MOUNTING THE HIGHER VERTEBRATES. 11.} 



which these results can be accomplished. For covering- mani- 

 kins, coating 1 the skulls of large animals, and for filling- in tho 

 nose, mouth, eyes, and ears, it is everything that could be de- 

 sired. With it a stretched skin, 



" A world too wide for his shrunk shank," 



can be worked together 011 the clay-covered manikin, and re- 

 duced in size until it fits without the slightest visible wrinkle, 

 or any cutting out such as used to be necessary by the old 

 methods. 



To prepare clay for use, take the clean, worked chunks of soft 

 potter's clay (which costs about two cents per pound, and 

 should be quite free from sand and grit), put tho 'right quan- 

 tity in a pail, and pour a little water upon it. AVith the 

 hands knead it until the water is taken up, and it becomes 

 as soft as dough. It will, of course, be quite sticky, and in 

 this state is altogether too soft to use except to cover a large 

 manikin, in which case it must be soft enough to spread easily 

 with the hand. For ordinary use, however, chop up finely, 

 with the hatchet, some clean hemp tow of long- fibre, and mix it 

 thoroughly with the clay, which can be done only with the 

 hand. This makes the clay more stiff, about like soft putty, 

 and of the proper consistency for filling- into feet, cheeks, eyes, 

 mouth, nose, etc. If the clay is too soft, you will have difficulty 

 in making- it retain the proper form under the skin. If it is too 

 stiff, it balls up, and you can not work it along- under the skin 

 from one part to another. When you learn to make it of just 

 the right consistency it works to perfection, no matter where 

 you put it, and will forever retain the form your fing-ers give it 

 by pressure from without. Elsewhere will be given more do- 

 tailed advice in regard to the various uses of clay. 



COLORING. The time was when American curators held it 

 sacrilege to paint the soft parts of birds, and the hairless por- 

 tions of certain mammals. For my part, I have always fought 

 that idea unconditionally, in season and out of season, and I am 

 glad to say that within the last eig-ht years it has been utterly 

 abandoned. Clearly, it is better to reproduce the colors of soft 

 parts as accurately as one can, rather than let them r .-main in a 

 8 



