WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 327 



proper degree of elasticity, two qualities very 

 essential. 



Procure any common ordinary Box, fill one end 

 of it, about three-fourths up to the top, with cot- 

 ton, forming a sloping plane. Make a moderate 

 hollow in it to receive the bird. Now take the 

 hawk in your hands, and, after putting the wings 

 in order, place it in the cotton, with its legs in a 

 sitting posture. The head will fall down. Never 

 mind. Get a cork, and run three pins into the 

 end, just like a three-legged stool. Place it under 

 the bird's bill, and run the needle, which you 

 formerly fixed there, into the head of the cork. 

 This will support the bird's head admirably. If 

 you wish to lengthen the neck, raise the cork, by 

 putting more cotton under it. If the head is to 

 be brought forward, bring the cork nearer to the 

 end of the box. If it requires to be set backwards 

 on the shoulders, move back the cork. 



As in drying, the back-part of the neck will 

 shrink more than the fore-part, and thus throw 

 the beak higher than you wish it to be, putting 

 you in mind of a star-gazing horse, prevent this 

 fault, by tying a thread to the beak, and fastening 

 it to the end of the box with a pin or needle. If 

 you choose to elevate the wings, do so, and sup- 

 port them with cotton; and should you wish to 

 have them particularly high, apply a little stick 

 under each wing, and fasten the end of them to 

 the side of the box with a little bees' wax. 



If you would have the tail expanded, reverse 

 the order of the feathers, beginning from the two 

 middle ones. Wlien dry, replace them in their 

 true order, and the tail will preserve for ever the 



