6 
g II. SKINNING AND STUFFING. 
1. BIRDS. 
Whenever convenient, the following notes should be made previous 
to commencing the operation of skinning, as they will add much to 
the value of the specimens : — 
1. The length, in inches, from tip of bill to the end of the tail; 
the distance between the two extremities of the outstretched wings; 
and the length of the wing from the carpal-joint. The numbers may 
be recorded as follows : 44, 66, 12 (as for a swan), without any expla- 
nation ; it being well understood that the above measurements follow 
each other in a fixed succession. These numbers may be written on 
the back of the label appended to each specimen. 
2. The color of the eyes, that of the feet, bill, gums, membranes, 
caruncles, &c. 
3. Are the heels covered or uncovered by the feathers of the 
belly ? 
4. Attitude of the body when at rest, whether vertical, oblique, or 
horizontal. Does the bird perch or not ? 
5. Position of the wings, whether supported or hanging, crossing 
on the tail or not. Are they continuous and covered by the feathers 
of the mantle (back) and breast for the upper third, the half, or the 
two-thirds of their length ? Their extremity ; does it reach the end 
of the tail, the half, or the fourth of its length ? The three last 
points will be of great use in mounting the specimens. 
Immediately after a bird is shot, the holes made by the shot 
should be plugged up, and the mouth and posterior nostrils plugged 
with cotton, to prevent the escape of blood and the juices of the 
stomach. A long narrow paper cone should be made ; the bird, if 
small enough, thrust in, head foremost, and the open end folded shut, 
taking care not to break or bend the tail feathers in the operation.* 
When ready to proceed to skinning, remove the old cotton from the 
throat, mouth, and nostrils, and replace it by fresh. Then take the 
dimensions from the point of the bill to the end of the tail, from the 
tip of one wing to that of the other, when both are extended, and 
from the tip of the wing to the first or carpal-joint, as already 
indicated. 
* Crumpled or bent feathers may have much of their elasticity and original 
shape restored by dipping in hot water. 
