io6 



MOUNTING BIRDS WITH CLOSED WINGS. 



Fig 2— The wire as taken from the natural bodv, forming the shape 

 lengthwise, also the balls of tow used in filling the necks of mounted 



As you now have the shape and size of the body lengthwise, 

 the breadth must be taken with calipers ; or, it can be pretty accu- 

 rately guessed at when one has had enough experience in the mat- 

 ter. Roll up firmly a quantity of tow a little larger than the size 

 of the natural body and place it in the wire Now bind it firmly 

 with thread in every direction as in figure 3, make a solid and 

 (T^^/z/ar/ artificial body imitating exactly the one from which the skin 

 was taken. In making artificial bodies for birds, all the character- 

 istics of the natural bodies should be brought out very strongly, in 

 order to represent the natural form of the bird. 



If the natural form of a bird is long and flat like that of a loon 

 it should be made so ; if it is short and round like that of an owl 

 it should be so modeled ; and in all otker cases the artificial body 

 should strongly represent all the prominent characteristics of the 

 natural. 



Fig. 3. — Artificial Body. 



