54 FIELD ORNITHOLOGY part i 



point is necessary for all large or medium-sized birds with naturally 

 prominent legs. The stout finely feathered legs of a hawk, for 

 example, ought to be well displayed ; with these birds, and also 

 with rails, etc., moreover, imitate the bulge of the thigh with a 

 special wad laid inside the skin. Large birds commonly require 

 also a special wad introduced by the mouth, to make the swell of 

 the throat ; this wad should be rather fluffy than firm. As a rule, 

 do not fill out large birds to their natural dimensions ; they take 

 up too much room. Let the head, neck, and legs be accurately 

 prepared, but leave the main cavity one-third if not one-half empty; 

 no more stuffing is required than will fairly smooth out creases in 

 the skin. Reduce bulk rather by flattening out than by general 

 compression. Use tow instead of cotton ; and if at all short of tow, 

 economise with paper, hay, etc., at least for the deeper portions of 

 the main stuffing. Large birds may be set in a great quantity 

 of tow ; wrapped in paper, much like any other parcel ; or simply 

 left to dry on the table, the wings being only supported by 

 cushioning or other suitable means. 



Shape. — Some special configurations have been noticed in the 

 last paragraph, prematurely perhaps, but leading directly up to 

 further considerations respecting shape of certain birds as a modify- 

 ing element in the process of preparation. As for skinning, there 

 is one extremely important matter. Most ducks, many wood- 

 peckers, flamingoes, and some others, cannot be skinned in the 

 usual way, because the head is too large for the calibre of the neck 

 and cannot be drawn through. In such cases, skin as usual to 

 the base of the skull, cut off the head there (inside the skin of 

 course), and operate upon it, after turning the skin right side out, 

 as follows : Part the feathers carefully in a straight line down the 

 back of the skull, make a cut through the skin, just long enough to 

 permit the head to pass, draw out the skull through this opening, 

 and dress it as already directed. Eeturn it, draw the edges of the 

 cut nicely together, and sew up the opening with a great many fine 

 stitches. Simple as it may appear, this process is often embar- 

 rassing, for the cut has an unhappy tendency to wander about the 

 neck, enlarging itself even under the most careful manipulation; 

 while the feathers of the parts are usually so short that it is difii- 

 cult to efi'ace all traces of the operation. I consider it very dis- 

 agreeable ; but for ducks I know of no alternative. I have, however, 

 found out a way to avoid it with woodpeckers, excepting the very 

 largest ; it is this : Before skinning, part the eyelids, and plunge the 

 scalpel right into the eyeball ; seize the cut edge of the ball wth 

 the forceps, a,nd pull the eye right out. It may be dexterously done 

 without spilling the eye-water on the plumage ; but, for fear of this, 

 previously put a little gypsum on the spot. Throw arsenic into the 



