10 
point; for it must be recollected particularly that a small por¬ 
tion of bone must always be left here attached to the tail 
feathers, to give support in future stuffing, and to prevent 
their falling out. This accomplished, the skin is detached as 
before as far up as the wings. It should have been stated that 
it is generally advantageous to fracture the wings between 
what may be called the shoulder joint, and the first joint of the 
wing, before making the first incision; this may, however, be 
left until the operator shall have reached the present stage of 
the operation. Having made the fracture: which can be easily 
done by laying the wing on the edge of the table or a board, 
and giving it a gentle blow: the finger or instrument is careful¬ 
ly passed around the wing, between the skin and subjacent 
parts, until the place of fracture is reached, when the knife is 
used to separate the soft parts also at this point. This done 
on one side, it becomes more easy, by continuing the skinning 
over the back and breast, to do the same with the other wing. 
The skin of the neck is then gradually inverted, and the neck 
drawn out until the base of the skull is exposed, at which point 
the neck is cut through and the body removed. In some in¬ 
stances, as in ducks, coots, woodpeckers, and other birds with 
large heads and small necks, the skin of the neck cannot be 
drawn over the head in this manner ; in these cases it is ne¬ 
cessary to divide the neck as high up in the skin as it can be 
safely done, and then make an incision along the side of the 
head, or under the throat, sufficiently large to turn out the 
portion of the neck left, and finally the skull. Having cut off 
this portion of the neck, the operator then proceeds in both 
cases to separate the skin from the skull do wn to the bill, re¬ 
moves the eyes and tongue, and any flesh that may present 
about the head or jaws, and finally opens the skull posteriorly, 
and evacuates its cavities of the brain. It is then left in this 
position attached to the skin, and the operator proceeds to 
skin the extremities; when this is done, and the soft parts 
are removed from the bones, he anoints these and the 
skin on the Jleshy or inside with the arsenical soap, if he 
have it, or if not he rubs them with salt, alum, or ashes, then 
wraps a small quantity of tow or flax around the bones, and re- 
