MOUNTING BIRDS. 
75 
ments of the required eye in hundredths of an 
inch. A good colored eye should not, in my opin- 
ion, have too much clear or flint glass in front of 
the pupil. This should be thinner and thus flatter, 
as seen in eyes of German manufacture. In point 
of perfect coloring, French eyes are the best and 
most expressive, but they do not have the requisite 
flatness and the thinness of flint which the German 
eyes possess. English eves may be mentioned as 
third in the catalogue of quality, while America 
must unfortunately come last. The above re- 
marks, however, are true only as regards colored 
eyes, as black eyes are almost always good, no 
matter where manufactured. 
After the bird is placed in the required attitude, 
smooth the feathers with the aid of small tweezers, 
noting that all lines and spots are in their proper 
places. The primary quills should be kept in 
position by clamping with fine wire ; that is, a 
piece of wire should be bent on itself like a hair- 
pin and slipped over the edge of the wing. 
Spread the tail by laying it on the cross-piece of 
wire under it, and clamp it down with a piece of 
very fine wire, which is wound around each end of 
the cross-piece. If the tail is to be spread very 
widely then run a wire through the two outer 
