184 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



membrane, it appears through the horn, and by becoming 

 black when dried, makes the horn appear black also, and 

 has a bad effect ; judgment, caution, skill, and practice, 

 will ensure success. 



You have now cleared the bill of all those bodies which 

 are the cause of its apparent fading ; for, as has been said 

 before, these bodies dry in death, and become quite dis- 

 coloured, and appear so through the horn ; and reviewing 

 the bill in this state, you conclude that its former bright 

 colours are lost. 



Something still remains to be done. You have ren- 

 dered the bill transparent by the operation, and that 

 transparency must be done away to make it appear per- 

 fectly natural. Pound some clean chalk, and give it 

 enough water till it be of the consistency of tar ; add a 

 proportion of gum-arabic to make it adhesive ; then take a 

 camel-hair brush, and give the inside of both mandibles a 

 coat ; apply a second when the first is dry, then another, 

 and a fourth to finish all. The gum-arabic will prevent 

 the chalk from cracking and falling off. If you remember, 

 there is a little space of transparent white in the lower 

 mandible, which originally appeared blue, but which be- 

 came transparent white as soon as the thin piece of blue 

 skin was cut away; this must be painted blue inside. 

 When all this is completed, the bill will please you ; it 

 will appear in its original colours. Probably your own 

 abilities will suggest a cleverer mode of operating than 

 the one here described. A small gouge would assist the 

 penknife, and render the operation less difficult. 



