TAXIDERMY. 115 



fit the substance they embrace ; this circle, formed 

 by the wire, makes the diameter of the eye, and the 

 wire thus prepared is like a racket ; we fix the han- 

 dle of this racket in the round pincers, arid curve 

 the head of it by making it parallel to that of the 

 pincers. We then fill this circle with common 

 enamel, of the colour we think proper, extending 

 it from the circumference to the centre, and when 

 there is a sufficient quantity, that is, nearly the 

 thickness of the iron wire, we press it, whilst it is 

 still in a state of fusion, with the flat pincers, that 

 it may extend equally over the whole circumference. 

 We again put it in the fire to consolidate it ; after 

 which we place the iris, which is a drop of enamel 

 of the proper colour ; we heat this and press it as 

 before, with the flat pincers, and when it is incor- 

 porated with the first enamel, we make the pupil 

 with a drop of black enamel in the centre. When 

 it is melted and incrusted in the iris, we cover both 

 with the glass, and heat them until all the parts are 

 quite smooth, and the glass is equally spread over 

 the whole iris. We place the eye on some warm 

 cinders^ and leave it to cool slowly, without which 

 it is liable to break ; we then take it from the wire, 

 by loosening the latter. This method can only be 

 used for eyes of middling size. 



A third manner of making eyes, which is prefer- 

 #ble to all others, is to blow them, if possible, which 

 is not the case when they are small. For this we 



