66 FIELD ORNITHOLOGY parti 



places. As for the legs, they should be filled out in all such cases 

 as I indicated earlier in this section ; small birds require no such 

 stuffing. It is necessary to fill out the eyes so that the lids rest 

 naturally ; it may be done as heretofore directed, or by putting in 

 pledgets of cotton from the outside. A little nice stuffing is gener- 

 ally required about the upper throat. 



To stuff a bird with spread wings requires a special process, in 

 most cases. The wings are to be wired, exactly as directed for the 

 legs ; they may then be placed in any shape. But with most small 

 birds, and those with short wings, simple pinning in the half-spread 

 position indicating fluttering will suffice ; it is readily accomplished 

 with a long, slender insect pin. I have already spoken of fixing 

 the tail by pinning or wiring the pope's-nose to the tow body; 

 it may be thus fixed at any desired elevation or depression. There 

 are two ways of spreading the tail. One is to run a pointed wire 

 through the quills, near their base, where the wire wUl be hidden 

 by the coverts ; each feather may be set at any required distance 

 from the next by sliding it along this wire. This method is appli- 

 cable to large birds ; for small ones the tail may be fixed with the 

 desired spread by enclosing it near its base in a split match, or two 

 slips of cardboard, with the ends tied together. This holds the 

 feathers until they dry in position, when it is to be taken off. 

 Crests may be raised, spread, and displayed on similar principles. 

 A small crest, like that of a cardinal or cherry bird, for instance, 

 may be held up till it dries in position by sticking in behind it a 

 pin with a little ball of cotton on its head. It is sometimes neces- 

 sary to make a bird's toes grasp a support by tying them down to 

 it till they dry. The toes of waders that do not lie evenly on the 

 surface of the stand may be tacked down with small brads. The 

 bill may be pinned open or shut, as desired, by the method already 

 given. 



Substitution of an artificial eye for the natural one is essential 

 for the good looks of a specimen. Glass eyes, of all sizes and 

 colours, may be purchased at a moderate cost. The pupil is always 

 black ; the iris varies. You will, of course, secure the proper colour 

 if it is known, but if not, put in a dark brown or black eye. It is 

 well understood that this means nothing ; it is purely conventional. 

 Yellow is probably the next most common colour ; then come red, 

 white, blue, and green, perhaps approximately in this order of 

 frequency. But do not use these striking colours at haphazard; 

 sacrificing truth, perhaps, to looks. Eyes are generally inserted 

 after the specimen is dry. Eemove a portion of the cotton from 

 the orbit, and moisten the lids till they are perfectly pliable ; fix 

 the eye in with putty or wet plaster of Paris, making sure that the 

 lids are naturally adjusted over it. It goes in obliquely, like a 



