In clean- ing the nails the knife should never scrape off the inner substance of the nail, as this renders the edge opaque and muddy in appearance? whereas it should be transparent. The nail is susceptible of a high degree of polish by rubbing with the towel when drying the hands. At drug stores small boxes are sold containing the whole outfit for polishing the nails, and with directions for using the implements. If dark or brown looking, dip them once or twice a day in the following, and then polish with a towel : Take of hydrochloric acid two drachms, soft water one ounce. This will render them exceedingly white and handsome. When paring the nails be care- ful not to dig into the quick. Rubbing the nails with a coarse towel keeps back the flesh from the nails; this will also keep the fingers free from hang-nails, and thus save a deal of pain. TAXIDERMY. 363 TAXIDERMY. STUFFING AND MOUNTING THE BIRDS. A popular way of killing the bird is to insert, down the throaty a nar- row, sharp blade, making- an incision into the artery. This will speedily prepare it for the next stage of the process, and there is no danger of soiling the feathers. Hold the bird closely in your hand until all indi- cations of life are extinct, for while the agonies of death are upon it, it must not be allowed to flutter, or its plumage will be crushed. While the body is still warm remove the entrails. To effect this, make an incision lengthwise along the lower back part of the body. All but the smallest birds should have the bodies also removed, sever- ing them at the second joint of the leg and at the neck close to the head. Use chalk freely as an absorbent. Remove the eyes and brain. Fill the cavities of the eyes temporarily with cotton, wool or other soft substance. Rub the inner surface of the skin with arsenic, arrange wires to preserve the natural shape and stuff immediately, as after dyeing the arsenic renders the skin too stiff for handling. Be careful how you use the arsenic, for it is dangerous to inhale into the lungs. Mount the birds, if possible, in a manner to be suggestive of life. Let the wild duck or fish-hawk be surrounded with reeds, rushes, aquatic sprays or willow twigs. - Locate the velvety brown partridge over her nest of eggs, partly hidden among half-dry grass. Plant the woodpecker defiantly upon a leafless bough. Study the habits of the birds and arrange them to conform with their life. Do not give them a stiff awkward appearance, as if the wind had blown them in their places and they had frozen there, but arrange them as naturally as pos- sible. The small birds will do quite well to have only the entrails removed. Press their bodies quite up to the beak, full of a mixture of equal parts of pepper, salt and alum. Hang in a cool airy place until the body is thoroughly impregnated by the mixture, suspended by the legs and by a thread passed through the lower mandible. After this process is quite complete, clear out the mixture and stuff with wool and sawdust. Sew up the orifice carefully. If eyes cannot readily be purchased, use glass beads or buttons instead. By the deft use of paint brushes a round glass button can be tinted and transformed into quite a respect- able visionary orb. 364 WOODS. WOODS. EBONIZING WOOD.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

In cleaning the nails the knife should never scrape off the inner substance of the nail, as this renders the edge opaque and muddy in appearance, whereas it should be transparent. The nail is susceptible of a high degree of polish by rubbing with the towel when drying the hands. At drug stores small boxes are sold containing the whole outfit for polishing the nails, and with directions for using the implements. If dark or brown looking, dip them once or twice a day in the following, and then polish with a towel : Take of hydrochloric acid two drachms, soft water one ounce. This will render them exceedingly white and handsome. When paring the nails be careful not to dig into the quick. Rubbing the nails with a coarse towel keeps back the flesh from the nails; this will also keep the fingers free from hang-nails, and thus save a deal of pain. TAXIDERMY. 363 TAXIDERMY. STUFFING AND MOUNTING THE BIRDS. A popular way of killing the bird is to insert, down the throat, a narrow, sharp blade, making- an incision into the artery. This will speedily prepare it for the next stage of the process, and there is no danger of soiling the feathers. Hold the bird closely in your hand until all indications of life are extinct, for while the agonies of death are upon it, it must not be allowed to flutter, or its plumage will be crushed. While the body is still warm remove the entrails. To effect this, make an incision lengthwise along the lower back part of the body. All but the smallest birds should have the bodies also removed, severing them at the second joint of the leg and at the neck close to the head. Use chalk freely as an absorbent. Remove the eyes and brain. Fill the cavities of the eyes temporarily with cotton, wool or other soft substance. Rub the inner surface of the skin with arsenic, arrange wires to preserve the natural shape and stuff immediately, as after dyeing the arsenic renders the skin too stiff for handling. Be careful how you use the arsenic, for it is dangerous to inhale into the lungs. Mount the birds, if possible, in a manner to be suggestive of life. Let the wild duck or fish-hawk be surrounded with reeds, rushes, aquatic sprays or willow twigs. - Locate the velvety brown partridge over her nest of eggs, partly hidden among half-dry grass. Plant the woodpecker defiantly upon a leafless bough. Study the habits of the birds and arrange them to conform with their life. Do not give them a stiff awkward appearance, as if the wind had blown them in their places and they had frozen there, but arrange them as naturally as possible. The small birds will do quite well to have only the entrails removed. Press their bodies quite up to the beak, full of a mixture of equal parts of pepper, salt and alum. Hang in a cool airy place until the body is thoroughly impregnated by the mixture, suspended by the legs and by a thread passed through the lower mandible. After this process is quite complete, clear out the mixture and stuff with wool and sawdust. Sew up the orifice carefully. If eyes cannot readily be purchased, use glass beads or buttons instead. By the deft use of paint brushes a round glass button can be tinted and transformed into quite a respectable visionary orb. EBONIZING WOOD.

The household (of the Detroit free press)