ON STUFFING BlilDS. 33 



of the thickness required, so that the wire may have a sort of 

 cushion to rest on. 



Four pieces of wire are then prepared, of a thickness propor- 

 tionate to the size of the bird to be stuffed. The centre-piece 

 should be somewhat longer than the body of the bird. At 

 about a fourth of its length a small ring is formed, by the as- 

 sistance of the round pincers, or plyers (plate VI. fig. 4-), and 

 the other end is pointed with a file. This wire is oiled, and 

 introduced across the skull, and passed into the neck, through 

 the centre of the flax or tow with which it is stuffed ; the ring 

 being situated towards the anterior part of the skull, for the 

 purpose of receiving the points of each of the wires that are 

 passed through the feet and thighs. 



The following is the mode in which this perforation is ef- 

 fected. A hole is bored with a brass awl (see plate VI. fig. 8), 

 the calibre of the wire which it is intended to use. The wire, 

 which is to continue in the leg, is passed across the knee, and 

 brought out interiorly, and, placing it into the ring above men- 

 tioned, the same operation is performed on the other side. The 

 extremities of the wires of the legs, and the end of the central 

 wire beyond the ring, are all twisted together with flat pincers, 

 and then bent towards the tail. The tail-bearer is next formed, 

 which consists of the fourth piece of wire, with which an oval 

 is formed, by twisting the two ends two or three turns, so that 

 they may form a kind of fork, with the oval nearly the length 

 of the body of the bird ; the two points of the fork must be 

 sharpened with a file, and near enough to enable them to enter 

 the rump, through which they must pass, and their points will 

 be concealed by the rectrices, or large straight tail-feathers, 

 while the oval is within the body of the bird. If the bird is 

 large, the tail-bearer must be firmly attached to the interior 

 wires, by twisting a small wire several times round both. But 

 unless the birds be large, it may remain quite free. The several 

 wires are figured on plate V., of which see a description at the 

 references to the plates, at the end of the work. 



All the parts of the skin at which we can come must be 

 thoroughly rubbed with the preserving soap, the rump in par- 

 ticular, which should besides be soaked with the solution of 

 corrosive sublimate. The stuffing is now proceeded with, by 

 inserting chopped flax or tow, till it has attained its proper 



