EECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



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junction of the tail, allowing sufficient length, 

 of neck for the wire to pasa some distance 



beyond the head, and being sharpened at 

 each end, which may be done by obliquely 

 cutting it with the plyers. Wind upon this 

 wire hemp to the size of the bird's body, 

 which you should hare lying by you to jixdge 

 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 

 centre, 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. 



With the plyers 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 centre 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. In doing this, you must 

 remember the ordinaiy 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, and 

 in again through the skin from 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. The accompanying cut will illus- 

 trate this, a repre- 

 senting 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 put- 

 ting 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 



