wound round the bone and wire, will be necessary. 
The majority of birds, however, show so little thigh 
that the wire alone is ample stuffing for the part 
usually exposed, and in such cases it is only 
necessary to retain half the thigh bone. 
When the wiring of the legs is complete, intro- 
duce stuffing (chopped tow) if necessary, into the 
flanks and breast, and then sew up the skin, com- 
mencing on the breast and finishing at the tail. The 
stitches should be taken from the inside, and care 
used not to draw in the feathers. Finish off by 
pressing the body into shape, leaving the back 
nicely sloped, and the breast well rounded. 
The bird is now ready for mounting. Assum- 
ing it to be a Partridge, take a block of wood about 
five inches square, and pierce a couple of holes in 
it to receive the leg wires. Push the wires through 
the holes, and bolt them to the underside of the 
block. Insert the artificial eyes, neatly pulling the 
lids over them, but be careful not to allow them to 
protrude in an unnatural manner. In certain cases 
of a fracture, or enlargement of the skin, it may be 
necessary to use gum to hold the eyes in position. 
Now attend to the pose. This point is the most 
significant of all, for as before intimated, on what 
you make of it, depends so largely the success of 
your efforts as a whole. A knowledge therefore, of 
the structure and habits, etc., of birds, is invaluable 
at this stage. When fixing the pose, see that the 
legs are not too forward or too backward; in other 
words look well to the centre of gravity. 
31 
