132 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



work all around this wooden backbone, when filling- the animal, 

 Now lay this piece of wood in the skin, upon the crossed leg 

 irons, mark the points at which the irons need to pass through 

 it, and bore holes accordingly, slanting each hole through the 

 stick, for good reasons. The next step is to pass the irons 

 through these holes (by bending them a little, and straighten- 

 ing them afterward) and when all are through, adjust the legs so 

 that there is plenty of loose skin in the body, both in length and 

 breadth. Remember that the stick is to be in the centre of the 

 body, not the top. When the adjustment is complete, bend the 

 end of each iron sharply down upon the stick, and staple it 

 down with the utmost firmness. 



Next pass one of your neck irons through the skull from back 

 to front, boring a hole at the back for the purpose, so as to 

 make the end of the iron pass out at the nasal cavity. Replace 

 the missing flesh of the skull with tow or excelsior, bound 

 down with thread, cover all with clay, poison the inside of the 

 head and neck skin with arsenical soap, insert the skull in the 

 head, and fasten the lower end of each neck iron firmly upon the 

 centre stick. 



The tail must now be made, but it is wise to fasten the tail 

 iron so that it can be made to slip out or in, until it is known 

 precisely how long it shall be-, and then the end may be fas- 

 tened securely with staples. Now bend up the legs into posi- 

 tion, and give the animal its attitude. Procure your pedestal, 

 or limb of a tree, and place the animal in attitude upon it ; 

 mark where the iron supports are to pass through, bore the 

 necessary holes, and see if the animal will stand just as you 

 wish it to. If not, work at its legs, and bore new holes until it 

 does ; then take it off, poison the inside of the skin liberally 

 with strong arsenical soap, and proceed to stuff it with straw, 

 or chopped tow, or excelsior if you prefer that, but I never do. 

 For my own use I prefer soft straw, chopped fine. 



Fill the neck first, using your wooden filler, then the body. 

 If the body threatens to be too small, fill that first. Before 

 going far, fill out the hind-quarters properly. Work on the 

 body all over at the same time, and do not finish one-half of the 

 animal before you have touched the other half, for this course 

 would get you into endless trouble. 



