ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 
*293 
you have the hideous spectacle of death in ragged Preserving 
, Birds. 
plumage. - 
Wire is of no manner of use, but, on the contrary, 
a great nuisance ; for where it is introduced, a dis¬ 
agreeable stiffness and derangement of symmetry 
follow. 
The head and neck can be placed in any attitude, 
the body supported, the wings closed, extended or 
elevated, the tail depressed, raised or expanded, the 
thighs set horizontal or oblique, without any aid from 
wire. Cotton will effect all this. 
A veiy small proportion of the skull bone, say, 
from the forepart of the eyes to the bill, is to be left 
in; though even this is not absolutely necessary. 
Part of the wing-bones, the jaw-bones, and half of 
the thigh-bones, remain. Every thing else, flesh, 
fat, eyes, bones, brains, and tendons, are all to be 
taken away. 
While dissecting, it will be of use to keep in General 
mind,—That, in taking off the skin from the body, ^onl" 
by means of your fingers and a little knife, you 
must try to shove it, in lieu of pulling it, lest you 
stretch it. 
That, you must press as lightly as possible on the 
bird, and every now and then take a view of it, to 
see that the feathers, &c. are all right. 
That, when you come to the head, you must take 
care that the body of the skin rests on your knee; 
for if you allow it to dangle from your hand, its own 
weight will stretch it too much. 
© 
That, throughout the whole operation, as fast as 
