36 . THE NATURALISI"S GUIDE. 
can mount a bird, after receiving proper instruction ; but 
to make it look lifelike and natural requires constant and 
unceasing study of birds in their native haunts. The true 
art, then, can only be acquired by the earnest student 
of nature. The mere taxidermist, who constantly sits at 
his bench and works on birds without stidying from na- 
ture, may acquire a certain degree of skzl, but the atti- 
tudes of.-many of his stuffed birds will appear awkward and 
grotesque to the naturalist. 
. Therefore I say fo those whu would learn to mount birds 
in natural attitudes, study nature. Have all attitudes that 
every bird assumes engraved , upon the brain, to be repro- 
duced in the stuffed speciinens ; from the one assumed 
by the delicate Warbler, that hops lightly from limb to 
limb, or swings gracefully from the topmost bough of some 
tall.oak, to that of the mighty Eagle in his eager, down- 
ward swoop upon his trembling prey. Watch the scream- 
ing Gull in his almost innumerable positions upon the wing, 
the nimble Sandpiper running ‘along : the shore, ant the 
gracefully floating Duck upon the'water. Afterwatching 
these in their various natural attitudes, work ; Init"do not 
cease to stndy for umproventont, for the work: of man, is yet 
far from being perfect. : pe 
In mounting birds, skin as instructed in the preceding 
section, but do not tie the wing-bones together. Having 
cleaned and dusted the feathers, proceed to fill the neck to 
the natural size, without stretching, with “shorts,” or the 
bran from wheat flour, or with hemp cut fine. Roll up 
some fine grass moderately hard in the shape of an oblong 
body (Plate VIII. Figs. 1, 2), then wind it smoothly with 
thread. This body should he of the same proportionate 
size as the one taken out, although not exactly of the same 
shape, for reasons that will be seen when the bird is 
mounted, but which cannot be easily explained. Have the 
body perfectly smooth, and the curves regular on every part. 
