8 
specific feature of the bird—certainly a great advantage, and 
conducing to the neat appearance of the skin when finished. 
A small stick, one end of which is sharply pointed, is now selected, 
and its length adjusted to reach from the skull of the bird to a 
point an inch to two inches beyond the tail-bone, the part destined 
to form the neck being wrapped round with tow and then well 
covered with arsenical soap. Holding the skin by the beak, the 
artificial neck is then coaxed up the skin of the neck, and the sharp 
point firmly imbedded in the skull of the bird, while the other end 
of the stick, without any tow on it, projects beyond the tail-bone. 
This is an excellent plan for making skins which have to be packed 
and transported for a long distance, as the stick serves as a support 
and renders the head and neck less liable to be broken in transit. 
Another method of filling the eyes and the neck is to put bleached 
wool into the sockets as soon as the head is ready for turning back ; 
and a neck of tow is made (a little larger than the natural one), 
and rammed tightly into the skull. Then the skin is pulled back 
over the artificial neck of tow, which has been well anointed with 
arsenical soap. By pulling the tow neck back towards the body, 
the head and neck can be well drawn in. Our own experience is 
that the method of filling out the eyes with wool from the palate 
has the best results, and disturbs the set of the eyelid less than 
that just described ; but the collector will soon find out in which 
way he can produce the best results. In no case should the eye- 
socket be filled in from the outside after the skin of the head has 
been restored to its proper place, as the eyelid is sure to be destroyed 
or forced inwards, aud the appearance of the skin will suffer. 
Before filling in the body of the bird, it is very important that the 
set of the wings should be attended to, so that the skin may not 
become lop-sided. Running parallel to the two humeri (the bones 
of the upper arms), as the skin lies on its back, will be found two 
broad rough patches on the back of the bird, marking feather-tracts. 
If the two humeri are laid along these patches, and kept in position 
by a little wool placed upon them, it will befound that the wings 
will fall naturally into their place, and will not move. Another 
excellent method is to tie the wing-bones together at the elbows, 
leaving the natural space hetween them. It is also well to take 
a fine needle, and gently to lift the skin of the crown and sides of 
the head, so that the ear-coverts fall into their natural position. 
Then the body of the bird can be filled in with wool or tow to its 
natural size, and finally wrapped round with a thin layer of cotton- 
wadding, and left to dry. 
The two mandibles of the bill should be restored to their exact 
position as in life, and either tied together with cotton (not through 
the nostrils) or fastened by means of a tiny piece of cobbler’s wax 
placed in the tip of the upper mandible. 
