122 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



Next take tTie body wire, also sliarpened at botli ends, and a 

 little longer than you require, and at a sufficient distance from 

 one end fomi with the pliers a loop similar to Fig. 1 (p. 18), 

 so that it comes about the centre of the projected body; one 

 end will thus be much longer from the loop than the other. Run 

 one end (the longest) right up the body to come out at the crown 

 of the head (the head itself being previously stuffed), push it 

 through a sufficient distance, so that the looped end falls within 

 the incision of the skin ; so soon as it is passed inside pull the 

 looped end down, and push its point through the root of the 

 tail ; the loop should now, if accurately calculated, come just in 

 the centre of the body incision. Pack underneath the wire at all 

 points with little pieces of finely cut tow, not forgetting the neck. 

 The wire should now be protected from touching the bird on its 

 underside. Now take the leg wires, point them and pass them 

 up the legs as before described ; when they appear within the 

 skin by the side of the legs, push the ends of each one through 

 the little loop on the body wire, and by the aid of the small 

 pliers and your finger and thumb twist them tightly up or down 

 the main wire. If properly done, the bird should be capable of 

 being lifted by one leg wire and should feel perfectly stiff and 

 fii-m. Proceed by the addition of cut tow to gradually form the 

 body, which, when aiTanged to your liking, sew up. 



This, in contradistinction to the other method, is called the 

 soft body, and is not a plan which I at all recommend. Some- 

 times a cork is pushed on at the main or body wire to act in the 

 place of the loop ; the leg wires are then pushed through and 

 clenched on the other side, and the skin is filled with cut tow as 

 before. 



Another system of forming an artificial body for a bird is by 

 means of "peat."* Having provided yourself with one of these 

 bricks of peat, you cut it with a sharp knife to as near the 

 shape required as possible, having the natural body before you 

 as a guide, finally inserting it in the bird. 



My objection to the use of peat for this purpose is, first, the 

 dust and dirt caused by the waste pieces ; and, secondly, the 

 fact that birds mounted on this system have a tendency to look 



* " Peat ' ' iis compressed vegetable fibre cut from old bogs, and is sold by the dealers, in 

 dried cakes about 1 foot long by 6 inches by 2 inches. 



