r a few
shillings), cut unequally in two parts, will be found of service when
one large skin only is soaked at a time.

When the skin is in the water, a board may be placed upon it, weighted
so as not to flatten against the bottom of the vessel, or it may be
kept in position under the water by pressing thin slips of wood over
from side to side. The skin being well saturated--which, according to
the size of the bird, will take place in from twelve to twenty-four
hours--must have the stuffing removed from it, and then be allowed to
soak for so long a time as experience will dictate. [Footnote: This
should not be attempted before the skin is properly soaked, otherwise
the cotton wool, or whatever it maybe stuffed with, will "stick" and
frequently pull the head, etc. off with it.] As a rule, however, when
the wings and tail will spread out with gentle handling, the bird is
fit to mount.

Sometimes the legs, if thick, and even the wings and tail, if large,
will require a longer time to soak than is conducive to the well-being
of the remainder of the skin; in this case, nothing remains but to
skilfully pull off the wings, legs, and tail, and let them soak a few
hours longer. [Footnote: This would seem to an amateur very rough
treatment, but often it is the only method to pursue especially if the
skin be "tender," although in them latter case vinegar is recommended
to be added to the water in which it is steeped.]

Supposing, however, that the skin is properly relaxed without recourse
to this, it must then be hung up by a wire secured through the
nostrils, in order to drain the water out of it. After hanging a few
hours (or many, if large) it is, when all the water has drained away
from it, but while yet damp, carefully wiped down in every part with
benzoline, applied liberally, but from head to tail, the way of the
feathers; this is important. The skin may now be placed in a long
shallow box, called the dry plaster box, and all the feathers well
covered above and below with common dry plaster of Paris, and the skin
allowed to be buried in it for three or four hours, then the damp
caked plaster may be shaken off and fresh dry plaster added, allowing
it to remain for several more hours.

This should be repeated until the feathers are fairly dry--which, if
the bird be large, will take from twelve to twenty-four hours. The
feathers of the skin must now be beaten with a bundle of stiff
feathers, or the wing of a goose, or oth