THE ART OF PRESERVING BIRDS. 25 



lie smoothly over the bend of the wing, will be forced up 

 and backward. If the wing is placed too far back, there 

 will be a bare spot upon the side of the neck, caused by 

 the wing-coverts, which help, in connection with the feath- 

 ers of the back, to hide the spot, being drawn either 

 down or back too far. If the wing is placed too low, the 

 same spot is seen, only it is elongated and extends along 

 the back between the secondaries and feathers of the back ; 

 if too high, the feathers of the back will appear pushed up, 

 and will not lie smooth for obvious reasons. When the 

 wing is in the right position, the feathers of the wing- 

 coverts and back will blend nicely and smoothly, and the 

 feathers of the sides of the breast will lie smoothly over 

 the bend of the wing ; the ends of the closed quills will 

 lie flat upon the tail, or nearly so.) Now draw the thread 

 through so^ that but an inch is visible inside the skin, 

 then push the needle through the skin from the outside 

 just below the quill that it came out through, draw the 

 thread through, and tie to the projecting end, thereby 

 fastening the wing firmly to the side ; proceed in this way 

 with the other wing. 



Roll up loosely an oblong body of cotton or hemp of 

 the same size as the body taken out, place it in the skin 

 neatly, then draw the edges of the skin together where the 

 incision was made, and sew them once in the centre ; tie 

 the ends of the thread together. Take care to put the 

 needle through the edge of the skin so as not to disturb the 

 feathers. Smooth the feathers on the abdomen. Cross 

 the feet upon the tail (Plate IV. Fig. 3), which is spread 

 slightly, then place the skin upon its back in the 

 rounded places of the drying-board, spoken of on page 

 18 (Fig. 1, d), taking care that the feathers of the 

 back are perfectly smooth. This rounded bed gives the 

 back a natural rounded appearance, which cannot be 

 made easily in any 'other way. Place the head with the 

 2 



