i8o TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



refractory, bind.it with hemp; but this should be used as sparingly 

 as possible for a skin, and, indeed, not at, all when practice has 

 made perfect. J>Jo. notice need be taken of the femora when 

 making a skin, and, therefore, the artificial body will be a 

 pear-shaped object, and not so full as shown in Fig. 5, Plate IX. 

 Taking the artificial body in the right hand, raise the bird's 

 skin with the left, and, having cleared the orifice of the neck 

 with the tool No. 17, or by blowing up it — which may be done 

 with a blowpipe, — insert the point of the wire, followed by the 

 artificial neck, into the palatal part of the skull, and, if possible, 

 without the end of the wire being sharpened ; then, with a little 

 dexterity, the whole of the body may be inserted into the skin, 

 the breast feathers brought over the breast of the artificial body, 

 and the tail into contact with its apex. Turn the skin over, 

 settle the wings in proper position, get the feathers around 

 those parts generally, and the whole of the back into good order, 

 using the flat-nosed pliers No. 14, the awl No. 26 or 37, and 

 the brush No. 19, to aid this process, and further, to prevent 

 the wings dropping, secure them in position by passing long 

 pins through them into the false body. 



With care the bird may now be turned over, and rested 

 either upon a strip of soft paper or within the trough used for 

 shaping skins. The latter is simply a piece of board with two 

 sides of any height according to the size of the " skin," but in 

 this case of about two and a half inches, over which is tacked 

 a piece of " strawboard " (a common and cheap kind of card- 

 board) in a concave position as described by an American writer.^ 

 In this trough, in which a thin layer of wadding should be 

 placed, the . bird rests breast uppermost, and that part now 

 requires attention. The feathers must be finally settled in 

 position, brought over the. butts of the wings, and neatly 

 arranged upon the breasts and sides, the legs just crossed and 



' Batty, Practical Taxidermy. 



