SKINNING, PRESERVING, AND MOUNTING BIRDS.
SKINNING.
Immediately after a bird is killed, the throat and nostrils should be
stuffed with tow, cotton, or fine rags, and a small quantity wound
round the bill to prevent the blood from staining the plumage; but
should any get on the feathers, notwithstanding this precaution, the
sooner it is removed the better, which should be effected by a sponge
which has been merely moistened in water. Too much dispatch cannot be
used in removing the skin, if the bird is shot in a warm climate; but,
in temperate regions, the bird may be allowed to cool.
[Illustration: _Fig. 2._
_Manner of holding the hands in skinning a bird._]
In proceeding to skin the bird, it should be laid on its back, and the
feathers of the breast separated to the right and left, when a broad
interval will be discovered, reaching from the top to the bottom of the
breast-bone. (See fig. 2.)
(See fig. 2 for the manner of separating the feathers and using the
scalpel.) A sharp pen-knife, or scalpel, must be inserted at the point
of the bone, and cut the outer skin from thence to the vent, taking
care not to penetrate so deep as the flesh, or upon the inner skin
which covers the intestines. The skin will then easily be separated
from the flesh; in larger specimens, by the fingers, or, in smaller
ones, by passing a small blunt instrument betwixt the skin and body,
such as the end of the scalpel-handle; with this you may reach the
back. The thighs should now be pressed inward, as in the common method
of skinning a rabbit, and the skin turned back, so far as to enable
you to separate the legs from the body, at the knee-joint. The skin is
then pulled downwards, as low as the rump, which is cut close by the
insertion of the tail, as shown in fig. 2, but in such a manner as not
to injure its feathers. The skin is now drawn upwards the length of the
wings, the bones of which must also be cut at the shoulder-joints; it
is then pulled up, till all the back part of the skull is laid bare,
when the vertebræ of the neck are separated from the head, and the
whole body is now separated from the skin. You next proceed to remove
the brain, through the opening of the skull, for which purpose it may
be enlarged by a hollow chisel, or other iron instrument. The eyes
must then be taken out, by breaking the slender bones which separate
the orbits from the top of the mouth, in which you may be assisted by
pressing the eyes gently inwards, so as not to break them. In skinning
the neck great care must be taken not to enlarge the opening of the
ears, and not to injure the eyelids. The whole of the flesh is next to
be removed from the under mandible.
[Illustration: _Fig. 3._
_Bird suspended for skinning._]
Several species will not admit of the skin being thus pulled over
their heads, from the smallness of their necks; some Woodpeckers,
Ducks, etc., fall under this description; in which case a longitudinal
incision is made under the throat, so as to admit of the head being
turned out, which must be neatly sewed up before stuffing. The flesh
from the head, wings, legs, and rump, must then be carefully removed
with a knife, and the cavities of the skull filled with cotton or tow.
The whole inside of the skin, head, etc., must be well rubbed with
arsenical soap, or preserving powder, or spirit of turpentine, or the
solution of corrosive sublimate. When it is wished to stuff the bird,
it may now be immediately done, as it will easily dry, if in a warm
climate; but in low, damp countries, it will require artificial heat to
do it effectually.
When the skins are merely wished preserved, the bones of the legs and
wings should be wrapped round with cotton or tow, so as to supply the
place of the flesh; the skin is then inverted and hung up to dry, after
using the arsenical soap, as above directed; before doing which, in
larger birds, a thread or small string may be drawn through the rump,
and passed up to the inside of the neck, and drawn through the bill, to
prevent the head from stretching too much by its own weight. In larger
specimens, where cotton or tow is not easily to be met with, well-dried
hay may be used.
The incision for removing the skin is frequently made under the wings.
This may be done with marine birds to advantage. The Penguins and
Divers may be skinned by making the incision in the back.
The tongue should either be kept in the mouth, or sent home separately
with the birds.
The greatest care must be taken to prevent the fat and oily matter, so
common to sea-birds, from getting on the feathers; pounded chalk will
be found an excellent absorbent for applying to these birds.
In sending home specimens of birds, they should be each wrapped in
paper, and closely packed in a box; and camphor, preserving powder,
and strong aromatics, strewn amongst them, to prevent them from being
attacked by insects; and they ought to be kept in a very dry part of
the vessel.
It is of the utmost consequence to know the color of the eyes and legs
of birds, and these things should be carefully noted the moment they
are killed; and it should also be mentioned whether they are male
or female; such a memorandum ought to be attached to the birds by a
ticket. The season of the year in which the bird is killed, must also
be mentioned. It is also of much consequence to have good skeletons,
and, for this purpose, the carcasses may be sent home in a barrel,
either in spirits or a strong solution of salt and water.
Mr. Salt, while in Abyssinia, packed his bird-skins between sheets of
paper, and in the same manner as a _hortus siccus_, or herbarium, and
they reached England in perfect safety, and made excellent specimens
when set up. In warm climates, the boxes should be well closed, and the
seams filled with warm pitch on the outside, to prevent the intrusion
of insects; and the inside should be supplied with camphor, musk, or
tobacco-dust, which will prevent the attacks of the smaller insects.
Till practice has given facility to the operator, it will assist in
keeping the feathers clean, if, as he opens the skin of the breast, he
pins pieces of paper or linen cloth on the outside, but after a few
trials this will be unnecessary.
Some of the marine fowls are so fat that there is much trouble in
separating it from the skin, and in warm weather, great attention
will be required to prevent it from running on the feathers. As much
as possible should be scraped off, in the first place, with a blunt
table-knife or palate-knife, and a quantity of powdered chalk applied,
to absorb what remains, which, when saturated with the oily matter,
should be scraped off and a fresh supply used, after which a much
larger proportion of the preserving powder should be applied than in
other birds which are not fat.
When shooting on the sea-coast, if the ornithologist is not provided
with these requisites for absorbing the oil, which flows quickly from
any wounds of the skin, he will find dry sand a tolerable substitute.
If, however, after every precaution, the oily matter should get on
the feathers, the sooner it is removed the better, as, in birds where
the plumage is white, if it is allowed to become hardened it will
produce a very disagreeable appearance; and, besides, render that
part particularly liable to the attack of insects. There are several
effectual methods of removing the greasy stains; the first, safest,
and best, is, by taking a quantity of diluted ox-gall--or, where it
cannot be commanded, sheep's-gall, or that of any other animal--mix it
with about double the quantity of water, and apply it with a sponge to
the place which the fatty matter has touched, when it will immediately
remove it. The next is by using a solution of salt of tartar, or
potash, or soda. This must be made very weak, not exceeding half a
tea-spoonful to a cup of water, which will have the same effect as
the gall. Whichever of these are used, the place must be immediately
afterwards washed in pure water, so as to leave none of the gall or
alkaline substance remaining. The gall has a gummy tendency, and will
glue together the fibers of the feathers, and, besides, it has a great
attraction for moisture, and, in humid weather, will become damp, and
therefore produce mold; the other alkaline substances must also be
used with much caution and quickness, because they have the power of
changing the colors of the plumage, so that they are most useful in
white plumage, and therefore should only be used on colored feathers,
where gall cannot be procured.
One general observation applies to the preservation of all animal
skins, which is, they must be made perfectly dry, so that the sooner
they are exposed to a free current of air the better; and unless they
are speedily and thoroughly dried, the skin will become putrid and
rotten, and the hair or feathers will consequently fall off. If a skin
is properly dried, soon after it is killed, it will keep a considerable
time without any preservative whatever, only it will be the more liable
to be attacked by insects afterwards.
The following excellent general directions for skinning are given by
Mr. Waterton:--"While dissecting, it will be of use to keep in mind,
that in taking off the skin from the body, by means of your fingers and
little knife, you must try to shove it, in lieu of pulling it, lest you
stretch it.
"That you must press as lightly as possible on the bird, and every now
and then take a view of it, to see that the feathers, etc., are all
right.
"That when you come to the head, you must take care that the body of
the skin rest on your knee, for if you allow it to dangle from your
hand, its own weight will stretch it too much.
"That, throughout the whole operation, as fast as you detach the skin
from the body, you must put cotton immediately betwixt the body and
it, and this will effectually prevent any fat, blood, or moisture from
coming in contact with the plumage.
"As you can seldom get a bird without shooting it, a line or two on
this head will be necessary. If the bird be still alive, press it
hard, with your finger and thumb, just behind the wings, and it will
soon expire. Carry it by the legs, and then, the body being reversed,
the blood cannot escape down the plumage and through the shot-holes.
As blood will have often issued out, before you have laid hold of the
bird, find out the shot-holes, by dividing the feathers with your
fingers, and blowing on them; and then, with your pen-knife, or the
leaf of a tree, carefully remove the clotted blood, and put a little
cotton on the hole. If, after all, the plumage has not escaped the
marks of blood, or if it has imbibed slime from the ground, wash the
part in water, without soap, and keep gently agitating the feathers
with your fingers, till they are quite dry. Were you to wash them,
and leave them to dry by themselves, they would have a very mean and
shriveled appearance.
"In the act of skinning a bird, you must either have it upon a table,
or upon your knee; probably you will prefer your knee, because,
when you cross one knee over the other, and have the bird upon the
uppermost, you can raise it to your eye, or lower it at pleasure, by
means of the foot on the ground; and then your knee will always move
in unison with your body, by which much stooping will be avoided, and
lassitude prevented."
STUFFING BIRDS.
The first thing to be done in stuffing is to replace the skull, after
it has been well anointed with the arsenical soap, and washed with the
solution of corrosive sublimate inside. The thread with which the beak
is tied is taken hold of by the left hand, and the head is repassed
into the neck with the forefinger of the right hand, while the thread
is pulled on the opposite side; and we are careful that the feathers,
at the margin of the opening, do not enter with the edges of the skin.
The bird is now laid on the table with the head turned towards the left
hand, and the legs and wings adjusted to their proper situation. A flat
piece of lead, about a pound in weight, is laid on the tail, while the
feathers of the margins of the opening are raised by the forefinger and
thumb of the left hand, to prevent their being soiled. The inside of
the neck is now coated with the arsenical soap; flax is stuffed into
it, but not too tightly. The back and rump are anointed, and the body
should then be stuffed with tow, to about a third of the thickness
required, so that the wire may have a sort of cushion to rest on.
Four pieces of wire are then prepared, of the thickness proportionate
to the size of the bird to be stuffed. The center-piece should be
somewhat longer than the body of the bird. At about a fourth of its
length a small ring is formed, by the assistance of the round pincers
or pliers, and the other end is pointed with a file. This wire is
oiled, and introduced across the skull, and passed into the neck
through the center of the flax or tow with which it is stuffed--the
ring being situated toward the anterior part of the skull, for the
purpose of receiving the points of each of the wires that are passed
through the feet and thighs.
[Illustration: _Fig. 4 to 7._
_4, the oval and head-wires of a bird separated; 5, the tail-bearers
separated; 6, a leg-wire separated; 7, the body-wire, the head-wire,
the tail-bearer and legs connected._]
The following is the mode in which this performance is effected: A hole
is bored with a brass awl, the caliber of the wire which it is intended
to use. The wire, which is to continue in the leg, is passed across
the knee, and brought out interiorly, and, placing it into the ring
above mentioned, the same operation is performed on the other side. The
extremities of the wires of the legs, and the end of the central wire
beyond the ring, are all twisted together with flat pincers, and then
bent towards the tail. The tail-bearer is next formed, which consists
of the fourth piece of wire, with which an oval is formed, by twisting
the two ends two or three turns, so that they may form a kind of fork,
with the oval nearly the length of the body of the bird; the two points
of the fork must be sharpened with a file, and near enough to enable
them to enter the rump, through which they must pass, and their points
will be concealed by the rectrices, or large straight tail-feathers,
while the oval is within the body of the bird. If the bird is large,
the tail-bearer must be firmly attached to the interior wires, by
twisting a small wire several times round both. But unless the bird be
large, it may remain quite free.
All the parts of the skin at which we can come must be thoroughly
rubbed with preserving soap, the rump in particular, which should,
besides, be soaked with the solution of corrosive sublimate. The
stuffing is now proceeded with, by inserting chopped flax or tow, till
it has attained its proper dimensions. The skin is brought together and
sewed up, while we take the greatest care to separate the feathers at
every stitch.
The orbits of the eyes are next finished, by inserting, with small
forceps and a short stuffing stick, a small quantity of chopped cotton,
while attention is paid to round the eyelids properly. The glass eyes
are now inserted, taking care to place them properly under the eyelids.
But, before fixing the eye, a little calcareous cement must be used, to
prevent them from coming out. If any part of the nictitating membrane
is visible below, it must be pushed up with the steel point.
The stuffing of the bird being now completed, the next thing is to
place it either on a branch, or, if a bird which does not sit on trees,
on a piece of plank; whichever of these it is, two holes are bored
for the reception of the wires, which have been allowed to protrude
from the soles of the feet, for fixing the bird (See fig 8.) These,
of course, are pierced in such situations as are necessary for the
attitude or position of the legs. The wires are put through these
holes, and twisted so as to secure the bird in its position. The
attitude of the bird will, of course, depend upon the fancy and taste
of the operator, and ought to be in conformity with the manners of the
birds in a living state.
The wire frame-work, above described, is the most simple of any in its
construction, and is better adapted for small than large birds. Indeed,
it will hardly suit those of the larger species. The following is
another method of constructing the frame-work, which may be used either
in large or small birds:--
Like the former, it is constructed of four pieces of wire. The
center-piece should be double the length of the bird; it is bent at
a third of its length of an oval form, and twisted two turns, the
shortest end being passed into the oval, and then raised against the
longer end, so as to produce a ring at the end, outside of the oval,
large enough to admit the two wires which pass from the feet to the
inside of the bird. It is now twisted a second time, and firmly united
to the longer end, which ought to be straight, with a sharp point,
effected by means of a file. As before directed, it is rubbed with
oil, and forced through the stuffing of the neck. It ought to be so
constructed, by measurement, that the oval part of the wire shall be
in the center of the body inside. The wires of the feet and legs, as
before directed, ought to be straight and pointed, and passed through
the soles of the feet as before. When the point has penetrated, the
other end of the wire may be bent, so that by means of it we may
be able to assist in forcing up the remainder of the wire. The two
internal ends of the foot-wires are twisted together, and curved
within, so as to pass through the small circle or ring of the middle
branch above the oval, to each side of which they are now attached with
a piece of small string.
The tail-bearer is constructed on the same principles, and attached
in the same manner, as before described, and the latter apparatus is
introduced after the neck and back are finished in the stuffing.
This practice of introducing the neck-wire, after the neck is stuffed,
was first adopted at the Jardin des Plantes at Paris, and is now
invariably adopted in that establishment in preference to introducing
it before the neck is stuffed. The neck of a swan or other long-necked
and large birds, are even done so. It is unquestionably the best plan
which has hitherto been discovered, as it preserves the cylindrical
shape of the neck.
MR. BULLOCK'S METHOD OF STUFFING BIRDS.
Mr. Bullock, of the London Museum, Egyptian Hall, had another method
of arranging the wires, which, after what we have already said, will
be easily comprehended by a reference to figure 8, where we have
given a figure of his mode. After the skin is taken off and prepared,
different-sized, nealed, iron wires are procured, according to the
size of the bird they are to support. The skin is laid on its back
without stretching it; cut two pieces of wire, the one rather longer
than the bird and the other shorter, so as not to reach to the head of
the bird; twist them together, sharpen the ends of the longer by means
of a file, and pass one end through the rump and the other through the
crown of the head, near the base of the bill. Care must be taken not to
extend the neck beyond its ordinary length--a very common fault in most
preservers. Lay a little tow along the back of the skin for the wire
to rest on, then take two other pieces of strong wire and file them to
a point at one end; these are passed through the soles of the feet and
up the center of the leg-bone, or tarsus. When within the body, they
are to be fastened to the first wires by twisting them together, which,
when accomplished, may be supposed to represent the backbone. The wire
should be left two or three inches out of the soles of the feet, to
fasten them in a standing position, as before directed. Two smaller
wires are then passed through the wings, as in the legs, and afterwards
fastened to the back-wires a little higher up than the leg-wires,
taking care that no part of the skin is to be extended beyond its
natural position.
[Illustration: _Fig. 8._
_Mr. Bullock's method of inserting the wires in setting up a bird._]
A NEW AND EASIER METHOD OF BIRD SKINNING AND STUFFING.
A fair specimen being obtained, take common cotton wadding, and with
an ordinary paint-brush stick plug the throat, nostrils, and, in large
birds, the ears, with it, so that when the skin is turned no juices
may flow and spoil the feathers; you must then provide yourself with
the following articles: A knife of this kind is very common; a pair
of cutting pliers, a pair of strong scissors, of a moderate size; a
button-hook, a marrow-spoon, and a hand-vise. With these, a needle and
thread and a sharpener of some kind, to give your knife an occasional
touch, you are prepared, so far as implements go. Then provide yourself
with annealed iron wire of various sizes; some you may buy ready
for use, some not; but you can anneal it yourself by making it red
hot in the fire, and letting it cool in the air. Common hemp is the
next article, cotton wadding, pounded whitening, and pounded alum,
or chloride of lime; as to the poisons which are used, they will be
spoken of by and by. You should also have a common brad-awl or two, and
some pieces of quarter-inch pine whereon to stand the specimens when
preserved, if to be placed as walking on a plane; if not, some small
pieces of twigs or small branches of trees should be kept ready for
use, of various sizes, according to the size of the bird; something
of the form of Fig. 9. Cedar, or common laurel cut in December, will
be found to answer best, but this must be regulated by fancy and the
requirements of the case; oak-boughs are sometimes of a good shape.
[Illustration: _Fig. 9._
_Branch for mounting a bird._]
The best time for preserving specimens is in spring, because then the
cock birds are in the best feather, and the weather is not too warm.
In mild weather three days is a good time to keep a bird, as then the
skin will part from the flesh easily. If a specimen has bled much over
the feathers, so as to damage them, wash them carefully but thoroughly
with warm water and a sponge, and immediately cover them with pounded
whitening, which will adhere to them. Dry it as it hangs upon them
slowly before the fire, and then triturating the hardened lumps gently
between the fingers, the feathers will come out almost as clean as
ever. To test whether the specimen is too decomposed to skin, try the
feathers about the auriculars, and just above the tail, and if they do
not move you may safely proceed.
Lay the bird on his back, and, parting the feathers from the insertion
of the neck to the tail, you will find in most birds a spare space. Cut
the skin the whole length of this, and, passing the finger under it on
either side, by laying hold of one leg and bending it forward, you will
be able to bring the bare knee through the opening you have made; and
with your scissors cut it through at the joint; pull the shank still
adhering to the leg till the skin is turned back as far as it will go:
denude the bone of flesh and sinew, wrap a piece of hemp round it,
steeped in a strong solution of the pounded alum, and then pull the leg
by the claw, by which means the skin will be brought again to its place.
[Illustration: _Fig. 10._]
After having served both legs alike, skin carefully round the back,
cutting off and leaving in the tail with that into which the feathers
grow, that is, the "Pope's nose." Serve the wing-bones the same as
the leg, cutting them off close to the body, and turn the skin inside
out down to the head. The back of the skull will then appear, and
you will now find it of advantage, as soon as you have got the legs
and tail free, to tie a piece of string round the body, and hang
it up as a butcher skins a sheep. Make in the back of the skull a
cut of the annexed form, with your knife, which you can turn back
like a trap-door, and with the marrow-spoon entirely clear out the
brains; A representing the neck, and B the skin turned back. Having
done this, wash the interior of the skull thoroughly with the alum,
and fill it with cotton wadding. The next operation requires care
and practice--namely, to get out the eyes. This is done by cutting
cautiously until the lids appear, being careful not to cut the eye
itself, and you can then, with a forceps, which you will likewise find
useful, pull each from its socket; wipe the orifice carefully, wash it
with the alum solution, and fill it with cotton wadding. Cut off the
neck close to the skull, wash the stump, and the whole of the interior
of the skin with the alum, and the _skinning_ is done.
[Illustration: _Fig. 11._
_Wire bent for inserting._]
Now comes the stuffing. The ordinary mode used by bird-preservers
is a simple one, and answers very well; there is a French method,
however, which has its advantages, and will be adverted to hereafter.
Take a piece of the wire suitable to the size of the bird--that is,
as large as the legs will carry--and bend it into the following form,
_a_ representing the neck, _b_, the body, and _c_, the junction of the
tail, allowing sufficient length of the neck for the wire to pass some
distance beyond the head, and being sharpened at each end, which may
be done by obliquely cutting it with the pliers. Wind upon this wire
hemp to the side of the bird's body, which you should have lying by you
to judge from, and it will present something of this appearance. You
can shape it with the hand, but be careful not to make it the least
_too large_; and, after you have finished it to your satisfaction, you
may singe it, as the poulterer would singe a fowl, which will make all
neat; but be particular to wind the hemp very tight. Then take the
skin, lay it on the table on its back, and pass the wire at the head
into the marrow where the neck is cut off, through above the roof of
the mouth, and out at one nostril, and draw it up close to the skull;
turn the skin back, and draw it down over the hemp body, and pass the
wire spike, protruding at the lower end, through the flesh upon which
the tail grows, about the center, and rather below than above. The skin
may now be adjusted to the hemp body, and sewn up, beginning from the
top of the breast, and being particularly careful always to take the
stitch from _inside_, otherwise you will draw in the feathers at every
pull. At first sew it very loose, and then, with the button-hook, draw
it together by degrees.
[Illustration: _Fig. 12._
_The hemp wound on the wire._]
With the pliers cut two lengths of wire, long enough to pass up the
legs and into the neck, and leave something over to fasten the bird by
to the board or spray upon which it is to be placed. The next operation
requires some address and great practice, namely, the passing the wire
up the legs. This is done by forcing it into the center of the foot,
and up the back of the legs, into the hemp body, through it obliquely,
and into the neck, until it is pretty firm.
[Illustration: _Fig. 13._]
In doing this, you must remember the ordinary position of a bird when
alive, and, therefore, instead of passing the wire the whole way
_within_ the skin of the leg, when you get to the part where you have
cut off the bone--that is, the knee-joint--pass it through the skin
to the outside, where the knee would come naturally in the attitude
of standing or perching--it makes little difference which. This is
essential, because, if the wire be passed the whole way _inside_ the
skin, it produces a wrong placing of the legs. Fig 13 will illustrate
this, _a_ representing the line in which the wire should run. The bird
is now stuffed, and you may at once place it upon a spray or board,
as the case may be. In placing a bird upon a spray, the first joint
should be bent almost on a level with the foot; and in placing a bird
on a board, one leg should be placed somewhat behind the other. If the
wings are intended to be closed, as is usually the case, bring them
into their place, which may be done by putting the fingers under them,
and pressing them together over the back; you may then pass a needle,
or large pin, of which you should have a good supply by you, through
the thick part of the upper wing into the body, and so by the lower
wing, and if you allow these to protrude, you may fasten to one of them
a piece of thread, and wind it carefully and lightly round the body,
which will keep the feathers in their places, and this thread should be
kept on for a fortnight or three weeks, until the bird is dry. The tail
should be kept in its place, also, for the same time, by a piece of
thin wire bent over it, thus:
[Illustration: _Fig. 14._]
The only thing now to do is to put in the eyes. The color, of course,
depends on the bird, and these you may buy at any fishing-tackle store.
If you do not use eyes too large, you will find little difficulty;
the juice of the lids will act as a sufficient cement. As to the
mounting, I shall say nothing about that now, but shall only advert
shortly to a French method of preserving which is more difficult, but
has the advantage of superior firmness. It is this: Measuring from the
insertion of the neck to the tail, make a wire frame of this form, the
measure taken being from A. to B.
[Illustration: _Fig. 15._
_Wire Used in French Method._]
Upon this end wind hemp for the neck only, and place in the skin in
the same way as before directed, only that, instead of one wire being
passed through that in which the tail grows, it is a fork that is
passed through it. Having formed this frame, fit on to it two legs,
thus: and after the frame itself is in the skin, pass these from the
_inside_ down each leg, instead of from the outside, and fasten them
on to the frame with the pliers, by twisting the ends, B B, round the
frame, C, in the first figure.
[Illustration: _Fig. 16._
_The Wire Legs._]
This will make all firm, and you can then fill the body with cut
hemp and sew up. One word as to the other preparations used by bird
preservers. These are either corrosive sublimate or regulus of arsenic,
which is yellow and of a consistence like butter. As I have said
before, in cold weather, when there are no flies about, alum will do
perfectly well; in warm weather either of the two others may be used. I
should prefer the former--corrosive sublimate--as the other is "messy,"
and the chief object is to dry up anything which can be attacked by
flesh-seeking insects. When you have finished your bird you can lay
the feathers with a large needle--it is as well to have one fixed in
a handle and kept for this purpose--and, tying the two mandibles of
the bill together with a piece of thread until the whole specimen has
hardened and dried, the work is done.