Handbook of field and general ornithology : a manual of the structure and classification of birds / with instructions for collecting and preserving specimens.
- Elliott Coues
- Date:
- 1890
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Handbook of field and general ornithology : a manual of the structure and classification of birds / with instructions for collecting and preserving specimens. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![which they are now suspended; the whole mass must be supported. For small birds, gather it in the hollow of your left hand, letting the body swing over the back of your hand out of the way; for large ones, rest the affair on the table or your lap. To skin the head, secure the body in the position just indicated, by confining the neck between your left thumb and forefinger; bring the right fingers and thumb to a cone over the head, and draw it out with gentle force; or, holding the head itself between the left thumb and forefinger, insert the handle of the scalpel between the skin and skull, and pry a little, to enlarge the neck-cylinder of skin enough to let the head pass. It will generally^ slip out of its hood very readily, as far as its greatest diameter; ^ there it sticks, being in fact pinned by the ears. Still holding the bird as before, with the point of the scalpel handled like a nut-picker, or with your thumb- nail, detach the delicate membrane that lines the ear-opening; do the same for the other ear. The skull is then shelled out to the eyes, and will skin no farther of its own accord, being again attached by a membrane, around the border of the eye-socket. Holding the scalpel as before, run its edge around an arc (a semi- circle is enough to let you into the orbit) of the circumference, dissevering the membrane from the bone. Eeverse the scalpel, and scoop out the eyeball with the end of the handle; you bring out the eye betwixt the ball of your thumb and the handle of the instrument, tearing apart the o]Dtic nerve and the conjunctival tissue, but taking care not to open the eyeball^ or lacerate the eyelids. Do the same with the other eye. The head is then skinned far enough; there is no use of getting quite to the base of the bill. You have now to get rid of the brain and fiesh of the nape and jaws,^ and leave most of the skull in; the cranial dome makes the only perfect “ stuffing ” for the skin of the head. This is all done at once by only four particular cuts. Hold the head prevent lengthwise stretching. Crosswise distension is of no consequence; in fact more or less of it is usually required to skin the head, and it tends to counteract the ill effect of undue elongation. ^ The special case of head too large for the calibre of the neck is treated beyond. ^ And you will at once find a great apparent increase of amount of free skin in your hand, owing to release and extension of all that was before shortened in length by circular distension, in enlargement of the neck-cylinder. ^ An eyeball is much larger than it looks from the outside ; if you stick the instrument straight into the socket, you may punch a hole in the ball and let out the water—a very disagreeable complication. Insinuate the knife-handle close to the rim of the socket, and hug the wall of the cavity throughout. You may of course at this stage cut off the neck at the nape, punch a hole in the base of the skull, dig out the brains, and scrape away at the jaw-muscles till you are satisfied or tired ; an unnecessary job, during which the skin may have become dry and shrivelled and hard to turn right side out. The operation described in the text may require five seconds, perhaps.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28068130_0057.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
