*298 
ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 
Preserving its place. In baring this bone you must by no 
means pull the skin ; you would tear it to pieces 
beyond all doubt, for the ends of the long feathers 
are attached to the bone itself; you must push off 
the skin with your thumb-nail and forefinger. Now 
skin the thigh quite to the knee ; cut away all flesh 
and tendons, and leave the bone: form an artificial 
thigh round it with cotton ; apply the solution, and 
draw back the skin over the artificial thigh : the 
same to the other thigh. 
Lastly, proceed to the tail; take out the inside of 
the oil-gland, remove all the remaining flesh from 
the root, till you see the ends of the tail feathers; 
give it the solution and replace it. Now take out 
all the cotton which you have been putting into the 
body from time to time to preserve the feathers, from 
grease and stains. Place the bird upon your knee 
on its back ; tie together the two threads which you 
had fastened to the end of the wing joints, leaving 
exactly the same space betwixt them as your know¬ 
ledge in anatomy informs you existed there when the 
bird was entire ; hold the skin open with your finger 
and thumb, and apply the solution to every part of 
the inside. Neglect the head and neck at present; 
they are to receive it afterwards. 
Fill the body moderately with cotton, lest the 
feathers on the belly should be injured whilst you 
are about the following operation. You must recol¬ 
lect that half of the thigh, or in other words, one 
joint of the thigh bone, has been cut away. Now, 
as this bone never moved perpendicular to the body, 
