HOW TO MAKE A BIRBSKIN. 43 



from tlie general plumage. It is a common fault of stuffing not to draw the legs closely 

 enough to the body. Above all, look out for the centre of gravity ; though you have really 

 fastened the bird to its perch, you must not let it look as if it would fall off if the wires slipped; 

 it must appear to rest there of its own accord. Next, give the head and neck a preliminary 

 setting, according to the attitude you have detennined upon. This will bring the plumage 

 about the shoulders in proper position for the setting of the wings, to which you may at once 

 attend. If the body be correctly fashioned and the skin of the shoulders duly adjusted over it, 

 the wings will fold into place without the slightest difficulty. All that I have said before 

 about setting the wings in a skin applies here as well ; but in this case they will not stay 

 in place, since they fall by their own weight. They must be pinned up. Holding the wing 

 in place, thrust a pin steadily through near the ^\Tist joint, into the tow body. Sometimes 

 another pin is required to support the weight of the primaries ; it may be stuck into the flank 

 of the bird, the outer quill feather resting directly upon it. With large birds a sharp pointed 

 wire must replace the pin. When properly set, the wing-tips will fall together or symmetri- 

 cally opposite each other, the quills and coverts will be smoothly imbricated, the scapular 

 series of feathers will lie close, and no bare space will show in front of the shoulder. Much 

 depends upon the final adjustment of the head. The commonest mistake is getting it too 

 far away from the body. In the ordinary attitudes of most birds little neck shows, the head 

 appearing nestled upon the shoulders. If the neck appears too long, it is not to be contracted 

 by pushing the head directly down upon it, but by making an S curve of the neck. No precise 

 directions can be given for the set of the head, but you may be assured it is a delicate, difficult 

 matter ; the slightest turn of the bill one way or another may alter the whole expression of the 

 bird. You wiU of course have determined beforehand upon your attitude, upon what you wish 

 the bird to appear to be doing ; tlien, let your meaning be pointed by tlie bird's bill. 



On the general subject of striking an attitude, and giving expression to a stuffed bird, little 

 can be said to good purpose. If you are to become proficient in this art, it will come from 

 your own study of birds in the field, your own good taste and appreciation of bird life. The 

 manual processes are easily described and practised ; it is easy to grind paint, I suppose, but 

 not so to be an artist. I shall therefore only follow the above account of the general processes 

 with some special practical points. After ''attitudinizing" to your satisfaction, or to the best 

 of your ability, the plumage is to be carefully " dressed." Feathers awry may be set in place 

 with a light spring forceps, or needles fixed in a handle, one by one if necessary. When no 

 individual feather seems out of place, it often occurs that the general plumage has a loose, 

 slovenly aspect. This is readily corrected by wrapping with fine thread. Stick a pin into the 

 middle of the back, another into the breast, and perhaps others, elsewhere. Fasten the end of 

 a spool of sewing cotton to one of the pins, and carry it to another, winding the thread about 

 among the pins, till the whole surface is covered with an irregular network. Tighten to 

 reduce an undue prominence, loosen over a depression ; but let the wrapping as a whole be 

 light, firm, and even. This procedure, nicely executed, will give a smoothness to the plumage 

 not otherwise attainable, and may be made to produce the most exquisite curves, particularly 

 about the head, neck, and breast. The thread should be left on till the bird is perfectly dry ; 

 it may then be unwound or cut ofi", and the pins withdrawn. When a particular patch of skin 

 is out of place, it may often be pulled into position and pinned there. You need not be afraid 

 of sticking pins in anywhere : they may be buried in the plumage and left there, or withdrawn 

 when the skin is dry. In addition to the maiu stuffing, a little is often required in particular 

 places. As for the legs, they should be filled out in all such cases as I indicated earlier in this 

 section ; small birds require no such stuffing. It is necessary to fill out the eyes so that the 

 lids rest naturally ; it may be done as heretofore directed, or by putting in pledgets of cotton 

 from the outside. A little nice stuffing is generally required about the upper throat. To stuff 

 a bird with spread wings requires a special process, in most cases. The wings are to be wired. 



