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256 Woodcraft Birch Bark Roll the neck is slippery with the soap. Work the wings and legs back into their places after wrapping each leg bone with enough cotton to take the place of the flesh cut off. This wrapping is not necessary with very small birds; but the larger the bird, the more it is needed. Make a neck of the cotton, push it with the forceps up the neck skin, and well into the skull. Let it hang into the body part, under the string that joins the wing bones. Push an- other soft wad up the neck and into the throat. Shape a large piece of cotton for the body; set it in place, and draw the skin gently over it till thé opening is closed. In large birds, it is well to stitch this up; but it is not needed in small ones. All that 1s now needed is the prinking. Use a needle through the openings of the eyes to fluff out the cotton balls in each, till they fill out the sides of the head properly. Set the innermost wing bones parallel with each other (Fig. 4). If, at any time, it is necessary to leave the specimen half finished, wrap it in a damp cloth and put it in a close tin box. This will keep it from getting dry. In skinning large birds, a strong hook, attached to a string, from the wall or table in front, is a great help. As soon as the tail is cut off, stick this hook into the bony pelvis. It holds the bird away from you, and answers as a third hand. Finally, make a little shroud out of a sheet of cotton, and wrap the bird in this before setting it to dry. A dead bird lying on its back is the ideal shape for a skin. | Cross the legs, and attach a label to these, giving date, sex, and place where the bird was taken. A skin without this label is of little value. The work is now done. But it is wise to lift the skin the next morning, and see if all goes well. Ina few days, it will be dry, and safe from ordinary corruption; but must be pro- tected from moths and insects. Making a Swallow Bank I Iv ; 3 By Ernest THOMPSON SETON Most outdoor folk make bird boxes and other forms of bird homes ; and some years ago I had great pleasure in build- ing a hollow tree, which was really a large number of bird boxes and bird homes in one. Then J made experiments in