MOUNTING FISHES. 211 



to be taking a header, and when the reverse is the case, it sug- 

 gests a ship sinking stern foremost. 



3. Having thoroughly cleaned the inside of the skin, anoint 

 it liberally with arsenical soap, or if you have not that, with a 

 plentiful sprinkling of powdered arsenic. 



4. For the fourth step filling I shall describe two very 

 different processes, advising the beginner to make a fair trial of 

 both, and then adopt the one he succeeds best with. 



The filling which I infinitely prefer for a fish is clay and 

 chopped tow, mixed together, and used as stiff as may be to work 

 well. Clay which is too soft when used shrinks as the excess of 

 water dries out of it, and is liable to leave an uneven surface. 

 With a flat modeling-tool, coat the centre-board evenly with the 

 clay until you have reproduced the form and size of the fleshy 

 body of the fish. Then put the skin over this, press it down 

 firmly to exclude all air-bubbles, working it from the back down 

 ward. When you find that the skin fits perfectly and without 

 any drawing or straining, begin at the tail and sew the skin to- 

 gether, making, as you proceed, a perfect finish of the specimen. 

 Draw the edges closely together, and the more perfectly the 

 scales can be made to hide the opening the better. 



The other filling process is to use fine, soft tow, chopped up 

 finely. With a goodly quantity of tow before you, open the fish 

 skin, and with your forceps insert a layer of tow all along the 

 back, and also on the side which lies next to the table. Then 

 put the centre-board in its place, while the skin still lies before 

 you, and with the forceps distribute an equal quantity of tow 

 between the upper side of the board and the skin. Thus a per- 

 fect and even cushion of tow is provided to lie between the skin 

 and the board at all points save below. Begin at the tail, and 

 with your needle and thread sew up the skin for an inch or two : 

 then with your small forceps or filler, stuff to the right size and 

 shape the portion that has been sewn up. That done, sew up 

 another section, and stuff as before, proceeding thus until the 

 head is reached and the entire fish has been filled and shaped. 

 Notches nmst be cut in the skin at the points where the brass 

 rods enter it. 



All this time the fish has been kept wet so that the fins are 

 soft and elastic, and the scales are perfectly smooth. The fins 



