HUMPING. 



97 



thumbs those of the left hand gripping just on the head side of the 

 middle part of the feathers ; those of the right close to their tying point. 

 The wrists, at first elevated to the top of the dotted curve in the 

 diagram, are now slowly depressed, and the fore-fingers and thumbs of 

 the respective hands, at first touching each other at the side edges of 

 their nails, draw wider and wider from each other, as if hinged at their 



extreme points. 



I-.. 



- . 



HUMPING THE WINGS. 



The peculiar pressure necessary is given harder at the top of the 

 wings with the right hand than below them, whilst the lower part of the 

 wings in the left hand is held firmer than the upper part. Accordingly 

 the roots covered by the tying-silk slightly yield to the pressure, with the 

 result that the fibres now poise from the head in a more upright line of 

 direction. See if it is necessary to repeat the process ; but if all has 

 gone well, permanently tie the wings down in the following manner : 



Kelease from " Make off" ; hold silk taut, carefully unwind the three 

 last turns, and bind down in the ordinary way with four fresh turns, 

 headwards ; at each turn use STOP against both the tying-silk and the 

 fibres to prevent them shifting as you pull. Put silk in CATCH. Cut off 

 roots of fibres, pointing scissors tailwards, as before explained, to form 

 taper ; touch with varnish, release silk ; finish by binding on in close 

 turns headwards, and then back. Put silk in CATCH on reaching the last 

 turn but one tailwards, varnish silk as usual, and tie with a half-hitch (see 



H 



