ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 273 



bone, has been cut away. Now, as this bone never 

 moved perpendicularly to the body, but on the contrary 

 in an oblique direction, of course, as soon as it is cut 

 off, the remaining part of the thigh and leg, having 

 nothing now to support them obliquely, must naturally 

 fall to their perpendicular. Hence the reason why the 

 legs appear considerably too long. To correct this, 

 take your needle and thread, fasten the end round the 

 bone inside, and then push the needle through the skin 

 just opposite to it. Look on the outside, and after 

 finding the needle amongst the feathers, tack up the 

 thigh under the wing with several strong stitches. 

 This will shorten the thigh, and render it quite capable 

 of supporting the weight of the body without the help 

 of wire. This done, take out every bit of cotton, ex- 

 cept the artificial thighs, and adjust the wing-bones 

 (which are connected by the thread) in the most even, 

 manner possible, so that one joint does not appear to, 

 lie lower than the other ; for unless they are quite 

 equal, the wings themselves will be unequal, when you 

 come to put them in their proper attitude. Here then 

 rests the shell of the poor hawk, ready to receive, from 

 your skill and judgment, the size, the shape, the features 

 and expression it had, ere death, and your dissecting 

 hand, brought it to its present still and formless state. 

 The cold hand of death stamps deep its mark upon 

 the prostrate victim. When the heart ceases to beat, 

 and the blood no longer courses through the veins, the 

 features collapse, and the whole frame seems to shrink 

 within itself. If then you have formed your idea of 

 the real appearance of the bird from a dead specimen, 

 you will be in error. With this in mind, and at the 

 same time forming your specimen a trifle larger than 

 T 



