PREPARING AND MOUNTING A BIRD
With tools and materials assembled and table in readiness, we come to
the real work and, in the order of things, will address the preparing
and mounting of a fresh bird specimen. To many people of long experience
in the art of taxidermy this task never ceases to be a delightful
operation, one of the pleasantest of many interesting bits of work that
may result from a day spent afield.
Figuratively, the specimen lies before us, upon the bench. Make it any
native bird your fancy desires. The following notes will be found to
cover the ground:
A pencil and a sheet of wrapping paper will first be brought into
service. With these make outlines of the specimen, top and side views,
laying the bird upon the paper and drawing the pencil around it while
looking straight down upon it.
After the skinning, outline the body, top, and side views, upon same
sheet, with position of shoulder joint, hip joint, knee, and tail
marked in black spots.
This system of wrapping paper sketches will be found of great value in
all work, from mounting a bird to setting up a deer head.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.]
To begin skinning, lay the bird upon a newspaper, head to left of you,
on the bench. Have cornmeal handy. Part the belly and breast feathers up
middle. With a scalpel make an incision (see Fig. 1) from within one
inch of front end of breast bone back to a quarter-inch forward of the
vent in large birds, and to the vent in small ones. Use care not to cut
through abdominal wall, which is usually very thin and may easily be
confused as a part of the skin, being closely bound to it. The two are
easily separated, however.
The primary incision made, lift an edge of the skin with finger and
thumb nail and carefully tear skin free from body, using scalpel when
necessary to help.
When thigh of a leg is exposed, take hold of leg outside of skin and
push knee forward so it is uncovered inside of skin. Sever knee joint
with scalpel or scissors, using care not to cut through skin on outside
of joint. Repeat on other leg. Apply cornmeal or fine sawdust if blood
or juice starts.
Next set bird on end, tail up. Bend tail over backward and cut through
vent lining, tail muscles, and vertebrae forward of the large quills.
Use care not to cut skin around tail, as at knee.
With bird still held on end, start peeling skin down over back and
sides. Use scalpel if skin adheres tightly.
When pelvis is uncovered, if a small bird, take rump between two
forefingers and thumb of left hand; if a large bird, hang up on a wire
hook and cord, and skin down to shoulders.
Press wings forward strongly to loosen joint muscles. Cut through one
shoulder joint and then other, going carefully as at knee and tail, so
as not to cut skin on opposite side.
Plug with cotton or dry with meal wherever necessary to stop flowing
blood.
Next peel the neck skin down over head to bill, pulling out ear linings
when met with and using care to work close to skull when cutting eyelids
free.
When this is done, cut off base of skull. With this the skin is free
from the body and inside out.
If the specimen is of a species with neck skin too small to peel over
the head, turn head and neck back right side out when neck is only
partly skinned down. Make an incision from middle of back of head down
nearly half length of neck, alongside where nape is bare of feathers.
Through this incision turn and clean the head.
With the skin removed, turn attention to details of cleaning away leg,
wing, and tail muscles, removing eyes, brain, and jaw muscles from skull
and scraping out whatever fat is in the skin.
To clean leg bones, skin out the thick, meaty shins, using thumb nail
and scalpel to aid where necessary, down to heel joint or upper end of
tarsus. Just above this joint sever the tendons, front and back, and
peel leg muscles off.
In owls skin on down the tarsus to as near foot, or toes, as possible
and clean out tarsus muscles.
In large birds, next split ball of foot, insert point of a steel spindle
under base of tarsus tendons beside hind toe and draw these cords out.
This will sometimes require a strong pull.
Always do this after the leg above has been cleaned. In small birds it
is not necessary to split ball of foot nor to remove these tendons.
Next remove the wing muscles. Peel skin down to elbow. Cut tendons free
just above elbow and strip muscles off. To clean forearm in a small
bird, use the thumb nail to shove skin forward toward wrist, on front of
wing, without breaking union of large, secondary flight feathers with
wing bone.
With scalpel cut and lift out elbow ends of forearm muscles, strip them
out down to as near wrist as possible and cut off.
In a large bird, split skin of forearm and hand along under side after
carefully separating feathers over bare strips of skin. Peel skin back
both ways and remove flesh neatly. Scrape out whatever flesh is in
evidence on hand bones in same way. In a bird with no fat adhering to
the skin, the skull and tail only remain to be cleaned in order to
complete the skinning operation.
To clean skull, remove eyes with a scalpel, scrape brains out through
cut-off skull base, and trim away jaw muscles and a portion of roof of
mouth.
To clean tail, peel it out carefully and scrape and cut away fat and
meat adhering to bone and base of quills.
If you have a specimen with fat adhering to the skin in more or less
loose patches, as in hawks and owls, simply scrape or peel the fat off
with a knife and thumb and finger.
If a fat duck skin is to be prepared the inside layer of skin over the
fat tracts must be sheared off carefully with scissors and the fat then
removed with a skin scraper or dull knife blade, care being exercised
not to tear the outer skin or to pull through feathers with the grease.
To clean and degrease a bird skin which requires such treatment to
prepare for mounting, wash it first in lukewarm ammonia water with mild
soap. Squeeze from this washing and put through a bath of half-and-half
alcohol and spirits of turpentine. Squeeze from this thoroughly and run
through benzine. Compress and relax the skin repeatedly while immersed
in both these baths. When squeezed from the benzine, dry the plumage by
first burying the skin for some minutes in dry plaster of paris.
When nearly all the moisture is drawn out dust skin in the plaster until
natural fluffiness is restored. Do this last out of doors, where the
skin may be beaten well when thoroughly dry, to free it of plaster dust.
Lay skin, right side out, over the left hand and beat with the right,
giving an occasional shaking, the better to loosen plaster dust.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]
An A1 duster may be made from the brush of an ox tail. Nail this on a
short piece of broomstick and square ends of hair with scissors. This
duster is used instead of beating the plumage with the hand and does the
work much quicker and better. When the dusting is done turn the skin
inside out again (see Fig. 2) and brush arsenic-water into all inner
surfaces, then turn skin right side out and brush a little of the
solution upon the feet, under side of wings, and inside the bill.
When poisoning the head, with skin inside out, one step in preparation
for mounting is to be taken. After the arsenic-water is applied to skull
and scalp, fill eye sockets with chopped tow or fine excelsior, put a
light layer of cotton smoothly around the skull, forward edge close down
to bill. Turn skin carefully back over skull and finish poisoning skin.
It is best, if possible to do without risk of decay, to fold the freshly
prepared skin in a clean paper, wrap in damp cloth, and lay over one
night in a cool place, before mounting. This allows arsenic-water to
penetrate through into base of plumage, thus becoming more effective
against moths than if skin were immediately filled with absorbent
material which would tend to draw out the freshly applied solution.
With the skin preparation completed, construction of an artificial body
is the next step. In all bird work, upholstery excelsior or "wood wool"
will be found most satisfactory for body making and neck, wing, and leg
wrapping. This may be found at almost any upholstery shop, as is also
tow, a fine grade of which is needed in making bird necks, as chopped,
soft filling, etc.
A good grade of long-fiber cotton is needed for wrapping skulls and
wing and leg bones in small birds, etc.
Various sizes of strong thread, both black and white, and some small,
strong, ball twine will be needed for wrapping and sewing.
When making the artificial body, lay the outline sketches before you and
copy Nature's lines throughout the work of assembling the specimen.
To make a firm core for the body, take a thick wisp of excelsior twice
the length of the natural body and small or large according to specimen.
Hold this tightly in the left hand, wrapping it very hard with thread or
cord. Wrap the squeezed excelsior where it protrudes from between thumb
and forefinger of left hand, drawing cord tight at each round, paying
out the wisp until all is wrapped hard (see Fig. 3).
[Illustration: Fig. 3.]
Now double this "stick" of excelsior in the middle and bind it together
tightly. This forms a solid core the length of the body.
The body is finished around this base by firmly binding upon it wisps or
handfuls of loose excelsior until the shape of the natural body is
approximated. To be correct this form should appear oval from side view
and pear-shaped from end view (see Fig. 4).
[Illustration: Fig. 4.]
All body wrapping must be firm so that wires set in it will not be loose
and cause the specimen to wobble.
Next cut the neck, wing, and leg wires. Cut neck wire three times
natural length, wing wires twice natural length, and leg wires three
times natural length. In the neck use a size wire that will support the
head firmly and still be easy to manipulate.
If the wings are to be closed, use light wire in them. If to be spread,
use strong wire to support with no wobbling. In the legs use as large
wire as will go easily through the tarsus and not rip the skin open, to
insure rigidity in the finished specimen. Use galvanized soft steel
wires if possible. If ordinary black iron wire is used it should be
waxed before placing. For the tail cut one wire of a length to go half
way through the body and leave enough protruding to allow of handily
setting tail into position.
Cut six or eight medium wires, twice length of thickness of body, for
wing pinning and feather wrapping, if either or both of these are found
necessary. Make cornered points on wires. Sharpen neck- and wing-wires
at both ends, leg, tail, and pinning-wires at one end.
[Illustration: Fig. 5.]
To set neck-wire in body, thrust it in a little above center of larger
end of body, run it diagonally through and out at middle back (see Fig.
5). Push two-thirds its length out of back, loop one-third back along
its own length and push it back through body so that both ends protrude,
shorter end beneath other in front. Bend the short end squarely and
force it into front of body to anchor neck-wire firmly in place. Consult
note sketch and wrap a soft neck of natural size upon the wire (see Fig.
6). Leave head end of neck a little bit long to set into brain cavity
for solid anchorage. For neck material use cotton in small birds, tow in
medium size, and fine excelsior in large birds. Only excelsior will need
tying down with thread or cord.
[Illustration: Fig. 6.]
To make cords in nape of neck, which support the mane, thread a large
sewing needle with heavy thread for small birds, a darning needle with
string for larger. Double the cord and knot its end heavily. Run the
needle through ridge of body just back of shoulders, carry cord to a
little below where skull will set to and run cord through neck from back
to front so it will protrude between jaws when they are set (see Fig.
7).
[Illustration: Fig. 7.]
Let long end of cord hang free so that it may be passed through the
mouth when skull is set on neck-wire. With this done, lay aside the
body.
[Illustration: Fig. 8.]
The next step is wiring the wings and legs and substituting muscles of
same. To place a wing-wire draw the wing inside out. Take wing bone in
left hand. Place point of wire under small tendon that draws across back
of elbow joint, push through and up to wrist. Turn wing right side out
and by parting feathers on under side of wrist, locate two points of
bone at joint which have a cord or tendon drawn across between them.
Work the wire through under this.
The simplest way to anchor tip of wing-wire is to push it outside skin
just forward of wrist, turn a short right angle bend near its tip with
pliers and carrying it forward, push the point through a hollow pan
which will be found in the hand bones (see Fig. 8).
After a wing-wire is set, wrap cotton, tow, or excelsior about the upper
arm-bone to approximate shape and size of flesh removed. Wrap slightly
with thread or cord and tie.
In a small bird in which the forearm was skinned out from the inside,
slip in a film of cotton or tow to replace flesh of same. In a large
bird in which the wing was opened along forearm and hand, lay in a soft
filling after skin is in place on artificial body and sewn up. Sew wing
incision carefully, beginning at body and keeping feathers out of
stitch.
To place the leg-wires, start sharpened end into ball of foot, push wire
upward through back of leg to hock or heel joint. Take leg in left hand,
keeping heel straight, and push wire through at back of joint. A little
turning of the wire will aid in passing through leg easily.
Now turn leg inside out and push wire to just beyond end of shin bone
(see Fig. 9). Slip wire rapidly back and forth in leg to make it run
easily. There should be no kinks in wires.
[Illustration: Fig. 9.]
Hold wire down to back of bone and wrap on cotton, tow, or excelsior,
according to size of bird, to replace flesh. Tie this material loosely
with a few turns of thread or cord. See that wing and leg wrapping is
smooth and nicely tapering from elbow and heel.
It now remains to place the body, set wings and legs and tail, sew up
the breast incision, and, if a large bird, the wings.
In preparing to place the body, take a turn of end of nape cord about
tip of neck-wire and twist a wisp of cotton about them both to prevent
wire catching in neck skin when passing through. Hold up the bird-skin
by the head, shake it out loose and rattle neck-wire up through the
neck. Run wire out of mouth, remove cotton and release free end of nape
cord. Draw wire back to base of skull, leaving nape cord hanging from
mouth. Now push wire through brain cavity, between eye sockets and
forward out of roof of mouth inside until neck is seated in brain
cavity. Tip of wire may have to be curved to accomplish this, in
curve-billed birds.
When head is set take excelsior body in right hand, hold it with head
up, and with left hand pull shoulder skin into place. Now lay the bird
down, take a wing-wire and start it through the body at side of back,
one-half to one and one-half inches, according to size of bird, to rear
of actual position of shoulder joint.
Pull wire through on opposite side of breast. When head of wing-bone is
drawn down to same distance as above, from body, bend wire sharply
forward to lay upon body, thus setting shoulder joint so that it is
flexible. Now turn over end of wire left protruding from side of breast
and clinch it into body squarely. When wings are set shake skin down
over body and set legs.
Having previously marked the hip joint with a spot of ink, run a
leg-wire through at this point, quartering it out on opposite side where
thigh will set. Pull wire through to a considerable length without
drawing other end up into the foot.
Loop sharp end squarely, with long enough point to go clear through body
again, push it back through, clinching tip down on other side. Now pull
the knee to its proper distance from hip joint, thus leaving bare wire
for thigh bone. Bend thigh into place flat against side of body, with
knee at side of breast.
When legs are set shake and carefully pull skin of rump into place. Take
tail-wire and push it through center of tail, under the bone, using care
that it does not disturb tail quills. Push sharp end of wire into body
above center and forward of end of body.
Consult notes for actual set of tail. See that wire supports tail
without looseness. (For general details of wiring, see Fig. 10.) Fill
butt of tail and thighs with a little chopped tow.
[Illustration: Fig. 10.]
Now lay the bird upon its back. Turn the legs out at the sides a little,
leaving knees against body. Draw edges of skin together along incision
and sew up with medium stitches, neither short and labored or long and
slouchy. Begin at rump end of incision.
In a bird in which the neck was opened to accommodate skinning the head,
sew up this incision carefully, beginning at body end and sewing toward
head.
When a large bird, in which the wings were opened for cleaning, is to be
mounted with closed wings, very little sewing need be done, but if the
wings are to be raised or spread the incision should be neatly stitched
its entire length.
Also in a large bird, in which the tendons were drawn through ball of
foot, the fatty tissue of the ball should be replaced with chopped tow
and the short incision sewn up. Beeswax will keep thread from fraying.
With the sewing all done, bend the legs into semi-position, fold the
wings, if to be closed, and turn them sharply up over the back so that
their under side is outward and elbows meet over center of back. Shake
out the plumage a little by grasping the feet. Drill the perch and mount
the bird upon it. Position the legs, body, and head, and set the tail
as per Nature, to suit the position.
Adjust the plumage a little with tweezers. Compress the wings loosely to
the sides. If there is an unnatural hollowness between the shoulders,
lift the mane and at one side of it where the skin is bare, make a short
longitudinal incision. Through this place a little soft filling over and
between the shoulders to fill out hollowness. It is not necessary to sew
up this incision in a long feathered specimen.
Now settle down to the fascinating task of adjusting the feather tracts,
nicely manipulating the plumage, in places feather by feather, until
characteristic markings of the species are brought out in their normal
position as though the bird had just ruffled and then allowed the
feathers to settle back softly. Jewelers' tweezers are the finest thing
to be had for this work.
Return to the head. Pull the nape cord taut and tie it to neck-wire in
roof of mouth. Cut off the wire within the mouth so that the mandibles
close naturally. Tie the bill shut with cord or thread. It is necessary
in many specimens to thread the cord through the nostrils to accomplish
this.
To set the eyes, wipe a drop of liquid glue into the cotton of the eye
sockets and inside the lids, using a bit of wire for the purpose. Set
the eyes with regard to expression to suit the position, picking the
lids over their edges with needle and tweezers.
Pin, or tie with thread, the toes to grasp the perch.
Cut two pieces of thin cardboard for the tail. Curve them slightly.
Place one over and one under the long quills just clear of the coverts
and pin them through in two or three places to hold the quills even
until dry.
In mounting a specimen with spread wings, card the flight feathers full
length with curved strips, same as tail, then run a long sharpened wire
into the body under each wing and lay a loose bunch of cotton over it,
under the quills, to raise them and hold in proper position until dry.
To wrap the body feathers for keeping place until dry, stick two or
three long pins in back and breast, along center of both. These hold the
light wrapping of thread from slipping out of place as it goes on. Lay
the thread around the specimen lightly. If the wings do not set right
without other aid than the wire already in them, pin them with sharpened
wires, one through the double bone just forward of the wrist and one
through close forward of the elbow, running wires firmly into the body.
(For general details see Fig. 11.)
[Illustration: Fig. 11.]
To soak up a dried bird skin for preparation to mount, the simplest and
quickest means is immersion in a weak solution of carbolic acid in
water, leaving for a day or two until tissues are soft.
When the skin is relaxed so that wings and legs may be manipulated
without breaking, squeeze water from it and follow same method given for
cleaning a fresh skin. With this treatment a good dry skin will come out
as soft and workable as a fresh one. Arsenic and grease burnt skins are
hard to get much out of.
To make up dry bird skins for keeping to mount at a future time, follow
regular method of thorough skinning and cleaning. Apply dry arsenic
powder to inner surfaces. Wrap skull, wing, and leg bones lightly with
cotton or tow. Turn skin right side out and push a neck and light body
filling of fiber that will allow ventilation, into place. Arrange the
plumage and hang the skin up by a thread or cord sewn through neck at
base of skull.
To make a cabinet skin for study purposes, roll a neat body and neck of
material to suit size of bird, place it inside the skin, stitch incision
together, plug eye sockets with cotton, tie the elbows together on the
body with a loop sewn through the back, tie bill shut, adjust feathers
neatly and lay the specimen in a hollowed bed made of a piece of wire
netting bent to size. See that wings cover back neatly. Lay head of
short necked bird out straight, neck somewhat shorter than natural, and
of long necked specimen along right side, looped to body with cord sewn
through neck and side. Cross the feet and tie with a tag bearing
complete data as to locality, date, sex, etc., with collector's name. To
determine sex of a bird specimen, open the abdomen under thigh. Testes
of male will be found under fore end of pelvis and are white, in young
bird, very small.
Now when the period of drying is past, return to the mounted bird for
finishing touches. With scissors cut the thread feather wrappings. Pull
out pins in back and breast and cut off wing pinning-wires flush under
the plumage. If the specimen was primarily mounted on a rough temporary
perch, remove to the finished permanent stand and color legs and fleshy,
exposed parts of face skin to natural hues with tube oil colors and a
soft brush. Thin the color for this purpose with a little turpentine and
a very little touch of varnish.
In all work in taxidermy, practice develops deftness and a personal
system of handling the details that cannot be brought about except by
sympathetic attention to the art. The work is not difficult when the
details are addressed with quiet thought and very little main strength.
[Illustration]
SKINNING, PREPARING, AND MOUNTING A SMALL MAMMAL