Jee sh. 
46 OF MOUNTING BIRDS, FEATHER BY FEATHER. 
hangers ; or take some of the ordinary wire used, and make it 
red-hot in the fire, and allow it to cool gradually, when it will 
become quite pliable. Take five pieces of this, of different 
lengths; and form them into the skeleton of a body ; namely, 
two for the back, one on each side, and one to represent the 
breast-bone. Imitate the shape of the bird’s body, as nearly as 
possible. The wires must be roughened with a file, at the place 
where all the wires meet, at the neck and rump; and first wrap 
the place next the neck round with strong thread or fine brass 
wire. The two pieces intended for the back must bend gently 
downwards, and be gradually separated from each other to 
wards the centre, and brought together again at the place in 
tended for the rump, whither they must intersect each other, | 
and be twisted two or three times, to keep them in their place ; 
they are then spread out as supports for the tail; the side 
pieces are next formed, so as to represent the natural bulge of 
a bird’s body, and attached to the rump ; the piece representing 
the breast is then formed, joined at the rump, and afterwards 
continued as long as the other tail-pieces, to support the centre 
of the tail ; while at the front extremity a piece is left, for the 
purpose of forming a neck to which to attach the head. Two 
leg-wires are attached to the side-wires, by being rolled 
round them for several turns. These will be better understood 
from the following figures. No. 1]. is a profile of the skeleton 
wire body, and No. 2. a section of it viewed from above. 
A fier this body has been properly formed, it must be wrapped 
round with tow-sliver (see Articles used in Stuffing), and the 
neck thickened to its required dimensions. When this is ac- 
complished, the head, legs, wings, and tail are softened in the 
usual manner; the eyes are then fixed in with some cotton 
-ntroduced into the orbits, with a little of the cement. The wings 
and tail are now placed on a table, with a flat leaden weight 
