Guide to Taxidermy 



57 



skull until the cotton wound part reaches the skull. 

 The body will now perfectly fit in that of the skin 

 and the neck will be about the proper length. 



Wiring the Le^s 



Insert the pointed end of one of your wires in 

 the middle of the sole of one foot; by twisting it 

 between the thumb and fingers you can readily force 

 it up to the second joint, which corresponds to our 

 ankle. The wire should pass through the back part 

 of the leg under the skin. When you have reached 

 the ankle joint, bend the joint forward so the tar- 

 sus and tibia will be in a straight line and hold it 

 there with the left hand, while with the right you 

 bore the wire up past the joint. This is easily done 

 usually the first attempt. 



Holding the skin away from the body, push the 

 leg bone through its opening until you have it 

 turned conijaletely inside out, the same as when you 

 first skinned it; now force the wire up until it ex- 

 tends i^erhaps a half-inch beyond the end of the 

 leg bone ; secure the bones to the wire by winding a 

 small piece of cotton about both, shaping it so as 



