METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 105 



o^ant, corresponding with the gorgeous colors of the birds themselves. 

 The best work I ever saw done in hummingbirds was where the legs 

 were wired with small wire as is done in the larger birds. These 

 were in sitting attitudes, the heads being turned, wings slightly raised, 

 tail spread and other characteristic arrangements were made to diver- 

 sify their postures. 



Painting Discolored Parts of Birds. — Soon after a bird has been 

 mounted (and likewise in making up skins) the colors of the feet, 

 legs, beak and bare places about the head begin to fade, and finally 

 disappear. They must be restored by artificial colors, tube paints 

 being the best for this purpose. The paints should be squeezed out 

 on the palette and thinned with turpentine only^ so that the paint will 

 not have a varnished appearance, for very few birds, except in 

 wet conditions, have a glossy texture to the parts which should 

 be painted. 



In coloring the soft, spongy feet of an eagle or hawk, or the 

 caruncular head of a vulture, the paint should be put on by stippling^ 

 not by strokes. Cut the bristles of the brush off square in the middle 

 so that it will have a flat or stubby end ; with this put the paint on 

 by dotting, covering the surface wherever coloring is required, being 

 careful not to lay the pigment on so thick that the divisions of the 

 scutella and the tubercular processes will be invisible. 



The best time to paint the discolored parts of a bird is, just as soon 

 as it has been mounted — before the colors have faded, if possible. You 

 can paint over these at this time, and even if you are a trifle color-blind 

 you can be sure of approaching near the correct tint. The colors used 

 in obtaining the various tints are given on page 52. If you intend to 

 wait until the specimen is dry before painting, you will have to make a 

 color sketch of the parts before they have faded, or depend upon your 

 memory which, for the beginner, is a hazardous thing to do, unless the 

 bird is a familiar one. 



If you have mended a broken bill or scutellum with papier-mache 

 give the mache a coating of either white or French sJiellac varnish to 

 form a non-absorbent surface for the paint to lay upon. Papier-mache 

 will absorb several coats of paint which will change its texture and, as 

 the painted surface should be uniform, the use of shellac as a body i« 

 apparent. For the uses of various kinds of varnishes see page 53. 



Combs, Wattles, Etc. — The combs and wattles of fowls may be 

 reproduced with sheet lead covered with papier-mache. Cut the comb 

 neatly from the head, lay it on a piece of sheet lead or copper ; cut 

 a piece out the exact pattern of the comb and cover it with papier- 



