ON PRESERVING BIRDS. 
303 
While the bird is drying, take it out, and replace it 
in its position once every day. Then if you see that 
any part begins to shrink into disproportion, you 
can easily remedy it. 
The small covert feathers of the wings are apt to 
rise a little, because the skin will come in contact 
w r ith the bone which remains in the wing. Pull 
gently the part that rises, with your finger and thumb, 
for a day or two. Press the feathers down. The 
skin will adhere no more to the bone, and they will 
cease to rise. 
Every now and then touch and retouch all the 
different parts of the features, in order to render 
them distinct and visible, correcting at the same 
time any harshness, or unnatural risings, or sinkings, 
flatness, or rotundity. This is putting the last 
finishing; hand to it. 
In three or four davs the feet lose their natural 
«/ 
elasticity, and the knees begin to stiffen. When 
you observe this, it is time to give the legs any angle 
you wish, and arrange the toes for a standing posi¬ 
tion, or curve them to your finger. If you wish to 
set the bird on a branch, bore a little hole under 
each foot, a little way up the leg; and having fixed 
two proportional spikes on the branch, you can, in 
a moment, transfer the bird from your finger to 
it, and from it to your finger, at pleasure. 
When the bird is quite dry, pull the thread out of 
the knees, take away the needle, &c. from under the 
bill, and all is done. In lieu of being stiff with 
wires, the cotton will have given a considerable 
Preserving 
Birds 
