CHAPTER XXm. 



MOUNTING LAKGE BIRDS. 



AFTER all that has been said in regard to mounting- small 

 birds, and relaxing 1 and cleaning 1 dry bird skins, there remains 

 but little to add on the subject of bird-mounting 1 , and that little 

 relates to large birds. For all birds, up to the emu and ostrich, 

 the principles remain about the same as those illustrated in the 

 mounting 1 of a robin. Moreover, the mounting 1 of birds is now 

 so generally understood it is unnecessary to dwell at great 

 length on this subject. 



Professor L. L. Dyche has called my attention to the great 

 desirability of taking a series of measurements of every large 

 bird before it is skinned, and another series of the skinned body, 

 as a check on possible errors in making the false body and in 

 mounting. The idea is a good one, and the following are the 

 measurements that should be taken : 



BEFORE SKINNING. Total length ; distance from angle of 

 wing at the carpal joint to the eye ; distance from the end of 

 the closed wing to the tip of the tail : distance from the base 

 of the middle toe to the carpal joint of the wing. 



MEASUREMENTS OF THE SKINNED CARCASS. Length of the body ; 

 length of the neck ; circumference of the body around the breast ; 

 circumference around the abdomen. 



The notes should also state whether the body and the neck 

 are respectively round or flat. 



THE FALSE BODY. In starting out to make a body for a large 

 bird, particularly one with a long neck, take a piece of wood 

 about the size of a large ear of corn, and much the same shape, 

 through one end of which pass one end of the neck-wire and 

 firmly staple it down. The purpose of this is to give the firm- 

 est attachment possible for the neck. The false body is tlu-n 



