56 



Guide to Taxidermy 



the shape of the body you removed as you can, try 

 it in your bird and draw the skin over it on the 

 breast ; if the edges meet readily, the body is all 

 right; if not, do not use it, — make another. The 

 double-pointed wire is to be inserted in the middle 

 of the larger end of the body and pushed clear 

 through beyond the small end, turned over into a 

 hook and drawn back, thus clinching the wire firm- 

 ly in the body and leaving a section protruding 

 from the large end for the neck of the bird. In 

 the case of large birds it is well to use a longer wire 

 and make a hook long enough so you can draw it 

 back clear through the body and make a second 

 clinch. 



Wind a narrow strip of cotton around the neck 

 wire forming it with the fingers so it will be no 

 larger or no longer than the neck that you removed ; 

 then wind it smoothly down with the cops. 



Now holding your bird up by the beak, insert 

 the end of the neck wire through the opening in the 

 belly of your specimen and insinuate it up until the 

 point of the wire reaches the skull. 



The wire should enter the skull from between the 

 lower jaws; by twisting it between the thumb and 

 fingers and pu;shing at the same time, it is forced 

 through the cotton and finally through the top of 

 the skull at a point between the eyes and just back 

 of the upper beak. Push the wire up through the 



