CHAPTEK XVII. 



MOUNTING LAEGE MAMMALS : THE CONSTEUCTION OF 



MANIKINS. 



SECTION III. SHORT-HAIRED OR HAIRLESS MAMMALS, AND OTHERS 

 or GREAT SIZE. Examples : Lion, tiger, zebra, horse, giraffe, 

 bison and buffalo, camel, all deer and antelopes ; elephant, 

 rhinoceros, hippopotamus, tapir, etc. 



OF tlie numerous processes described in this work there are 

 two which I must mention as being- distinctively and particu- 

 larly my own. One is the general use of clay as a filling 1 material, 

 and the other is the evolution and development of the clay- 

 covered manikin, on the principles now to be described and il- 

 lustrated. Already this method of mounting quadrupeds has 

 been quite generally adopted by the new school of American 

 taxidermists, and I think it is destined to fill our museums with 

 more perfect mounted mammals than the rest of the world can 

 show. I have always willingly taught the advantages of the 

 clay-covered manikin, and the various processes involved in its 

 construction, to every enterprising taxidermist who desired to 

 learn it, and it was my intention to have published a full de- 

 scription of it years ago. Now it comes as a sort of "farewell 

 performance," and " positively the last appearance." 



Among taxidermists, the term manikin is applied to the made- 

 up figure of an animal over which a skin is to be adjusted, and 

 made to counterfeit the actual form and size of a living animal. 

 While it is well adapted to the successful treatment of mammals, 

 reptiles, and fishes in general, it is impossible to employ it in 

 mounting bird skins unless they are very badly torn, and re- 

 quire to be put together a piece at a time, or else are of the very 

 largest size. The worst torn and mutilated bird skin can be 



