324 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



threads which you had fastened to the end of the 

 wing-joints, leaving exactly the same space be- 

 twixt them as your knowledge in anatomy informs 

 you existed there when the bird was entire ; hold 

 the skin open with your finger and thumb, and 

 apply the solution to every part of the inside. 

 Neglect the head and neck at present; they are 

 to receive it afterwards. 



Fill the body moderately with cotton, lest the 

 feathers on the belly should be injured whilst you 

 are about the following operation. You must 

 recollect that half of the thigh, or in other words, 

 one joint of the thigh-bone, has been cut away. 

 Now, as this bone never moved perpendicular to 

 the body, but, on the contrary, in an oblique di- 

 rection, of course, as soon as it is cut off, the 

 remaining part of the thigh and leg, having noth- 

 ing now to support them obliquely, must naturally 

 fall to their perpendicular. Hence the reason 

 why the legs appear considerably too long. To 

 correct this, take your needle and thread, fasten 

 the end round the bone inside, and then push the 

 needle through the skin just opposite to it. Look 

 on the outside, and after finding the needle 

 amongst the feathers, tack up the thigh under the 

 wing with several strong stitches. This will 

 shorten the thigh, and render it quite capable of 

 supporting the weight of the body without the 

 help of wire. This done, take out every bit of 

 cotton, except the artificial thighs, and adjust the 

 wing-bones (which are connected by the thread) 

 in the most even manner possible, so that one 

 joint does not appear to lie lower than the other ; 

 for unless they are quite equal, the wings them- 



