62 FIELD ORNITHOLOGY part i 



middle line of the body up through the neck and out at the top of 

 the head, is immovably joined behind with two pieces, one passing 

 through each leg ; around this naked forked frame soft stuffing is 

 introduced, bit by bit, tiU the proper contour of the skin is secured. 

 I have seen very pretty work of this kind, particularly on small 

 birds ; but I consider it much more difficult to secure satisfactory 

 results in this way than by hard stuffing, and I shall therefore con- 

 fine attention to the latter. This method is applicable to all birds, 

 is readily practised, facilitates setting of the wings, arranging of the 

 plumage, and giving of any desired attitude. In hard stuffing, you 

 make a firm ball of tow rolled upon a wire of the size and shape of 

 the bird's body and neck together ; you introduce this whole, after- 

 wards running in the leg wires and clinching them immovably in 

 the mass of tow. 



Having your empty skin in good shape, as already described, 

 cut three pieces of wire of the right ^ size ; one piece somewhat 

 longer than the whole bird, the other pieces two or three times as 

 long as the whole leg of the bird. File one end of each piece to a 

 fine sharp point; try to secure a three -edged cutting point like 

 that of a surgical needle, rather than the smooth punching point 

 of a sewing-needle, as the former perforates more readily. Have 

 these wires perfectly straight.^ Bend a small portion of the unfiled 

 end of the longer wire irregularly upon itself, as a convenient 

 nucleus for the ball of tow.^ Take fine clean tow, in loose dossils, 

 and wrap it round and round the wire nucleus, till you make a firm 

 ball, of the size and shape of the bird's body and neck. Study the 

 contour of the skinned body : notice the swelling breast-muscles, 

 the arch of the lower back, the hollow between the forks of the 

 merrythought into which the neck, when naturally curved, sinks. 

 Everything depends upon correct shaping of the artificial body ; if 

 it be misshapen, no art can properly adjust the skin over it. Firm- 

 ness of the tow ball and accurate contour may both be secured by 

 wrapping the mass with sewing thread, loosening here, tightening 

 there, till the shape is satisfactory. Be particular to secure a smooth 

 surface ; the skin in drying will shrink close to the stuffing, dis- 

 closing its irregularities, if there be any, by the maladjustment of 

 the plumage that will ensue. Observe especially that the neck, 

 though the direct continuation of the backbone, dips at its lower 



1 The right size is the smallest that will support the whole weight of the stuffing 

 and skin without tending, when a piece is introduced into each leg. If using too 

 thick wire, you may have trouble in thrusting it through the legs, or may burst the 

 tarsal envelope. 



2 If accidentally kinky, the finer sizes of wire may be readily straightened by 

 draiving strongly upon them so as to stretch them a little. Heavier wire must be 

 hammered out straight. 



2 Cotton will not do at all ; it is too soft and elastic, and moreover will not allow 

 of the leg wires being thrust into it and there clinched. 



