CLEANING THE PLUMAGE OF BITIDS. 201 



plaster Paris. It takes two or three quarts to do this usually, 

 and for a swan it requires a pailful. 



As soon as the plaster has had time to absorb the greasy tur- 

 pentine, which it does in about a minute, lift the bird from its 

 burial-place, and holding 1 it head upward hit it several sharp 

 blows with a light stick to knock the plaster out of the feathers. 

 Devote from three to five minutes to this, then examine the 

 feathers and see whether they are perfectly clean. Most likely 

 they are not, if it is a case of old grease, and a repetition of the 

 dose is necessary. Start again with your wash of turpentine 

 and do precisely as before (without the use of any water). If this 

 does not bring the feathers out clean and white from roots to tips, 

 then give it a third going over, with unabated vigor and thor- 

 oughness. The third time is usually " the charm," even with the 

 worst cases. This time the plaster must be thoroughly beaten 

 out of the feathers, even if takes you an hour to accomplish it. 



All this is rather disagreeable work. Of course you will put 

 on old clothes and get out doors to windward of your bird while 

 beating it, so that the plaster will fly off upon some other fellow. 

 Soft feathers may be handled more carelessly than the stiffer sorts. 

 Of course great care must be taken to not separate the web of the 

 tail and wing feathers, nor to break the shafts of even the small 

 ones. Beware getting any of the body feathers twisted during 

 this operation, or they will not lie down where they belong. 



Benzine can be used instead of turpentine in cleaning plum- 

 age, but it is too volatile, and evaporates too quickly to render 

 the best service. 



It is practically useless to attempt to remove clotted blood 

 from the feathers of old dry skins. Even if by persistent effort 

 the blood itself is removed, it leaves a lasting stain upon the 

 feathers, and they are also permanently awry. The universal 

 custom with taxidermists in such case is to obey the (para- 

 phrased) scriptural injunction if a feather offend thee, pluck 

 it out. If this course leaves a vacancy in the plumage, steal a 

 perfect feather from some suitable portion of the bird's body, 

 and glue it fast in the place of the missing 1 one. Fortunately, 

 however, collectors have about ceased to make up skins to dry 

 with blood upon them, and there is not much trouble to appre- 

 hend hereafter from that source. 



