95 
as far as the base of the skull. Connect the posterior ends of these cuts 
by a fourth cut across the back of the skull just above the neck (Figure 
30). Pulling the neck from the head will now remove the base of the 
skull and part of the brain. Large openings should connect the brain 
cavity with the orbits. The remainder of the brain is scooped out with 
scalpel or pointed forceps. This method is much better than the old way 
of hacking off the rear end of the skull and also gives a uniform and depend- 
able orifice for anchoring the neck filling. Cut away any loose flesh from 
the skull in large birds. In small birds there is little flesh left after brains, 
tongue, and eyeballs are removed. 
Next pull the wing bones inward, peel the skin away as far as the 
elbow, and clean flesh away from the humerus. Then with handle of 
scalpel work the skin loose along the upper or anterior side of the fore- 
arm (Figure 31). By cutting the tendons at each end the muscles of the 
Figure 32. Skinning wing of a large bird. 
forearm in all small and medium-sized birds may be removed nearly as 
far as the wrist (bend of wing). The quills of the secondaries are attached 
to the posterior edge of the ulna (the lower of the two bones of the 
forearm) and should never be detached from the bone. Some collectors 
have a bad habit of stripping the wing down to a point near the wrist, 
detaching the secondary quills, but this saves very little time and leaves 
the wing rough, as the quills can not be made to lie smoothly again. In 
very large birds, the wing must be opened on the outside, on the lower 
surface, and the flesh cleaned away. It is then poisoned thoroughly to 
the tip and sewed up with a few stitches (Figure 32). 
Turn back the skin from the base of the tail, and cut and scrape away 
as much flesh and fat as possible. In nearly all birds there is an oil gland 
just at the base of the tail on the upper side, opening to the outside by 
a little nipple, from which the bird squeezes out droplets of oil with the 
beak for dressing the feathers. This oily mass should be scraped away 
as much as possible, but in very small birds splitting the oil gland and 
