,324 ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 



other in nicest order ; and that, where this 

 charming harmony is interrupted, the defect, 

 though not noticed by an ordinary spectator, will 

 appear immediately to the eye of a naturalist. 

 Thus, a bird riot wounded, and in perfect 

 feather, must be procured if possible ; for the 

 loss of feathers can seldom be made good ; and 

 where the deficiency is great, all the skill of the 

 artist will avail him little in his attempt to conceal 

 the defect ; because, in order to hide it, he must 

 contract the skin, bring down the upper feathers, 

 and shove in the lower ones, which would throw 

 all the surrounding parts into contortion. 



You will also observe, that the whole of the 

 skin does not produce feathers, and that it is 

 very tender where the feathers do not grow. The 

 bare parts are admirably formed for expansion 

 about the throat and stomach ; and they fit into 

 the different cavities of the body at the wings, 

 shoulders, rump, and thighs, with wonderful 

 exactness ; so that in stuffing the bird, if you 

 make an even rotund surface of the skin, where 

 these cavities existed, in lieu of reforming them, 

 all symmetry, order, and proportion are lost for 

 ever. 



You must lay it down as an absolute rule, 

 that the bird is to be entirely skinned, otherwise 

 you can never succeed in forming a true and 

 pleasing specimen. 



You will allow this to be just, after reflecting 



