^6 THE TAXIDERMIST'S GUIDE. 



ally the case, bring them into their place, which may be done by 

 putting the fingers under them, and pressing them together over 

 the back; you may then pass a needle, or large pin, of which you 

 should have a good supply by you, through the thick part of the 

 upper wing into the body, and so by the lower wing, and if you 

 allow these to protrude, you may fasten to one of them a piece of 

 thread, and wind it carefully and lightly round the body, which 

 will keep the feathers in their places, and this thread should be 

 kept on for a fortnight or three weeks, until the bird is dry. The 

 tail should be kept in its place, also, for the same time, by a piece 

 of thin wire bent over it, thus : 



Fig. 14. 



The only thing now to do is to put in the eyes. The color, of 

 course, depends on the bird, and these you may buy at any fish- 

 ing-tackle store. If you do not use eyes too large, you will find 

 little difficulty ; the juice of the lids will act as a sufficient cement. 

 As to the mounting, I shall say nothing about that now, but shall 

 only advert shortly to a French method of preserving, which is 

 more difficult, but has the advantage of superior firmness. It is 

 this : Measuring from the insertion of the neck to the tail, make 

 a wire frame of this form, the measure taken being from A to b. 



Fig. 15. 



| Wire Used in French Method. 



Upon this wind hemp for the neck only, and place in the skin in 

 the same way as before directed, only that, instead of one wire 

 being passed through that in which the >tail grows, it is a fork that 

 is passed through it. Having formed this frame, fit on to it two 

 legs, thus : and after the frame itself is in the skin, pass these from 

 the inside down each leg, instead of from the outside, and fasten 

 them on to the frame with the plyers, by twisting the ends, b b, 

 round the frame, c, in the first figure. This will make all firm, and 

 you can then fill the body with cut hemp, and sew up. One word 



