BIRD-STUFFING. J 



ration requires care and practice namely, to get out 

 the eyes. This is done by cutting cautiously until 

 the lids appear, being careful not to cut the eye itself, 

 and you can then with a forceps, which you will like- 

 wise find useful, pull each from its socket; wipe the 

 orifice carefully, wash it with the alum solution, and 

 fill it with cotton wadding. Cut off the neck close to 

 the skull, wash the stump, and the whole of the in- 

 terior of the skin with the alum, and the skinning is 

 done. Now comes the stuffing. The ordinary mode 

 used by bird-preservers is a simple one, and answers 

 very well; there is a French method, however, which 

 has its advantages, and will be adverted to hereafter. 

 Take a piece of the wire suitable to the size of the 

 bird that is, as large as the legs will carry and bend 

 it into the following form, a representing the neck, , 

 the body, and , the junction of the tail, allowing suf- 

 ficient length of neck for the wire to pass some distance 



beyond the head, and being sharpened at each end, 

 which may be done by obliquely cutting it with the 

 plyers. Wind upon this wire hemp to the size of the 

 bird's body, which you should have lying by you to 

 judge from, and it will present something of this ap- 

 pearance. You can shape it with the hand, but be 

 careful not to make it the least too large ; and, after 

 you have finished it to your satisfaction, you may singe 

 it as the poulterer would singe a fowl, which will make 

 all neat ; but be particular to wind the hemp very 



