46 ON PROCURING SPECIMENS OF THE 



living nature, the appearance of mummies, rather than of artist-like 

 attempts to imitate the appearance of life ; or they may appositely 

 enough be compared to an endeavour to delineate the human figure by 

 one who had never studied its proportions. 



To naturalists who might wish to possess a small museum of British 

 birds, but who cannot well spare the time it requires to prepare a 

 number of specimens, a general contract with a person of this kind, 

 who is capable of undertaking the more mechanical parts of the 

 operation of bird-stuffing, will be found to prove very advantageous. 

 In mounting the skin of a bird, the principal faults of stuffers are, 

 generally, the filling of it out with a great deal too much tow, or 

 other stuffing, especially about the neck the putting too much wire 

 into the neck, which effectually precludes all possibility of restoring it 

 to anything like its natural form and in drawing up the skin close, 

 when sewing up the incision made for the purpose of extracting the 

 body ; a very common practice, which contracts the under parts out of 

 all shape and proportions, but which is totally unnecessary, as even in 

 the living birds the feathers of these parts completely conceal a very 

 wide space of naked skin, or which is covered only with a little down. 

 These, however, are faults which require but to be pointed out to be 

 avoided. With care, attention, and a little practice, and a tolerable 

 share of patience withal, the difficulties of this first part of the opera- 

 tion may be soon surmounted ; and a specimen thus far well prepared 

 may, while the skin remains moist and flexible, be placed by a skilful 

 hand into any kind of position. But in this it is that most stuffed 

 birds are spoilt, it being here that an acquaintance with the peculiar 

 attitudes of each species is necessary, and that a correct knowledge of 

 proportions and general form is required : in this part of the operation 

 it is that the various little niceties of outline, the natural curves, the 

 gentle sinkings and convexities, the expression of the countenance, &c., 

 must be given ; a want of attention to which in the generality of 

 museum specimens is the cause of their horrid stiffness and deformity. 



It is a very common practice among bird-stuffers, when finishing off 

 a specimen, to endeavour to render one side smooth and even at the 

 expense of the other ; which latter, when the bird is encased, is sup- 

 posed not to be at all seen. Specimens that are thus prepared, however, 

 can never have the appearance of life ; and to persons who have any 

 knowledge of proportions their faultiness is detected at a glance. A 

 specimen is badly stuffed if it does not on every side bear inspection. 



With regard to the numerous peculiarities of attitude and position 



