LARGE HEADED BIRDS. 73 



that the leg-muscles do not form a cylinder, but a cone ; let 

 the wrapping taper naturally from top to bottom. Attention 

 to this point is necessary for all large or medium sized birds 

 with naturally prominent legs. The large finely feathered legs 

 of a hawk, for example, ought to be well displayed ; with these 

 birds, and also with rails, etc., moreover, imitate the bulge of 

 the thigh with a special wad laid inside the skin. Large birds 

 commonly require also a special wad introduced by the mouth, 

 to make the swell of the throat ; this wad should be rather 

 fluffy than firm. As a rule do not fill out large birds to their 

 natural dimensions ; they take up too much room. Let the 

 head, neck and legs be accurately prepared, but leave the main 

 cavity one-third if not one-half empty ; no more is required 

 than will fairly smooth out creases in the skin. Reduce bulk 

 rather by flattening out than by general compression. Use 

 tow instead of cotton ; and if at all short of tow, economize 

 with paper, hay, etc., at least for the deeper portions of the 

 main stuffing. Large birds may be "set" in a great quantity 

 of tow ; wrapped in paper, much like any other parcel ; or 

 simply left to dry on the table, the wings being only supported 

 by cushioning or other suitable means. 



39. SHAPE. Some special configurations have been noticed 

 in the last paragraph, prematurely perhaps, but leading di- 

 rectly up to further considerations respecting shape of certain 

 birds as a modifying element in the process of preparation. 

 As for skinning, there is one extremely important matter. 

 Most ducks, many woodpeckers, flamingoes, and doubtless 

 some others, with which I am not familiar, cannot be skinned 

 in the usual way, because the head is too large for the calibre 

 of the neck and cannot be drawn through. In such cases, skin 

 as usual to the base of the skull, cut off the head there (in- 

 side l!he skin of course), and operate upon it, after turning the 

 skin right side out, as follows: Part the feathers carefully 

 in a straight line down the back of the skull, make a cut 

 through the skin, just long enough to permit the head to pass, 

 draw out the skull through this opening, and dress it as already 



