Jan. 1886.] 
AND OOLOGIST. 3 

Practical Taxidermy. 

BY FRANK B. WEBSTER. 

CHAPTER V.—STUFFING. 
In resuming our work we will first make a suit- 
able stand. For small birds construct a simple 
T, similar in part to the one referred to in Chap- 
ter II. The cross piece should be from two to 
three inches, and the upright from four to six 
inches, made of wood about the diameter of a 
lead pencil, joined by glue and brad. The bot- 
tom should be sharpened. (See fig. 1.) Boring 
a hole in the work table, this can be stuck in and 
taken out at pleasure; alsoin packing birds away 
in boxes, this stand is very easily handled. For 
birds larger than Robins, it will be better to have 
them made with a stand. It is a good plan to 
have an assortment of these made up. For game 
birds, Ducks, Gulls, &c., stands from five to ten 
inches square, and one-half to one inch thick, 
will be found sufficient. The tools we will re- 
quire will be spring stuffers, shears, plyers, wire- 
cutters, fine forceps, needle, bit and cop. 
For a Bluebird, we will use No. 20 wire, and 
after straightening will cut it as follows: One 
piece for body, two for legs, four for wings, one 
for tail. We also require a piece of finer wire to 
use in spreading tail. The best rule I can give 
for lengths is: Body wire, one and one-half 
times length of bird; leg wires, twice width of 
body, length of legs and enough over to fasten 
the bird to perch; wing wires, twice the width 
of body ; tail wire, length of bird. For our Blue- 
bird these will be: Body wire 9 inches, leg 
wires 7 inches, wing wires 3 inches, tail 6 inches. 
A little variation will make no practical differ- 
ence, but it is better to have them too long than 
too short. They are all to be sharp at one end. 
Take the body wire, make two loops in it at a 
distance apart less than the length of body of 
bird. (See fig. 2.) Wind excelsior around this in 
the form of an egg, somewhat less than the size 
of body taken out. Do it firmly, and then wind 
it with cop; next wind tow about it until it is 
fully the size of the body, and again use the cop. 
It should now be a good shape and smooth. (See 
fig. 3.) If the body is made of tow entirely it 
will be too soft; the excelsior is also much lighter. 
If the body is for a large bird, after putting on the 
first excelsior wind it with fine wire, (No. 20) and 
then give another layer of the excelsior. The 
wire will be found to make a very firm form, 
which is necessary. The tow being soft makes a 
smooth finish. Many make the body first, then 
pass the wire through it and clinch it; but I pre- 
fer the former, The difference is of no great im- 
portance. Try both ways. Next cut a quantity 
of tow fine, about one inch, and pick it well 
apart. This is for filling. The advantage of cut- 
ting it will be seen in using. (For large birds 
I sometimes cut excelsior and tow and mix them.) 
We now take our skin, holding it by the bill 
with the left hand, pick up a pinch of the filling 
and with stuffers place it in the throat, well up 
in the bill, by the opening from which we took 
the body. Next place some in the skull cavity, 
and more between that already placed. This 
should fill the head out in good shape. Next fill 
the neck fairly full, loosely down to the shoulder. 
(In Herons the neck should be filled rather fuller 
than natural, and then from the outside you can 
press it to the right size. This will make the 
neck hard and it will hold its shape. When done 
be sure you do not leave it too large. Ducks are 
the same. Owls should be filled very loosely). 
Next lay bird on its breast, tail towards you; hold 
the tail quills between the thumb and finger of 
the left hand. With the right hand pass a fine 
wire through each quill at a point under the up- 
per coverts, so as not to show. By sliding the 
quills to right and left on this wire you can give 
the desirable spread. (See fig. 4.) If the bird is a 
large one, with the hand vise force the long 
needle through the quills, which will sometimes 
be found very hard. Drawing the needle out 
you can easily substitute your wire. Another 
way which works nicely when the feathers are 
too fine to be wired, is to clamp the tail with fine 
wire, say No. 20 to 24. (See fig. 5.) Now turn 
the bird on its back; pass the leg wire through 
the foot, up the leg between the bone and outside 
skin, past the joint to the inside of body skin. 
Drawing out leg bone the wire will run with it, 
and wind cotton around both bone and wire till 
itis the same size as the natural leg was. For 
large birds use wire and tie it around; draw the 
leg back in place, leaving the wire a little longer 
than the bone, so that the joint can be seen. 
Proceed in like manner with the other leg. Next 
take the body; run the long wire end up through 
the neck (center of filling) and through the skull, 
the point passing out through the skin at the top 
of the head between the eyes. Push the body in 
till it occupies the place of the natural one. Next 
take the leg, press the wire point just behind the 
center of the side. Now by pressing, push the 
wire through the body, and when through, with 
plyers bend it in shape of — and draw back by 
the other end. Slide the leg up on the wire till 
the bone presses against the body. It will then 
be held in proper place. Do the same with the 
other leg. This is very important; if not in 
proper place and firm, the bird will not balance 
