s of the scissors much easier to
practice than to describe.

Make one cut on each side of the head, through the small bone connecting
the base of the lower jaw with the skull, another through the roof of
the mouth at the base of the upper mandible and between the jaws of the
lower, and the last through the skull behind the eyes and parallel with
the roof of the mouth. This will free the skull of the neck and most of
its flesh and muscle.

In most cases the head should be returned to the skin as soon as
possible to avoid its drying out of shape and giving the feathers a
wrong set. After cleaning and poisoning the skull and filling the eye
sockets with cotton this reversing is undertaken. If working on a small
bird the learner is apt to come to grief here, as only by careful and
patient work without the application of some force is the returning
process accomplished successfully.

The wings and legs may now be skinned down to the first joint and all
flesh and muscle removed from the bones. This is done expeditiously by
snipping off the end of the leg bone and stripping it down with adhering
flesh to the ankle joint where it (the flesh) is cut off.

The wings are skinned to the first joint, stripping the wing primary
feathers from their fastening on the bone with the thumb nail, clipping
off the large bone near the end and detaching the small bone with all
flesh and muscle adhering. If this is clipped off at the wrist joint the
entire wing is cleaned. This method applies to all small and medium
birds not wanted with spread wings.

[Illustration: OPENING CUT ON BIRD.

Opening and Cleaning Wing from Underneath For Spread Wing Mounting.]

In case wing spread is wanted the primary feathers are not disturbed but
that part of the wing is cleaned from a slit in the under side of the
wing. All but the smallest birds should have the tip joint of the wing
slit open on the under side and some form of preservative worked in the
opening. Specimens the size of a crow and larger should have a cut made
in the bottom of the foot and the tendons of the lower leg drawn out
with an awl, and in the case of very large birds it may be necessary to
soak the unfeathered part of the legs and feet in a pan of strong pickle
for 24 hours, to prevent decay and damage from insects. Our bird is now
entirely ready for the application of such preservatives as we may be
using.

The main principle in the preserving of skins may be stated thus: All