CASTS OF MAMMALS, FISHES, AND REPTILES. 269 



piece. In order to keep the plaster from sticking to the hair, 

 till the hair full of thick clay-water, or thin clay, and plaster 

 it down with the pasty mass so that the plaster Paris will not 

 run into it. Coat the whiskers and eyelids with warm wax, or 

 fill them full of clay. Do this thoroughly, to save the hair and 

 save trouble. A little hair will stick in the mould anyway, but 

 when you take the mould off, work the animal slowly and care- 

 fully from the mould, perhaps pouring in a little water to facil- 

 itate matters. 



Always make a waste mould in these cases, to save time. If 

 your cast breaks in two while you are chiseling the mould off, 

 go ahead more carefully, and when you are done, chip the bro- 

 ken edges at the back, wet them with water, and stick them 

 together with plaster. Small casts can be stuck together with 

 shellac. If your mould breaks in pieces while you are taking it 

 off, don't be discouraged, but simply put the pieces together, 

 back them up with more plaster, and come up smiling for the 

 next round. 



It is often necessary to cast skulls or teeth, to put in skins 

 that are being mounted, though it is better to carve a skull out 

 of soft wood. 



CASTING FISHES. Fishes are easy and interesting subjects to 

 cast. 



Usually only one side is taken, and the cast is then mounted 

 on a flat slab, or perhaps on two brass standards. The full 

 method of procedure is as follows : 



W.-ish off the mucus with alum- water. Put some dry alum on 

 the side to be cast, to harden the soft edges of the fins, and make 

 every scale stand out distinctly. Clean the fish carefully, close 

 the mouth, adjust the eye and the gills. Lay the fish on its 

 side, with the side to be cast uppermost. Take some modeling 

 clay, beat it out, and roll it into a smooth, square cake with par- 

 allel sides. With a small wire cut a section of this cake, and 

 place it under each fin, so that the fin will be held in position as 

 in life. 



To make a piece mould, make it in three pieces, thus : Put up 

 a wall of clay around the head from the base of the dors;d fin 

 to the base of the anal fin, keeping the clay wall a littlo dis- 

 tance away from the head and body. With plaster Paris till 



