267 
PROCESS FOR PRESERVATION. 
root of the tail, where the sHn cannot be separated any 
farther ; here, therefore, you cut the body away with 
the scissars, taking care to avoid cutting the skin at the 
same time. The whole skin being now entirely taken 
off, the carcass wdll present, if neatly done, something 
the appearance of a trussed fowl. Spread out the skin 
so that you can sprinkle it with powdered chalk, lor 
the purpose of absorping the blood and moisture, ad- 
iusting the feathers, and preventing any from adhering 
to the inner surface. If any of the feathers are bloody, 
absorb the blood with chalk, and press it upon them ; 
so long as they retain any moisture, the chalk will thus 
form into flakes, which must be thrown off, and more 
applied until the feathers are quite dry. 
(222.) The next stage consists in removing the 
fleshy parts of the wings and legs, together with the 
whole of the neck, and the inside of the skull. Let us 
speak of each of these separately. The feathers being 
adjusted, and all moisture absorbed from the skin by 
means of the chalk powder, take the stump of the 
shoulder hope, and with the thumb nail of the other- 
hand detach the skin from the fleshy muscles of the 
bone' working equally all round, so that the skin is not 
stretched or torn, but is forced gradually away ; the 
slender muscles may be cut with the knife or scissars 
but the parts where the quills adhere are to be separated 
by the force of the thumb nail : as soon as you reach 
the first joint of the wing, cut away all the fleshy 
muscles, which there seem as if they were united. It 
the bird is small you need not proceed farther, for the 
quantity of flesh on the bones of the next, or last joint, 
is but small. This done, and the bones made quite clean, 
anoint them and the skin with a little of the soap 
lather, worked up as ordinary soap is for shaving, y ^ 
camel’s hair pencil, dipt in any sort of spirits, am len 
draw the skin over them without putting in any co on 
or other stuffing. This latter practice is most detri- 
mental, for it invariably discomposes the on er an 
regularity of the feathers, and ilracst always swells opt 
