120 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



must be applied freely to all these parts. The winc^ bones must now be 

 connected by a strinii; passed through the space betvveen the bones, or a 

 thread sewed through the ligaments so that it cannot slip. Do not draw 

 the wings too close together, but leave as nearly the natural distance 

 between them as is ]iracticable. If hurried, the small bone of the joint 

 may be removed, and tying the wing bone omitted. Cotton or tow may 

 be now wound round the broken ends of the wing and leg bones, a roll 

 of it inserted in the neck, and enough put in the body to fill it out to 

 its natural shape. 



When the legs are tied together no sititches are generally necessary 

 to sew up the cut. If there are large holes in the skin, they should be 

 sewed up from the inside before putting in the stuffing. In large birds 

 it is well to sew on wide strips of rag along the inner edges of the cut 

 made in the skin to protect the feathers during the operation of skinning, 

 removing the rags afterwards. Very badly soiled skins can, however, 

 be cleaned by the taxidermist, and, provided they have not lost many 

 feathers, are still useful. The bill should generally be tied shut by a 

 string passed through the nostrils, and the labels may be put there or on 

 the legs. Yery long necks are best stuffed by rolling up a long cj'linder 

 of paper, and passing it down the throat or from the inside. The neck 

 may then be bent down along the side of the body, and the legs bent 

 up so as to make as compact a specimen as possible. Having smoothed 

 down the feathers, the bird must now be pushed carefully inside a cjdin- 

 der of stiff paper of the proper size and laid on its hack to dry. A still 

 better mode is to roll it up in a sheet of cotton wool until dry, thus pre- 

 serving the form more truly. Hanging it up by the bill or feet stretches 

 it too much. If carefully dried, it retains a good shape, and may be 

 freely handled afterwards. 



Some birds, especially ducks and woodpeckers, have the neck so .slender 

 that the head cannot be drawn through it by skinning in the usual 

 manner. In these an incision must be made on the most injured side, 

 from the ear down far enough to allow the head to be cleaned through 

 it. The bod}- may then be skinned as usual, or the incision ma}- be con- 

 tinued down the neck to the bare space under the wing, and the skin 

 taken off without cutting it elsewhere. To sew this up requires care in 

 order to adjust the feathers nicely, and the stitches must be taken from 

 within outwards. Some persons skin all birds in this manner, but the 

 feathers are more apt to fall out of those birds that have them loosely 

 attached. 



There is much difference in the ease Avith which a bird may be skinned, 

 according to the relative toughness of skin and adhesion of feathers. A 

 humming bird is more easily skinned than a pigeon, and those of the 

 size of a robin take much less time than an eagle. To ])racticc on, the 

 best are blackbirds and jays, those not too fat being preferable. 



NESTS AND EGGS. 



A very beautiful and interesting collection of the nests and eggs of 

 birds may be made, and is important to illustrate their habits and his- 

 tory. As many persons are engaged in this stud}-, too many can hardly 

 be obtained, except of the commonest kinds which buikl around houses. 

 Those of hawks, owls, small waders, ducks, woodpeckers, pigeons, mag- 

 pies, and California vulture, are the most desirable. Nests, when veiy 

 large and i"oughly built, are not needed, but a note may be attached to 

 the eggs, describing the nest. 



