78 TAXIDERMY, 



take advantage of them by any of the methods we 

 have previously described; however, when the 

 birds are interesting for science, or they are want- 

 ing in our collections, it would be mortifying to 

 lose them. The only part which remains to be 

 taken, is to make the bird feather by feather, in the 

 following manner. 



We choose a piece of twice-burnt iron wire*, of 

 a length proportioned to that of the bird ; we make 

 an oval at one end, and roll some flax over the 

 wire, giving it the form of an oblong silk or fringe 

 bobbin, or rather imitating the size and form of the 

 body of the bird we wish to re-make ; we must, from 

 time to time put some flour paste on the flax. The 

 oval ought to be hid in the middle of the flax, and 

 the piece of wire destined for the head ought to pass 

 through one of the ends of this false body. To 

 form the neck, we turn some flax round the iron. 

 Having attained the proper size, we raise the neck 

 from the breast, narrow the back towards the mid- 

 dle, in short, give the false body the form of a bird 

 in feather. All this is clone without difficulty by 

 pressing the flax, whilst it is damp with the paste ; 

 and when we are contented with the form of our 

 false body, we dry it by the fire, or in the sun. 



* The wire which we buy with the polish on, is not suffi- 

 ciently pliant, but snaps in bending ; we make it thoroughly 

 hot in the fire, and on its cooling we find it has become per* 

 fectly elastic. 



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