184 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



one end of each wire to a slender and very sharp point, and rub 

 a little oil or grease on each so that it will easily slip when in- 

 side the leg. 



Now take one of the bird's legs between the thumb and finger 

 of the left hand, holding- it at the foot with the back part up- 

 permost, and with the other hand enter the point of one of 

 the sharpened wires at the centre of foot, push the wire up 

 the back of the leg- and over the heel until the point reaches to 

 where the leg has been skinned. Be sure that you do not run 

 the wire up the side of the leg, either at foot or knee, for if you 

 do it will show badly when the bird is dry. Also be careful not 

 to run the sharpened wire out through the skin just above the 

 heel. To avoid this, grasp the leg at the heel between the 



thumb and middle finger of left 

 hand, and by strong upward press- 

 ure of the first finger under the 

 end of the leg-bone, and of the 

 fourth finger under the foot, both 

 joints of the leg can be held ex- 

 actly in line until the wire passes 

 the heel safely and enters the 

 open skin above (Fig. 48). Then 



FIG. 48,-Wirmg a Bird's Leg. We tum back tlie skin f the le -- 



till we see the point of the wire, 



after which we push the wire on up until the point passes the 

 end of the leg bone. We now cut off the thick upper end of 

 this bone, (the tibia), and wrap a little fine tow smoothly around 

 the bone and the wire, to replace the flesh cut away. The other 

 leg must, of course, be similarly treated. We are now ready to 

 make the body. 



We have kept the body of our specimen for reference, and 

 now we measure the length of both body and neck, cut another 

 wire not quite twice their length and file it sharp at both ends. 

 This will be the neck-wire. Now take a handful of excelsior (tow 

 or oakum will also serve), compress it into an egg-shaped ball- 

 smaller and more pointed at one end than the other, and wrap a 

 very little fine tow loosely around it, to make it smooth on the 

 outside when finished. Now wind stout linen thread around it, 

 shaping it all the time by pressing it between your left thumb 



