112 MOUNTING BIRDS WITH SPREAD WINGS. 



taste and skill of the operator. A knowledge of anatomy will aid 

 one greatly in giving a natural and life-like appearance to all birds 

 under this head. 



In skinning a bird that is to have its wings spread, always leave 

 in all but the head of the humerus or upper arm bone. It may be 

 skinned down to the elbow and thoroughly cleansed, and then 

 should be broken off. N'ever detach the secondaries from the 

 ulna. The muscles and tendons can be removed by making a cut 

 on the under side of the wing from the elbow to the wrist ; now 

 lift up the skin and the flesh about the ulna and radius or double 

 bones can then be be taken out and the bones scraped clean 

 these without detaching the secondaries from the ulna. On 

 bones put a heavy coating of the Arsenical Paste, especially at 

 the joints. Sew up the skin under the wing by cross-stitching, 

 and the feathers will fall nicely to their place. Some recommend 

 substituting the removed flesh of the wing with a filling of clay, 

 but this is not necessary. 



The artificial body for birds that are to have the v.'ings spread 

 should be made solid and compact in order to secure the many 

 wires that must be thrust into it. In birds of prey the muscles 

 of the leg should be well developed. Place the balls of tow in 

 rotation for the filling in the neck as before described, giving the 

 skin a thorough coating of the Arsenical Paste ; insv rt the body 

 into the skin and anchor the wires of the legs in the same 

 manner as described in mounting birds with closed wings. The 

 body being inserted and the opening nicely sewed up, the legs 

 should be bent in their proper shape and the bird placed on a 

 stand. The wings of the bird will of course be drooping, and its 

 general shape will be distorted. Shacpen tvyfo long wires for the 

 main support of the wings; now run each of these wires through 

 the v.'rist (sometimes improperly called the shofilder), pass them 

 down through under the feathers that cover the opening under the 

 wing which was sewed up, and thrust them into the body. 

 The wings should now be bent in .their proper shape, giving 

 them their natural curves. Additional wires are required to 

 support the wings until dry. These are sharpened and thrust into 



