268 ox THE CLASSIFICATION OP BIRDS. 
the part to an unnatural thickness. The wing being 
restored to its natural shape, proceed to the leg, which 
is comparatively easy : the skin will readily slide ofF 
the flesh if the leg is gently forced upwards, and when 
the small or narrow part begins to appear, cut the 
muscles all round, tear off the flesh, and after anointing 
the bone with the soap, twist a little cotton or tow 
round it, so as to give it something of the appearance 
of the natural shape ; gently pull out the leg again, and 
all will come right. There is one fault in adjusting 
the legs which all inexperienced persons fall into : they 
pull out the legs too far, and thus make them appear 
much longer than they are in nature. To obviate this, 
let it be remembered as a general rule, that the knee 
joint of nearly all birds is on a line with the vent ; and 
in preserving a bird the leg should always be pushed 
upwards until the knee comes exaedy in a line with, or 
rather above, the root of the tail. Again adjust the 
feathers, and proceed to the wing and foot on the other 
side, which of course are to be treated in the same 
manner. 
(223.) The neck and inside of tlie skull is next to 
be removed. Take hold of the end of the neck, and 
pass the skin backwards ; that is, draw it over the head 
in a contrary direction, until the hind part of the skull 
appears : here great care is necessary, for in some birds 
(the woodpeckers and ducks, for example) the neck is 
narrow and the head large ; in ordinary birds, however, 
the skin, if gently pushed and worked by the finger and 
thumb (not pulled), will reach sufficiently far on the 
nape to admit of the angles of the lower jaw bein'r 
pared down (if necessary) with the knife, the point of 
which is also used to scoop out the thin skin of the ears, 
which always lay in a little hollow, and should not 
be broken ; a very little farther the sockets of the eyes 
will begin to appear, but still go on, gently passing 
the skin over the skull, detaching the former from the 
nerves which connect it to the eye by the knife. When 
about two thirds of the eye is thus exposed, cut through 
