146 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



the squares quite firmly (but leave the screws out as yet), then 

 insert the leg rods, and tighten the nuts. Set the legs on 

 as nearly right as possible while the skeleton form lies on the 

 floor, then stand it up, put it on a rough pedestal, and sec how 

 it looks. Now comes the crucial test of your knowledge and 

 artistic sense. A number of things are wrong, and the shaky 

 skeleton of the manikin " don't look right." 



What is the matter ? Is one of the front legs bent forward at 

 the carpal joint ? Then straighten it. Is the animal coupled 

 too short ? Then move one pair of legs a trifle on the centre 

 board, to increase the length of the body. Do not the legs walk 

 naturally ? Then make them. Are the forelegs, and hind legs 

 also, too close together ? Then your squares are too short, and 

 they must be lengthened by placing a bit of board under each 

 one, as seen under the hind-leg square of the tiger manikin. 



You will probably iioed to shift the feet on the pedestal also, 

 by boring new holes. You can make any leg longer or shorter, 

 make the stride shorter or longer, and, in fact, make any 

 change that your eye, or your picture or cast tells you is neces- 

 sary. The vital necessity is that your eye must be so trained 

 and educated that it detects a fault instantly, no matter how 

 slight, and sees w r hat is required to remedy it. The eye of a 

 successful taxidermist must be educated just as thoroughly as 

 the hand of a pianist. 



For a large animal, it is, for me, several hours' work to attach 

 the legs to the body board, and make the changes necessary to 

 bring everything into perfect position. The last thing is to 

 take the cleaned skin out of the bath, throw it over the skeleton 

 manikin, and see how it fits. If, when it is adjusted, the feet do 

 not touch the pedestal, you know that the manikin is too high, 

 and you must either cut down the top of the centre board with a 

 draw-shave, or else lower it by attaching the squares nearer the 

 top. In this trial the feet should stand loosely upon the floor. 



Having got everything finally adjusted,' put the screws in the 

 squares, tighten up all nuts, and put a washer under each nut 

 that strikes the pedestal, both above and below, and make all 

 secure. There must be no looseness, or the manikin will lean 

 over immediately. The centre board should stand exactly per- 

 pendicular. Test it with a plumb-line, and see if it does so. Is 



