1 88 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



the wire at the sole of the foot, pass it up the skin at the back 

 of the leg, and, holding it firmly at the tarso-meta-tarsal joint — 

 where the point of the wire will endeavour to break out, but 

 must be repressed, — continue past that and get the wire up 

 through the tow, or at the back of the wrapped tibio-tarsus, 

 until it appears within the body. Now slip the artificial body 

 out of the skin at the lower part, and observe where the 

 distal ^ end of the artificial femur appears ; thrust into 

 and through the body the point of the wire, and, clenching it 

 on the opened side, bring the proximal end of the tibio-tarsus 

 against the end of the artificial femur, and bend the wire so 

 that the leg lies naturally. Probably to do this the leg will 

 have to be drawn up or down the wire. If the toes and legs 

 are dry, or any difficulty occurs in getting the wire up, the 

 leg-drill (No. 20) must be used to prepare the way. 



Now re-insert the body, do the same thing with the leg on 

 the opened side, and, after bringing it against the femur, which 

 is easily seen through the opening, make it fast by the aid of 

 the pliers wherever most convenient. A professional would 

 doubtless get it through to the other side and fix it by touch, 

 but, as a learner would be more than likely to rip the skin in 

 attempting this, he must be content to make it fast where he 

 can. The bird may now be roughly set up in position, and 

 the ninth wire pushed up through the root of the tail into the 

 artificial body without being clenched. 



The bird is now ready for fixing upon a stand or perch, 

 which, usually of turned wood, but sometimes of metal or ivory 

 for exhibition purposes, is replaced for actual work by a roughly- 

 constructed one. This is invariably either one piece of wood 

 nailed end-ways upon another, or a T-shaped piece, but, the 



^ Proximal is that end of a limb or bone nearest to the body or to the point of 

 attachment, whilst distal is that end most remote, a familiar example, and one to be 

 easily remembered, being that the upper bone of the arm — i.e. the humerus — has its 

 proximal extremity at the shoulder, and its distal extremity at the elbow. 



