MOUNTING .MAMMAL HEADS. 169 



nostrils, give the latter good depth. Make the opening- so deep 

 that no one can ever see the bottom of it. No little fault dis- 

 gusts me more than to see the nostrils of a deer, buffalo, or elk 

 all plastered up with putty, as if the animal had never drawn a 

 breath. Make your animal look as if it were brat filing, rather 

 than standing- up with rods in its legs, and its hide full of rub- 

 bish. 



16. The eyes come next. Arrange the lids carefully over the 

 clay, which nearly nils the orbit, then insert the glass eye, 

 (which in every ruminant should have an elongated pupil and 

 white corners), and work it into its exact position. Do not 

 have too much clay behind it, or it will have a bulging, overfed, 

 or choked-to-death expression. Do not let it protrude until it 

 could be knocked off the head with a bean-pole, or lassoed with 

 a grape-vine. Keep the eye well down in the orbit, and the 

 front corner \vell sunken. An animal's expression depends upon 

 the eye more than any other one thing, and the expression of 

 the eye is dependent upon the disposition of the eyelid and the 

 line of sight. A good glass eye has just as much power of va- 

 ried expression as has a living, naked eyeball which is //" 

 jxnoer whatever unless it be the eyeball of an angry cat. 



17. See that both eyes look at the same point, in front, about 

 eight feet distant ; that precisely the same amount of iris 

 shows in each, in short, that both are exactly alike in every re- 

 spect. A deer should have a mild, but wide-awake not star- 

 ing expression, and the attitude should not be unpleasantly 

 strained, either in the curve of the neck or the carriage of the 

 head. Avoid the common error of making a deer's head too 

 " proud." No goose-necks or goitre on your deer, if you please. 



Having finished the eyes and fashioned the nostrils, cut sonic 

 pieces of pasteboard, bend them to the right shape, and either 

 sew or pin them upon the ears to hold them in precisely the 

 right attitude until they dry. If the ears have lead in them they 

 will support themselves. Lastly, wash the head thoroughly t<> 

 get all the dirt and clay out of the hair, and comb it until it 

 lays naturally. Now hang the head up in a dry room and leave 

 it for a month, if possible, two weeks at all hazards. 



AYhon quite dry and shrunken, Ifrush it well, and rub around 

 the mouth, nose, eyes, and ears with a tooth-brush to remove the 



