How to Mount a Bird. 



835 



A TAXIDKRMISTS SANCTUM. 



First cleanse off any blood stains by washing carefully with tepid 

 water and drying with plaster of paris.* Be careful that you allow 

 no plaster to " set " on the feathers, but keep them constantly moving, 

 changing the plaster now and then, until quite dry. Renew the 

 plugs of cotton in the vent, mouth, and nostrils, placing a little plaster 

 in the throat before introducing the cotton, and also putting a pinch 

 on each eye. Now lay the bird on its back, part the feathers on the 

 under side down the center, and make a cut from near the upper end 

 of the breast-bone to the vent, ending in it. Take care in doing this 

 not to cut through the thin walls of the abdominal cavity ; but if you 

 are unlucky enough to do this, apply cotton and plaster liberally. 

 Catch one edge of the cut skin with the forceps or finger tips, and 

 work the butt of the scalpel between the skin and body so as to 



* In this connection I give two recipes, which will be found useful. Bent tail and 

 wing feathers may be straightened by dipping in hot water; or, better yet, by holding 

 them in a jet of steam — only in doing this beware of steaming the skin, or it will shrink. 

 To remove grease, wash with turpentine and dry with platter. ( >nc drawback in using 

 plaster is the difficulty of removing all traces of it ; but by gently beating and dusting 

 this can be accomplished. 



