. LARGE HEADED BIRDS. 73 
that the leg-muscles do not form a cylinder, but a cone; let 
the wrapping taper naturally from top to bottom. Attention 
to this point is necessary for all large or medium sized birds 
with naturally prominent legs. The large 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 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, economize 
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. 
§39. SHapr. Some special configurations have been noticed 
in the last paragraph, prematurely perhaps, but leading di- 
rectly up to further considerations respecting shape of certain 
birds as-a modifying element in the process of preparation. 
As .for skinning, there is one extremely important matter. 
Most ducks, many woodpeckers, flamingoes, and doubtless 
some others, with which I am not familiar, 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 (in- 
side 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 
