ON THE PLACING AND WINDING OF BIEDS’ FEATIIEKS. 
45 
alike, tlie wires serving as a guide. The thread can be hronght 
down with the required pressure as the feathers demand and if 
the bird has been properly tilled and the entire interior mechan- 
ical work made uniform there will be no difficulty in making a 
smooth and well shaped bird. 
Now, suppose we have all the back and belly wires adjusted 
and ready to wind. One end of the thread is fastened to a wire, 
and the threads brought down on the wings, tirst rounding them 
out neatly and somewdiat full in the outline. Botli wings should 
have the same number of threads and generally in the same 
places. Then the outline of the back is brought out, then the 
belly and breast, then the neck with its double and single ciii'ves, 
then the head is wound, if necessary, and more pins used to 
siipjiort the thread and keep it from pressing down wdiere not 
required. Lastly the rump is wound, and should any of 
the feathers of either place be stubborn, take pins and thin card 
board and bring them in place. Yery often the feathers in front 
and at the sides and between the legs trouble one. This is due 
to many causes. One of the principal ones is the improper 
disposition of the legs, that is to say, where they enter the body. 
The tibia bone must in nearl}? eveiy case be half cut away, and 
the skin of the leg slid down on it so that the artificial leg comes 
close to the well formed artificial body, which must not be made 
too wide, or difficulty will be experienced. 
Should the legs be too long and not placed in the body at the 
correct angle, the feathers of the legs and tliose immediately in 
front of them will stand out and not lie smoothly. 
One of the best teachers I can recommend is a dead bird, a 
quail or similar bird whose feather-patches are equally wmll 
defined. Take it and with close study examine the manner in 
which the feathers fold over and cover the bare spaces. Move 
the legs, wings and neck in every direction, and observe the nice 
adaptation of each part and you will soon learn the way the 
feathers must alw^ays be adjusted in order to have them lie 
smooth and even. 
The last thing is to place and spread the tail by pinning two 
strips of card board together, with several pins, and separating 
the quills as they require. 
Birds of different oixiers differ in the quantity and quality of 
feathers and their disposition. Many birds have feathers of a 
