GEOUPS OF MAMMALS. 245 



work should be absolutely above criticism. If you mount such 

 a group in haste, you are certain to repent at leisure. 



Having prepared your design, collected your specimens, and 

 made all your studies for the entire group, the next step, of 

 course, is mounting each individual specimen. It is an excellent 

 plan, and one which we have found particularly satisfactory in 

 grouping ruminants, to prepare all the manikins before put- 

 ting any skin on permanently. "We begin with the most im- 

 portant specimen. By mounting the manikins one by one, and 

 grouping them, we are able to secure the precise artistic effect 

 that was intended in our design. The grouping of the naked 

 manikins from time to time enables you to eliminate errors, 

 and make such changes in the attitudes as the eye may sug- 

 gest. 



A few facts in relation to the work done in setting up the 

 buffalo group will serve as a fair index to work of this kind. 

 Of course it is to be understood that every case is to have a 

 wooden floor, and that one end can be opened bodily. Each 

 of our buffaloes stood on a strong, thick base by itself, a rough 

 pedestal, in fact, of a very substantial character. With pine 

 boards w r e built a miniature hill, on which stands the spike 

 bull, placed him upon it, and fastened him there permanently. 

 The final work of arrangement was not undertaken until a 

 trial grouping in the case had been satisfactorily made, and 

 the exact position of each specimen definitely settled. A 

 hole was cut in the bottom of the case, to give depth to the 

 pool of water. The bottom of this pool was carefully mod- 

 eled in papier-mache, and painted. The specimens standing 

 farthest from the end containing the doors were first put in 

 place, and the groundwork built up around them. The face 

 of the cut bank was made by nailing wire cloth to a skeleton 

 framework of boards, and covering this with a coarse sort of 

 papier-macho, made of sawdust, plaster Paris, glue, and hair, 

 and used in large quantities. As fast as a specimen was put 

 in place and fastened, the rough groundwork of boards was 

 covered with the papier-mache composition to make a per- 

 fectly smooth foundation to receive the prairie sod. From first 

 to last, between three and four barrels of this coarse papier- 

 mache was used. It was made to set quickly, and the modeling 



