PRELIMINARY WORK IN MOUNTING MAMMALS. 105 



gouges of three sizes, I, \, and f inch ; chisels of about four sizes 

 between | and 1 inch, a draw-shave, a spoke-shave, a good sharp 

 pocket-knife, and the usual supply of boring tools. 



To carve a wooden skull, proceed as follows : If you have not 

 the genuine skull to use as a pattern, you must procure one from 

 an animal of the same species, and ascertain its size in compar- 

 ison with what the wooden skull must be, e.g.; whether it be 

 larger or smaller. Then procure a piece of soft pine timber, free 

 from knots, and thick enough to turn out a skull of the proper 

 size. If this can not be found in one piece, glue together several 

 pieces of pine until they form a block of the proper size. On 

 the top of this block place your genuine skull, and trace its out- 

 line on the wood, making your outline larger or smaller, as it 

 may need to be, and bilaterally symmetrical. Now take your 

 hatchet and hew the two sides of the block down exactly to this 

 outline. This represents the " ground plan " of the skull. 



To get the side elevation, sketch out on the side of this block 

 a side-view outline of the skull, and then hew down to that. 

 With your dividers, locate exactly the inner edge of the orbits, 

 and then mark out with a pencil the entire circle of each orbit. 

 With a gouge carve out the hollows neatly, and then with your 

 flat chisels attack the cranium, round off its angles, and so work 

 over the entire skull. 



Measure frequently with the calipers to see that the dimen- 

 sions are correct. There is no need to go into any of the details 

 of the back part, or basi -occipital portion of the skull, nor with 

 any other details except those that lie on the surface. It is im- 

 portant to shape the orbits, zygomatic arch, the frontal bones, 

 the muzzle and lower jaw, quite accurately, for these bones bear 

 scarcely any flesh. In making skulls for apes and monkeys the 

 greatest care is necessary to produce the facial angle, orbits, 

 and muzzle, so sharply characteristic of the various families. 



When a wooden skull is used, the mouth should always be 

 closed, unless it is very necessary to have it open. While it is 

 possible to take moulds from a real skull, arid cast a full set of 

 teeth in plaster or lead, or to set real teeth, or painted woodrn 

 imitations, into a wooden skull, the result is generally unsatis- 

 factory to a critical eye. When teeth are cast and painted, the 

 paint always changes color with age, causing the teeth to look 



