ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 
301 
Your close inspection of the eyes of animals, will Preserving 
already have informed you, that the orbit is capable-— 
of receiving a much larger body than that part of 
the eye which appears within it when in life. So 
that, were you to proportion your eye to the size the 
orbit is capable of receiving, it would be far too 
large. Inattention to this, has caused the eyes of 
every specimen, in the best cabinets of natural 
history, to be out of all proportion. To prevent 
this, contract the orbit, by means of a very small 
delicate needle and thread, at that part of it farthest 
from the beak. This may be done with such nicety, 
that the stitch cannot be observed ; and thus you 
have the artificial eye in true proportion. 
After this, touch the bill, orbits, feet, and former 
oil-gland at the root of the tail, with the solution, 
and then you have given to the hawk every thing 
necessary, except attitude, and a proper degree of 
elasticity, two qualities very essential. 
Procure any common ordinary box, fill one end 
of it, about three-fourths up to the top, with cotton, 
forming a sloping plane. Make a moderate hollow 
in it to receive the bird. Now take the hawk in 
your hands, and, after putting the wings in order, 
place it in the cotton, with its legs in a sitting pos¬ 
ture. The head will fall down. Never mind. 
Get a cork, and run three pins into the end, just 
like a three-legged stool. Place it under the bird’s 
bill, and run the needle, which you formerly fixed 
there, into the head of the cork. This will support 
the bird’s head admirably. If you wish to lengthen 
