 

 the feathers outside. Now take a 

 needle and lift up the cotton in the eye 

 sockets, so as to bring the eye holes 

 into proper shape. Give each wing a 

 pull to right them, then twist a little 

 bit of tow round the leg bones, so as to 

 represent the thighs, and turn the skin 

 over them by pulling at the foot. 

 Carefully smooth down every feather 

 into its proper place, push a little bit of 

 cotton wool into the inside of the bird, 

 to keep it in something like proper 

 shape, lay it upon a piece of paper, and I 

 take it into the cellar, where it mnst 

 remain a day, so that the alum and 

 saltpetre might penetrate the skin. 



In some kinds of birds, such as 

 Ducks, the head cannot be passed 



