PERCHES.
A very pretty perch can be made by arranging wires in the shape of a
twig or branch, having one end firmly fastened in a block of wood.
Wind the wires to the proper size with tow, and after giving the whole
a coating of thin glue, sprinkle over it smalts and dry moss, rubbed
fine in the hands; when this is dry, you can glue on artificial leaves,
flowers, and grasses as your taste prompts. Another good perch for
small birds is a stump made of pasteboard, with a small opening on
one side. Cover this with the same materials as above. It should be
about an inch and a half in height. Another perch is made by reducing
pasteboard to a pulp, and moulding it around a twig or wire form. Boil
the pasteboard to a pulp in a little water. Then force through a coarse
sieve, and mix with thin glue. Mould this around the form, give it
a coat of brown paint, and decorate to taste. To give it a rougher
appearance, a coarse comb may be drawn over it before painting.
A very effective way of mounting hummingbirds is to form a tree with
small palm leaves, or others, attached to a moss-covered stalk, having
moss and grasses at its base. Let the hummers have the wings and tails
spread, and crests and breast-tufts raised in the most effective
manner. They are then attached to single wires starting from the limbs
of the tree, with back or breast showing according to the part which is
to be displayed.
[Illustration: FIG. 4.]
Another good way, especially where the collection is large, is a single
wire bent oval, and both ends fastened to a block standard. To the
outside and inside are fixed short perches of wire upon which the birds
are mounted.
Birds mounted for ornamental purposes should be placed under glass,
to protect them from dust and insects. A very neat homemade case is
constructed of window-glass, cut of the proper dimensions; the sides,
top and bottom being fastened together by strips of stout paper glued
over their edges. Or the glass may be set in a light framework of wood,
which may be painted, stained, or ebonized. To ebonize, you require
extract of logwood, a supply of rusty nails, or scraps of iron, and
some vinegar. Place the iron in the vinegar a week or more before using
the latter. When you are ready to begin, give the wood several coatings
with a strong solution of the logwood, and when this is nearly dry,
brush over with the vinegar. A fine dull black color will be produced.
All ducks, wading and ground birds should be mounted on a piece of
board; and long-legged birds should have one foot a little in advance
of the other, as if in the act of stepping. The attitudes of birds,
seen in your rambles, may be put to use in your mounted specimens, and
your own taste will suggest a variety of perches and ways for mounting.