74 TAXIDERMY. 



very close stitches, taking care to scatter the fea- 

 thers at each stitch. 



When we mount this bird, we place the centre 

 wire before we stuff the neck ; the irons for the 

 claws ought to be placed in a peculiar manner, be- 

 cause of their extreme length. We pierce the 

 end of the bone of the tarsus, near the talon, with 

 a bodkin, and introduce the point of the wire into 

 this hole, and turning it round and round, we push 

 it up as far as the knee; here we must have pa- 

 tience, and turn it right and left, without forcing 

 it too much, until we have pierced the apophysis of 

 the tarsus ; this difficulty conquered, the wire will 

 run easily, taking the place of the marrow of the 

 bones. The feet of the phcenicopterus are palm- 

 ated ; when it is mounted, we must take care to 

 spread the fingers, that the membranes may appear; 

 we fix them on the stand with very small nails or 

 pins, and do the same by all birds with palmated 

 feet. 



The greater number of ducks having a large 

 head, and consequently not able to pass the neck, 

 which is often very slender, we make an incision 

 like that of the phcenicopterus, in the nape of the 

 neck. When ducks are mounted, they ought to 

 have the body almost horizontal, and the neck in 

 the form of an S. 



