SPREADING TAILS, ETC. 89 
curves particularly about the head, neck and breast. The 
thread should be left on till the bird is perfectly dry; it 
may then be unwound or cut off, and the pins withdrawn. 
When a particular patch of skin is out of place, it may often 
be pulled into position and pinned there. You need not be 
afraid of sticking pins in anywhere; they may be buried in the 
plumage and left there, or withdrawn when the skin is dry. 
Tn addition to the main stuffing, a little is often required in 
particular places. As for the legs, they should be filled out 
in all such cases as I indicated earlier in this chapter; 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 hereto- 
fore directed, or by putting in pledgets of cotton from the out- 
side. A little nice stuffing is generally 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 torun a pointed wire 
through the quills, near their base, where the wire will 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 applicable 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 card-board, with the ends 
tied together. This holds the feathers until they dry in posi- 
tion, 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 necessary to make a 
bird’s toes grasp a support by tying them down to it till they 
