How to Stuff Birds and Animals

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ke matter without manner, of little avail alone. For attitude, I would say, as has been said to many a young artist, go to Nature, and there you will find an original in perfection. Would you make a willow-wren look like a willow-wren, watch him as he there hangs upon the weepin

PINNE

d in fig. 17. The bird should then be thoroughly dried, by placing it in an airy situation, if in Summer; or if in Winter, near the fire, but not so close as to affect the natural oil contained in the feathers. The want of proper attention in drying ruin

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as possible, with the wire cutting pincers elsewhere shown. It must then be attached to a circular, or other shaped piece of wood, with the

tself to the thing on which it rests? Assuredly it does; for birds do not, as a young bird-stuffer endeavors to do, find always a perch to rest upon in the plane of the horizon. It therefore follows that, as he keeps himself upright, his legs must accommodate themselves to his perch. So in the g

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, like the swift, or perhaps some of the terns or the frigate bird, may be represented as actually on the wing. In this case, of course, the wings must be spread; and this is best done by passing a wire, not too thick, from the base of the quill-feathers on the under side alongside the bone into the body, where it should be carefully and coaxingly inserted towards the tail until you f

l scarcely appear to touch, if managed adroitly. It is likewise indispensable that a bird for a shade should be stuffed so well as to look nicely in all positions. One thing must always be remembered, do not have your case a shade too large, just clear the object so as not to stint it for room; and in flat cases this applies chiefly to depth, for it should have suffici

ither by screwing from below, from above, or gluing with stout glue, or by passing wire through two holes in the bottom of the case and the wood, and clinching above. In this case, or in screwing from below, let the wire or the screw into the wood, and putty over, and so if the bird is represented standing. The bird being fixed, the next thing is the decorating or "weeding," as it is technically called, and here we enter upon a subject so entirely of taste and fancy, that no fixed rules, as to the disposition, can in all cases be given. One rule applies equally to this as to landscape painting, viz., that there should always be a compensation of objects. That is, if you have a turf of grass on one side wh

plants fade, being more or less succulent, and hence a little common water-color with gum will be used with advantage and look less artificial than oil paint, which is often used. Fern looks very pretty as an adjunct for heath-birds, but it should be dried gradually and carefully, when quite full grown, and a small touch of light green, permanent white forming a portion of it, will give it a freshness and more natural appearance. Grass in seed (not in flower) of various kinds is also a very pretty addition; but bird preservers have a ha

herbage upon which it is meant to rest should be touched all over with paste, not glue, and the white mixture shaken over and left to dry. What will heighten the effect very much, if prettily executed, is a black landscape with a dark leaden sky and nearly black earth mingled with moss. To represent water, a small piece of looking-glass, surrounded with moss, etc., answers very well. The bills and legs of birds should be always varnished, and where the natural color fades after death it should be restored by a thin coat of oil-color of the required shade. The bird being fixed and the case garnished, nothing remains but to put in the glass; this is in three pieces, one for the front and a piece at each end. This can be pasted in with very strong pape

MOUNTING D

ting up of skins which have been preserved b

ffing recent specimens. There are, however, some

ceps, and from the neck with a small piece of wire, twisted or hooked at the end. Having finished this, small balls of wet cotton are placed in the orbits of the eyes, and the legs and feet are wrapped round with wet cotton or linen

ness of the legs, to get the wire to penetrate. Having proceeded so far as to get the bird generally formed, the wings are next adjusted; this also is frequently difficult, owing to the stiffness of the tendons and want of proper atten

rs are separated, they are softened with damp cloths, and then wrapped up with bands of sheet lead, to give them a proper set. When we have got them in their natural shape, they must be fixed to the sides by cement and cotton, and a long pin through each, with the head concealed amongst th

ace them in their proper situations with a pair of forceps, after they have been touched on their shafts with th

got a wrong set, the only way to remedy the defect is to p

BIRDS, FEATH

that it is impossible to mount them by the ordinary process above described. The only way in which they can

e where all the wires meet, at the neck and rump; and first wrap the place next the neck round with strong thread or fine brass wire. Two pieces intended for the back must bend gently downwards, and be gradually separated from each other towards the center, and brought together again at the place intended for the rump, whither they must intersect each other, and be twisted two or three times, to keep them in their place; they are then spread out as supports for the tail; the side-pieces are

in the usual manner; the eyes are then fixed in with some cotton introduced into the orbits, with a little of the cement. The wings and tail are now placed on a table, with a flat leaden weight above each,

t a quantity of cotton with the cement, and, when

ng of cement must be previously laid on, to attach the feathers with. It is proceeded with upwards to the breast, and finally the length of the neck, taking care to put the proper feathers on their respective sides, as the side-feathers have all an inclination to one side. The bird is now turned with the back up, still keeping the head towards the stuffer; and the wi

ort; secondly, all the shafts of the feathers must have a small bit cut off the tip, so as to admit the cement and to give them a firmer hold; and thirdly, that the feathers should a

e, it will become familiar and comparatively easy, although it will always be found a tedious process. We have

species which demand our attention, and which can only be described as regarding that species. It will, however, be impossible fo

ATION O

ate, now exercise their influence as destroyers, and that influence will sooner or later work its ends according to the quality, texture, or color of the object with which it is contending. The feathers are now deprived of two agents, which in a living state

ght or air, so that they continue for a very long period without any sensible difference. There are, however, certain other points which are liable to almost immediate change of color after

ce, as also the combinations for the formation of compound colors. The reddish-brown color mentioned, of which the fold is composed, must be touched by a mixture of the scarlet varnish, with a little powdered burnt umber, and the blue streaks with which it is traversed, colored above with cobalt blue. All the varnish colors have a tende

easily managed with a little caution. Sometimes these hairs are liable t

cted to prevent their being attacked by moths, and their place supplied by some cotton and preservatives. The tendons are extracted by means of a long