Section I.: Instruments.—The instruments necessary for mounting are cutting pliers (Fig. 12), or tin shears, straight-nosed pliers (Fig. 11), wire of various sizes, tweezers, and other implements used in skin-making; leg awls, for dried skins, and awls for boring stands; also stands of various kinds.
Section II.: Mounting from Fresh Specimens.—Be sure that a skin is perfectly clean in every way before attempting to mount, as it cannot be washed nearly as well afterwards. Remove all the bodies of skinned specimens well out of the way, and spread a clean sheet of paper where the skinning has been done, that there may be no danger of soiling the plumage. Make a body of fine grass, excelsior, or, better, the peculiar tough grass which grows in shady places, in sandy soil, is preferable, by winding with thread, moulding it so as to have it quite solid, shaping it in the hands until it assumes the exact length and breadth of the body removed, and as near its form as possible. Thus see that the back is fuller than the under side, and that there is a well-defined breast. Great care should be taken not to get this body larger than the natural one; if anything it should be smaller. With the pliers cut a piece of wire of the proper size, that is, of about half the diameter of the bird’s tarsus, and about three times the length of the body. In cutting all wires which are to be sharpened, the cut should be made diagonally across it, thus forming a point. Push this wire through the body so that it will emerge in the front much nearer the back than the breast, protruding so that it equals the length of the neck and tongue of body removed. Bend over the end remaining at the back, turn down about half of it and force it into the body (Fig. 13, c). This will hold firmly if the body has been made sufficiently solid. Wrap the wire with cotton by taking a strip and winding it gradually so that it assumes a tapering form with a portion of the wire protruding. Place this body in the skin and push the protruding wire into the upper mandible. Cut two wires of about half the size of that already used, and twice the length of the outstretched wing. Work these into the wings, beginning at the fleshy portion of the phalanges, so on into the body, taking care not to allow it to pierce through the skin anywhere. The wire should enter the body at the point where the end of the lower portion of the forearm touches it when the wing is folded naturally. Pass the wire through the body diagonally until it emerges so that it can be grasped with the pliers somewhere near the orifice, and firmly clenched. Next find the metacarpal bone, which has a hollow place in the centre (Fig. 14, f), and force the upper end of the wire through it so that about a quarter of inch shall protrude on the upper side of the wing, and bend this down by applying one jaw of the flat pliers on the side of the wing opposite. This will fasten the wing firmly, and the spurious wing will cover the wire, while that on the lower side will be concealed by the feathers. The wing should be outstretched when this is done.
Cut wire for the legs of the same size as used for the neck, and about as long. Pass them up through the tarsus, inserting in the middle of the sole of the foot. Be sure the wire is perfectly straight before attempting this. A good way to straighten wire is to place a pine-board on the floor, stand on it, and then draw a long pull of wire under it by grasping the end with pliers; or a small piece of wire may be straightened by rolling it on the bench with a file. If the skin of the tarsus splits in boring, it shows that the wire used is either too large or crooked. After the wire is pushed up to the heel or tarsal joint (Fig. 15, f), turn the tibial bone out until the point of the wire appears, when it should be grasped and drawn up so that the point protrudes slightly beyond the tibial joint. Wrap the tibial bone, wire and all, with cotton or tow (in large specimens, the wire should be bound to the bone with fine wire or thread) so as to form a natural leg, then draw it back into the skin. Next force the wire through the body at the point where the knee touches it, or about midway on the side. The wire will emerge on the opposite side. Turn down the skin of the orifice, draw the wire out, leaving about enough projecting out of the sole of the foot to go through the perch of a stand and clench; then fasten the end firmly into the body. On large birds, like eagles, I draw the wire through the body twice before clenching, to make all secure. This work must be well done if the bird is to be mounted nicely, as it must stand firmly on its feet. As a rule, use wire large enough, at least, to support the weight of the body and skin without bending, but wire one-half the size of the tarsus is generally large enough to do this. Cut a tail-wire which is at least as long as the entire bird. Insert it under the tail, so that it enters the muscles in which the feathers are embodied, taking care that it does not spread them apart; push this up the centre of the body so that it will emerge at an angle just at the upper portion of the orifice, and clench it. Bend the remaining end under the tail twice, so as to form a T, on which the tail may rest, and which should, however, have the top broad enough to spread the tail on to the required width. During wiring see that the plumage is ruffled as little as possible; also avoid soiling by keeping the specimen on clean paper. If by chance the feathers become greasy, they may be cleaned by sprinkling liberally with the dermal preservative, which is afterward brushed off.
Fig. 15.
Sew up the orifice neatly, taking care, as before described, only to take in the extreme outer edge of the skin; and, if the body be not too large, it will meet nicely. If the body has not been made quite large enough, especially on the breast, some cotton may be placed between the skin and body before sewing. This must be done neatly, with tweezers however, not so as to form a wad, but spread out so as to blend neatly with the curve of the body. Now place the wires which protrude from the feet in holes bored in the perch of the stand, which should be about as far apart as the bird naturally stands while perching. See that the feet come well down on the perch with the toes arranged properly, remembering that cuckoos, woodpeckers, etc., have two toes in front and two behind, while with hawks, owls, etc., the outer toe generally stands at right angles with the others, and should therefore grasp the end of the stand. Either twist the ends of the wire together or wind them around the stand very firmly. Now comes the most difficult part of the task of mounting. Hitherto all has been merely mechanical; certain rules had to be observed only. But now the instructor must pause for want of words wherewith to express his meaning, for who can tell an artist how to put in those bold and hasty strokes with which he maps out his picture? He knows just what he is about, however, for he has before his mental vision the complete picture, and strives to place on canvas that which appears before him. So must the artistic taxidermist have before him a vision of the bird he wishes to represent, with the combined mass of feathers now in hand. Whether lightly poised for flight or calmly sitting at rest, before he puts his hand to the work before him let him fully decide what he wishes to produce. Let him see it just as clearly as he sees the birds sporting in their natural element. The true artist does not copy what the imagination of others have produced, he invents for himself or takes nature as his guide. Let us then who aspire to the highest in taxidermal art, take infallible nature as our guide. Study carefully every poise of the birds, every uplifting of the wing, every turn of the head or motion of the eyelids. I have long made a practice of keeping birds in confinement in order to thoroughly impress on my mind the different attitudes which they assume. I have had nearly all species of our owls, hawks, and eagles, and have kept herons, gulls, terns, pelicans, auks, and almost countless numbers of smaller birds, and in this way I have become so familiar with them that I can tell at a glance whether a bird is mounted in an easy attitude. Well, there must be no hesitation in mounting birds, or the specimens will dry; and I will merely state in what order I arrange the different members, then leave the attitudes to my pupils. I first see that the bird stands correctly, that the legs are bent so that the bird will balance well in the position in which I wish it to be placed. As a rule, a perpendicular line drawn through the back of the head of a perching bird will fall through its feet (see Fig. 16, a a). Now bring the bird into position, and fold the wings just as the bird does it. Note if the scapularies, tertiaries, and secondaries lie in their proper places, the first highest and the others under them, which will give the bird a good rounded back. Now place the bird in the proper attitude, with the neck properly bent, remembering that in nearly all birds this nearly assumes the form of the letter S, especially in long-necked species. I do not like to see a bird staring straight forward, but, as this is a mere matter of fancy, I will not presume to dictate regarding attitudes, only make the specimen look easy. Be artistic, even if the specimen is going into a public museum, where birds too often stare at the visitors in grotesque attitudes. One can be interesting and easy even in writing on the driest scientific subject,—why not then give ease and grace to our museum specimens? No more room need be occupied; a slight turn of the head, a twist of the neck, or an advance of a foot, will do this just as a bird would do it if it were alive. Now place the eyes in position, and these should be pushed well into the clay, and the lids arranged over them naturally with a needle. Do not have the eyes too large, as it gives the bird a staring expression, nor too small, but as near as possible to the natural ones removed. It would be well in ordering eyes from a dealer to give the measurements of the required eye in hundredths of an inch. A good colored eye should not, in my opinion, have too much clear or flint glass in front of the pupil. This should be thinner and thus flatter, as seen in eyes of German manufacture. In point of perfect coloring, French eyes are the best and most expressive, but they do not have the requisite flatness and the thinness of flint which the German eyes possess. English eyes may be mentioned as third in the catalogue of quality, while America must unfortunately come last. The above remarks, however, are true only as regards colored eyes, as black eyes are almost always good, no matter where manufactured.
After the bird is placed in the required attitude, smooth the feathers with the aid of small tweezers, noting that all lines and spots are in their proper places. The primary quills should be kept in position by clamping with fine wire; that is, a piece of wire should be bent on itself like a hairpin and slipped over the edge of the wing. Spread the tail by laying it on the cross-piece of wire under it, and clamp it down with a piece of very fine wire, which is wound around each end of the cross-piece. If the tail is to be spread very widely then run a wire through the two outer quills, thus keeping them apart; though even then the clamp should be used. If a convex or concave tail is desired, bind the cross-piece in a corresponding manner. I do not, as a rule, recommend binding freshly-skinned birds, nor do I consider it necessary excepting in instances where feathers are rough. If a bird be properly mounted a few more clamps on the wings will keep it in form; then the feathers can be made to stand out as they do in nature, not lie down close to the body as if the birds were badly frightened. This is particularly noticeable with owls; a perfectly happy and contented owl, who is pursuing his vocations, has apparently a body nearly or quite twice the diameter of one that is frightened.
Section III.: Crested Birds.—If a bird has a crest it should be raised by gently pulling forward the skin, where it will remain in position after it is neatly arranged; but in case of a dried skin, it may be necessary to prop the crest up with a piece of cotton, moulded on the head of a pin, the point of which is sunk into the head.
Section IV.: Mounting with Wings Spread.—In skinning for spread wings, leave in the humerus as well as the forearm, and do not detach the quills, as already mentioned. Wire the wing from the inside, and clench firmly in the body; wrap the humerus to the natural size with cotton, after fastening the supporting wire to the bone with fine wire or thread. Push both wires into the shoulders of the artificial body at once, at the same time pushing the neck-wire and body into position. This can be learned by practice. Proceed as before, but support the wings while setting on either side by long wire clamps. Be sure, however, that the supporting wire is strong enough to hold the wing in position without these, and thus when the wings are dry they will be very strong.
Section V.: Mounting Birds for Screens, etc.—Proceed as in specimens with wings spread, but sometimes the wings should be cut off, sewed on on opposite sides, so that they may be reversed; that is, the back of the wing may be toward the breast in cases where it is desired that the back of the wings and breast should show. It is usual to stretch the wings up over the head, which emerges between them. The wings had better be kept in position with strips of pasteboard fastened together with wire. Sometimes both sides of the specimen show; or, in other instances, the back is covered with paper, silk, velvet, or other material.
Section VI.: Mounting Dried Skins.—Soften as directed in making over dried skins, observing the caution given under that section, and have the skin very pliable. The cavities of the eyes may be filled from the mouth or from the inside of the skin. If the skin be too tender to turn, rasp it down by working through the orifice. Mount as directed in fresh specimens, but dried skins almost always require to be bound with winding cotton in order to keep the feathers in place. They also require rather more harder filling with cotton. This should be wrapped around the bird in as continuous a string as possible until all the feathers lie smoothly. They may be arranged under the bindings with small tweezers. Avoid binding too closely or too tight, and above all things bind evenly, that is, do not make depressions nor allow elevations to appear, for, as a rule, these will always remain after the bindings have been removed. Small birds should be allowed to stand at least a week in a dry place before the bindings are removed. Birds mounted from skins dry more quickly than from fresh specimens. Large birds should stand from two weeks to a month, especially if the wings be spread. To remove the binding threads, cut down the back, thus taking it all off at once.
Section VII.: Prices for Mounting Birds.—For the convenience of amateurs, who do not always know what price to put on good work, we give our price list for mounting specimens on ornamental stands. Size from humming-bird to robin, one dollar and twenty five cents; robin to wild pigeon, one dollar and fifty cents; wild pigeon to grouse, two dollars; grouse, ducks, small owls, two dollars and fifty cents; large hawks and medium-sized owls, three dollars and fifty cents; loons and large owls, five dollars; eagles, seven dollars. For birds with spread wings, add thirty-three and one-third per cent.
Section VIII.: Panel Work.—Game Pieces, etc.—Panel work is made by using only half of a specimen, the back side being turned in or removed. The specimen is mounted as usual and fastened to the picture or other design used as a back ground, by wires emerging from the side and firmly clenched in the body. Game pieces are made by simply mounting the specimen, then placing it in an attitude as if it were hanging dead. Much skill and study is required for work of this nature, for if carelessly done, it has the effect of a poor painting, but if well completed both panel and game pieces produce a pleasing effect. All such work should be usually placed behind glass, as, in fact, is true with all mounted birds, especially light-plumaged birds, which are liable to become soiled through exposure to dust. Mounted birds, not kept in moth-proof cases, should be carefully dusted at least twice a week to prevent the attacks of moths.
