380 PREPARATION OF BIRD SPECIMENS 



small, add a little tow to the part and continue the winding. 

 In the end, you should have a very firm, smooth body with 

 thread nearly covering its surface. Pass one of the long wires 

 through this body from the front end ; then the protruding 



end should be passed back 

 and its tip clinched into 

 the body. Next, wind the 

 neck end smoothly with 

 cotton and tie a thread 

 around the part which is to enter the skull. See that the 

 position, length, and size of the neck are like that of the bird. 

 You will now have an object in shape much like the fifth 

 figure.^ The dotted lines show how the wire goes through the 

 body and is firmly clinched. 



1(). The other two wires, 7 inches long, are now to be 

 passed up the legs. Start the wire at the place of the join- 

 ing of the toes, and slide it along the back of the tarsal bone 

 to the joint ; pull the tibia bone through the opening in the 

 skin in such a way that you can get the wire past the joint 

 and along the tibia bone. Both legs are of course to be fixed 

 in the same way. 



17. The ])repared body is now to be placed in the skin. 

 First introduce the sharp end of the neck wire into the neck, 

 and carefully guide it so that it will enter the skull. Pass 

 it through the skull somewhere near the forehead. Then care- 

 fully pull the skin over the body till the tail readily slips 

 past the posterior end of it. 



18. The next step is the fastening of the leg wires into the 

 body. Slide the wires up and down the legs till the}' move 

 freely ; then pass them one at a time into the body just where 

 the knee was found on the bird before skinned. The exact 

 place is almost the center lengthwise and one fourth from the 

 lower side, — the spot marked with a small circle on the fifth 

 figure.^ The wire is to be passed through and back and 

 then clinched. AVhen both leg wires are fastened the bird will 

 appear as shown in the sixth figure.* 



