In the first place we must prepare the wires that we shall need. There are three of these--the head wire and two leg wires. The first of these must be about three or four inches longer than the bird as it lies stretched out on the table (Fig. 2, A); the second and third two or three inches longer than the leg (C).
These wires must be perfectly straight (in the case of small wires this may be done by stretching), and have one end sharpened. To do this make a little groove with the file in the table, lay the end of the wire in this, and holding it in the left hand, place the forefinger near the end, and seizing the file in the right hand slowly sharpen, revolving the wire at the same time with the left. This will seem a little awkward at first, but you will soon become accustomed to it. Now take a piece of sand-paper and polish the wires.
Take the longest of the three wires, and bend the unsharpened end into an oblong ring--in length according to the size of the bird to be mounted. Or, instead of the ring, you may make a little oval block of wood, secure the head wire to one end, and bore holes for the leg wires, which must be firmly fastened. For this Blue Jay we will make it about one inch in length. Now around this ring or block as a _nucleus_, or foundation, place the tow and wind it on with thread or string, continually putting on more tow until you have an egg-shaped form (B). Wind _around_ and then _lengthways_ to accomplish this. For birds larger than a canary, the body may be made of hay or excelsior, and finished with a coating of tow. This is easier to put wires through, and is more economical. The tow body must be as near the size of the natural body as possible, if anything a trifle _smaller_, on no account _larger_. In order to be more accurate, I generally keep the body of the bird skinned, on my table, and while winding compare the artificial body with this until it is perfected. In this way a better shaped and firmer body is produced. Be careful that you do not get the body too soft (you cannot get it _too hard_), or when you come to set up your bird it will be too weak to stand on its legs; the wires will have nothing to clinch and hold to. Now take a bit of cotton, and with the forceps introduce into the eye-socket through the neck. Repeat on the other side. Fill up the cavity between the mandibles and the space in the cranium with finely cut tow. Unless you are making a "skin," this had better be done directly after poisoning the skin, before turning the head through the neck. Now as to the neck. Some say, "Fill out gently with chopped tow." I prefer to wind the wire, A, for a short distance, with a bit of tow. To make this stick, first rub the wire with a piece of beeswax. This, I think, makes a better neck, and is less liable to misshape and contort the skin.