30 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION OF BIRDS. 



this method has the advantage of filling out the eyelid, and biingiiig 

 into relief any eyebrow which may be a specific feature of the bird. 

 This is certainly a great advantage, and conduces to the pretty 

 appearance of the skin when finished. He next provided himself 

 with a small stick (in very little birds a match will do), one end of 

 which was sharply pointed. The length of the stick was proportioned 

 to reach from the sknll of the bird to the tail-bone, the part destined 

 to form the neck being wrapped ronnd with tow and then well covered 

 with arsenical soap. Holding the skin by the beak, the artificial neck 

 was 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 was 

 fixed against the tail-bone. This is an excellent plan for makirig 

 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 laiger 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 Mr. Davison's way of filling out the eyes with wool from 

 the palate has the best results, and disturbs the set of the eyelid 

 less than the last-mentioned method ; 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, and 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. Bunning pai-allel to the two bones of the humerus, 

 as the skin lies on its back, will be found two broad rough patches 

 of fat on the back of the bird, marking feather-tracts. If the two 

 humeri are laid along these patches, and kept in positiem by a little 

 wool laid upon them, it will be found that the wnigs will fall naturally 



