MOUNTING BIRDS. 
463 
Mounting Birds. 
From the following paragraphs and illustrations you may learn how to wire and 
stutl a bird, but when this is clearly understood you will find that only continued 
practice, perseverance and great patience will enable you to give specimens graceful 
and lite-like attitudes. If your early efforts are failures, as tliej^ most likely will be, 
do not get discouraged. 
When a bird has been skinned, poisoned, turned right side out and soiled feathers 
have been cleaned, it is ready to be mounted. First cut four pieces of wire of the 
proper size;* one, for the head and neck should be longer than both body and neck,' 
two for the legs, and twice their length, and one for tail, the free end of this last 
wire when its other end is fastened in the body, should reach to, at least, the middle 
oi the tail. Take a file and make a sharp point on one end of each of these wires. 
Curl up the blunt end of the neck piece, and wrap tow around it until you have a firm 
solid mass, a little smaller—never larger—but the same shape as the natural body, 
which should belaid before you as a guide. Wrap tow or cotton around the wire 
until an artificial neck is made—the same length (no longer) and thickness of the 
natural neck. 
When making the neck and body wrap them with thread to hold tow in place and 
keep the surface smooth. 
NECK A VI) BODY SHOWING POSITION OK WIRES. 
A. Wing-wire clinched. B. Leg-wire clinched. C. Leg-wire 
clinched on opposite side. 
Partially fill the eye sockets j and skull with fine tow. Lay the bird on its back, 
the tail pointing to your body, and the belly-opening spread as wide as possible ; 
‘Small, but always sufficiently strong (thick), to support tho bird s weight without bending : the neck 
and tail wires may be a little smaller than leg wifes. which should be just large enough to go up the back 
of the tarsi without breaking their covering. 
f Some taxidermists till the skull with tine chopped tow and the eye sockets with soft clay or putty and 
et eyes in position before turning skin right side out. 
