xxviii 
INTRODUCTION 
bird on its back on a rule or tape-measure, with neck and body 
straight. 
Wing. — From the front of the bend of the wrist joint of the 
wing to the tip of the longest feather. This can be taken with either 
tape or dividers. 
Tail. — From the extreme base of the tail to its tip. To get this 
exactly place one point of the dividers at the base of the tail be¬ 
tween the two middle tail feathers, and the other point of the 
dividers at the tip of the tail. 
Bill. — From edge of feathers on top of bill to tip 
jPl of bill. When it would be necessary to part the 
I \ feathers to reach the base of the bill the expression 
u ^ ‘ exposed culmen ’ is used for the mea- 
\ surement. 
V.-- Tarsus. — From heel joint to angle 
of toe with tarsus. If this is difficult 
to determine, put the dividers on the outside and 
bend the toes. 
Middle toe. — From angle of tarsus and toes to base of claw, the 
length of the claw not being taken unless specified. 
Such measurements as length of toes, depth of bill at base, at 
nostril, etc., and relative lengths of certain feathers and spots and 
markings can usually be taken most accurately and conveniently 
with dividers. 
Making bird skins. — For making bird skins a few simple tools 
and materials are needed, — two sizes of scalpels or slender-bladed 
knives for skinning, a pair of stout, sharp scissors, and a pair of 
forceps, some powdered arsenic and corn-meal, cotton (for large 
species tow), a round-pointed needle, thread, and labels. 
The English sparrow is a good bird to begin with and practice on 
until skins can be made that are worth keeping, an end not attained 
without patient and painstaking effort. 
Having shot a bird, examine it for bloody or soiled spots, and 
sprinkle any that are found with corn-meal or fine sand, and plug 
the throat with cotton to keep any blood or liquids from coming out 
and soiling the feathers. If an eye is broken remove it with the 
forceps, and fill the orifice with cotton and corn-meal, to prevent the 
fluids from soiling the feathers of the head. To keep the bird from 
injury until you can skin it, make a paper cornucopia, and after 
smoothing the feathers drop the bird in bill first; then fold together 
the gaping edges of the cornucopia, and your bird will carry safely 
in your game-bag or hunting-coat pocket. 
