CLEANING AND MOUNTING SMALL SKELETONS. 295 



course fish skeletons are never macerated, but must be scraped 

 and mounted with their natural ligaments in place. Each 

 skeleton requires two brass standards, one clasping the verte- 

 bral column close to the tail, the other near the head. A very 

 long fish, or one with a large skull, requires three standards, 

 one for the skull and one for the middle of the body. Where 

 only two are used for r, large fish, the head requires to be sup- 

 ported by a wire running from the centre of the backbone. 



