MOUNTING BIRDS. 75 



ments of the required eye in hundredths of an 

 inch. A good colored eye should not, in my opin- 

 ion, have too much clear or flint glass in front of 

 the pupil. This should be thinner and thus flatter, 

 as seen in eyes of German manufacture. In point 

 of perfect coloring, French eyes are the best and 

 most expressive, but they do not have the requisite 

 flatness and the thinness of flint which the German 

 eyes possess. English eyes may be mentioned as 

 third in the catalogue of quality, while America 

 must unfortunately come last. The above re- 

 marks, however, are true only as regards colored 

 eyes, as black eyes are almost always good, no 

 matter where manufactured. 



After the bird is placed in the required attitude, 

 smooth the feathers with the aid of small tweezers, 

 noting that all lines and spots are in their proper 

 places. The primary quills should be kept in 

 position by clamping with fine wire ; that is, a 

 piece of wire should be bent on itself like a hair- 

 pin and slipped over the edge of the wing. 

 Spread the tail by laying it on the cross-piece of 

 wire under it, and clamp it down with a piece of 

 very fine wire, which is wound around each end of 

 the cross-piece. If the tail is to be spread very 

 widely then run a wire through the two outer 



