Guide to Taxidermy 



55 



shop, and often at a grocery or furniture store. 



6. A ball of cotton twine and a cop ; the latter 

 is composed of fine soft cotton thread such as is 

 used in a cotton mill. Your supply dealer can fur- 

 nish them. 



7. An awl for boring holes in the perches for 

 the leg wires to go through. 



Mounting 



We will suppose that you have your specimen be- 

 fore you. Skin it, poison the skin, turn it back and 

 smooth the feathers as explained in the instruction* 

 for skinning, and remove every vestige of blood or 

 stain from the feathers by means of the water, 

 sawdust and plaster treatment given in the process 

 for making a bird skin. 



You will want four wires nine or ten inches in 

 length, and if your specimen is a jay, number 18 

 will be the correct size. Sharpen one of these 

 wires on both ends and the others on one only. 



Take a small wad of excelsior or tow, compress 

 it in the hands to about the size of the original 

 body and wind it firmly with the cotton twine, turn- 

 ing the body and shaping it with the hands as you 

 wind. Don't be afraid of using the string; make 

 the body fairly firm; and above all do not get it 

 larger than the original. Having gotten it as near 



