850 How to Mount a Bird. 



considerable time to induce them to look equally well. The scapu- 

 laries, or feathers on the shoulders, are often troublesome and require 

 coaxing into place. A very handy tool for this purpose is a darning- 

 needle fastened in a short handle, or you may sharpen one end of 

 your knitting-needle. 



A LITTLE STRANGER FROM THE TROPICS. 



This you thrust into the roots of the feathers, and with a com- 

 bined lifting and twisting motion bring them where they belong. 

 Trouble with the scapularies often arises from one of two causes, which 

 I mention in order that you may guard against them. The first is 

 too much filling in the back, or between the wing bones and the skin. 

 The second is filling worked into and distending the bare spot that 

 runs from the sides of the neck down over the wings. The wings 

 are secured to the body with from one to three wires, according to 

 the size of the bird and the amount of pains you wish to take. The 

 first wire — and this is never omitted — runs slightly downward and 

 backward through the wrist or bend of the wing ; the second is in- 

 serted between the bones of the fore-arm near the elbow, and points 

 forward ; while the third you enter near the tuft of feathers known as 

 the spurious wing, and direct upward. Beware of running a wire 

 between the roots of the primaries; for if they are thus wedged apart, 

 nothing but changing the wire will induce them to lie as they should. 

 Next arrange the tail feathers, which may be done in several ways, 

 the easiest and least satisfactory of which is to reverse the manner 



