24 THE NATURALIST'S GUIDE. 



stiff brush by continuous brushing, assisted by scraping 

 with the thumb-nail. A living bird cleans blood from its 

 plumage by drawing each feather separately through its 

 beak, thereby scraping off the blood ; the thumb-nail 

 performs the part of the bill. If much bloody, with a soft 

 sponge and water wash away all traces of blood ; then 

 throw plaster upon the wet spot, and remove it before it 

 has time to harden or " set." By repeating this opera- 

 tion, at the same time lifting the feathers so as to allow 

 the plaster to dry every part, and by using the soft brush, 

 the feathers will soon dry. In this way any stains may be 

 removed. 



If the plumage is greasy, wash it with warm water and 

 strong soap long enough to remove every particle of fatty 

 matter that adheres to the feathers ; then rinse thoroughly 

 in warm water, afterwards in cold. Be sure and remove 

 all traces of the soap before putting on the plaster to dry, 

 as the soap will be changed by the plaster into a gummy 

 substance, which will be very difficult to remove. 



After smoothing the feathers carefully, place the skin 

 upon its back. With the tweezers take up a small roll 

 of hemp or cotton, as large round and as long as the neck of 

 the body that was taken out, and place it in the neck of 

 the skin, taking care that the throat is well filled out ; then, 

 by grasping the neck on each side with the thumb and 

 finger, the hemp or cotton may be held in place, and the 

 tweezers withdrawn. After placing the wings in the same 

 position as the bird would have them when at rest, with 

 the bones of the forearm pushed well into the skin, so that 

 they may lie down each side, and not cross each other, 

 with a needle and thread sew through the skin and the 

 first quill of the primaries by pushing the needle through 

 the skin on the inside and through the quill opposite, but 

 be sure that the wing is in the proper place. (If it is too far 

 forward, the feathers of the sides of the breast, that ought to 



