Bird Skinning and Mounting. 27 



with a coating of tow. This is easier to put 

 wires through, and is more economical. The 

 tow body must be as near the size of the natural 

 body as possible, if anything a trifle smaller, on 

 no account larger. In order to be more accurate, 

 I generally keep the body of the bird skinned, on 

 my table, and while winding. compare the arti- 

 ficial body with this until it is perfected. In 

 this way a better shaped and firmer body is pro- 

 duced. Be careful that you do not get the body 

 too soft (you cannot get it too hard), or w r hen 

 you come to set up your bird it will be too weak 

 to stand on its legs ; the wires w T ill have nothing 

 to clinch and hold to. Now take a bit of cotton, 

 and with the forceps introduce into the eye- 

 socket through the neck. Repeat on the other 

 side. Fill up the cavity between the mandibles 

 and the space in the cranium with finely cut 

 tow. Unless you are making a " skin," this had 

 better be done directly after poisoning the skin, 

 before turning the head through the neck. Now 

 as to the neck. Some say, " Fill out gently with 

 chopped tow." I prefer to wind the wire, A, 

 for a short distance, with a bit of tow. To make 



