TAXIDERMY. 65 



\vhen the head and neck were stuffed, he introduced 

 the long end through the neck and skull ; the 

 fork at the other extremity passed across the rump 

 to support the tail ; one of the leg-wires being then 

 passed up, he brought the end through the little 

 hole which was above the triangle, he bent it along 

 the opposite part, and united the two parts by tying 

 them with thread ; he did the same for the other 

 leg. Mange constantly employed this method for 

 small birds, but he formed ovals for the larger 

 ones. 



After having spoken of these different methods 

 of forming the inside frame-work for birds, one 

 more remains to be described; that which we 

 adopt when it is necessary to mount a bird w r ith 

 its wings extended. When the centre wire is placed, 

 we thrust pointed wires across the wings the length 

 of the ' fouet' * of the fore-arms and arms ; the 

 ends which remain in the body are formed into 

 ovals, the same size as that of the centre. If the 

 birds we mount are of the size of a kite or a mag- 

 pie, the thighs ought to be furnished in a peculiar 

 manner, which we will describe. 



The wire being passed along the leg, we draw 

 part out, so that the bone is discovered ; we then 



* The French Ornithologists call that part of the bone o- 

 the wing which answers to the carpus and metacarpus, the 

 " fouet." (See/, Plate II.) 



