HINTS ON TAXIDERMY. 
29 
of the neck, the other above the rump. These are used for con* 
venience in winding, and can be removed after the specimen is dry. 
The feathers should be placed each in its proper place by means 
of the small forceps. If the eyes are not sufficiently plump a lit¬ 
tle cotton can be inserted through the eyelids, with a small quan¬ 
tity of putty, by which the glass eyes will be more firmly fixed ; 
the latter operation should receive much care, the eye should have 
its natural fullness, and the eyelids should be well rounded. The 
bird should then be bound with thread, wound about the various 
protruding wires. This operation is done to keep the feathers in 
place until they are firmly fixed. A bird should not be allowed to 
dry too quickly, as the skin is then liable to shrink, but it should 
be placed in some dry place, not too warm, where the skin can 
gradually stiffen. When dry remove the thread, pull out the wire3 
upon the back, and with the wire cutters, clip off the remainder 
close to the body. To insure success, the taxidermist should have 
a correct knowledge of the habits of birds, that he may place his 
subject in a position characteristic of the species. The measures 
previously taken will aid in securing accuracy of form. 
Taxidermists, as a general thing, are apt to overstuff their speci¬ 
mens, and the beginner should strive to avoid this. There are 
several attitudes assumed by birds in the living state, which can 
be copied with advantage. To represent a bird in the flying posi¬ 
tion, its wings should be extended as far as possible, the tail placed 
horizontal and well expanded, the neck stretched forward and the 
legs drawn up close to the breast, with the toes closed. The wings 
may be spread by means of pointed wires inserted from the inside 
of the body, up through the wings beneath the skin, as far as the 
carpus, or fore arm. The wire can also be inserted from the out¬ 
side near the joint of the carpus, and be forced down the wing be¬ 
tween the skin and the bone, and thence transversely through the 
artificial body, into which it is fastened by means of a hook. 
These wires should be inserted before the leg wires are placed in 
position, and hooked into the artificial body, as in the former case. 
An interesting attitude is when a bird is about to take flight. In 
this position the body should incline forward, and the wings be 
slightly raised ; this can be accomplished by means of external wires 
placed beneath them, which are allowed to remain until the bird is 
dry. The moment of alarm is a striking position. To express 
this, the one foot must be stretched forward and the other drawn 
