If wishing to represent the bird as flying, take four cords and fasten them to the back of the bird in a way that will balance it; tie them together a few inches above the back and extend one cord longer than the others. It can now be hung from the ceiling by the cord; this will let the specimen turn about and present a fine appearance. The feet should be placed in as near a natural position as possible as when flying. In all large footed birds use plenty of the solution of corrosive sublimate or turpentine. The carbolic acid and water mixture is also used, and is good.
TO CLEAN FEATHERS.
As a test case take a bird after killing and smear it all over with blood, let it lie until dry. Then put it in a basin, and give it a good washing with soap and water, then rinse it clean. Now take a dry cloth and wipe it until almost dry. Then sprinkle it with dry plaster of paris and shake it out before it has time to set. Repeat this powdering and shaking until it is perfectly dry, and the feathers will look bright and nice. Try it.
PRESERVATION OF BUGS, ETC.
Take a large moth fly or miller full of eggs. Make an incision on the under side of body and take out all the eggs and entrails. Now put in some of the preserving fluid and fill the cavity with cotton and sew it up. Then run a pin down through the body and pin it to a board. Arrange its feet, moisten its body with the preserving fluid and the job is complete. Butterflies and small bugs need only the preparation over the body. Heavy bugs can be placed in a cup and the preparation poured over them. Let them lie in it a few hours and pin on board as directed in moth flies. When dry place in a glass case.
ARTICLE II.
OF SKINNING ANIMALS.
As soon as an animal is killed, take cotton and stuff in the wounds, nostrils and mouth, as directed in Article I. for birds; then let it cool before commencing to skin. In skinning a specimen be very careful about cutting holes in the skin, and also not to stretch it by pulling on it while skinning. All being ready, lay the specimen on its back, make an incision from the breast-bone back to the center between the hind legs, being careful not to cut too deep over the abdomen. Divide the skin right and left, putting cotton or paper on the body as the skin is removed, or sprinkle with corn meal, as directed for birds in Article I, to prevent the fatty matter from soiling the hair. When you come to the hind legs, pull the skin down over the thigh joint, and unjoint it, cut the leg off and skin down to the knee joint and unjoint there, taking out all the flesh down to the foot, then treat the other hind leg the same way. Now skin down over the rump and back to the tail. The tail is hard to skin. Take a forked stick, and after pressing the skin as far down on the tail-bone as possible, holding the bone as tight in the fork as you can, pull downward and the bone will slip out. If the animal is not too large it should be swung up with a rope or cord tied around the body just in front of the hind legs, or by attaching a hook to the rope which fastens into the flesh. Remove the skin down to the forelegs, and unjoint them at the body, and skin out in the same manner as directed for the hind legs, unjointing at the knees. Now skin the neck and head, and when you come to the ears cut them close to the skull; fine specimens are often spoiled by cutting them too far out from the skull. We next come to the eyes. Be careful not to cut the eyelids. It is better to cut close to the skull and trim afterwards than to risk spoiling them. Remove the skin. Unjoint the neck close to the skull, enlarge the opening at the base of brain and remove all the brains. Take out the eyes and tongue and remove all flesh from the skull.
This completes the skinning, except when the animal has horns. In that case, proceed as above until you come to the neck. Skin as far forward as you can and unjoint the neck at skull. Then cut across from one horn to the other and loosen the skin around the horns. Then make another cut from between the horns backwards along the neck far enough to make the opening large enough to take the skull out; skin out the skull and the skinning is completed. The flesh must now be cleaned from the skull by boiling until tender, then scraping it, or simply by cutting and scraping it.
Take out the brains, eyes, etc., we are now ready to anoint the whole inside of skin, skull, etc., with the preserving powder. Put in the frame and stuff the body if ready; if not, the ears, nose, feet and lips must be well wet with the preserving fluid and laid away in a cool, dry place.