MOUNTING A LARGE DISARTICULATED SKELETON. 299 



rib (d, d). Now fit the rib to the vertebra, and with a small awl, 

 a sharp -pointed wire, or drill, mark, through the holes already 

 made, the points on the articular surface of the vertebra through 

 which the holes should be drilled (a, a). Bore similar holes 

 through the rib of the opposite side, then through the vertebra 

 at the points marked, and the wire will pass through as in the 

 figure. 



Continue this same process for the remaining ribs. It will be 

 found, however, that the process of carrying a single wire 

 through the heads of both ribs and the anterior portion of the 

 body of the vertebra cannot be continued with all. In the last 

 of the dorsal vertebrae the wires will have to be put through the 

 head of the rib and the pedicles of the vertebra? into the neural 

 canal. 



Make a loop on the end of each wire, as at a, a, Fig. 74, and 

 put the ribs on each vertebra as they belong, having only one 

 end of the wire the one on which is made a double loop- 

 pulled up snugly. The other end of the wire should be left a 

 few inches in length, but bent slightly close to the rib, to hold 

 the latter in place. 



Tho innominate bones should be attached to the sacrum 

 either by two brass bolts, one passing through each side at 

 about the middle of the articular surfaces between the sacrum 

 and each ilium, or by passing a heavy double wire through 

 each of these places. Before tightening permanently, apply 

 " plaster-glue " (the mixture of glue and plaster Paris already 

 described) to the articular surfaces between the sacrum and ilia, 

 thus when dry making the pelvis firm. 



Now that the ribs are attached to the vertebra?, and the in- 

 nominate bones to the sacrum, proceed to string the vertebras 

 again on the wires and rod. The atlas can now be attached to 

 the axis by passing wires through the holes previously made, 

 after which the wires are to be twisted firmly together. 



"NVhen all the vertebrae with their ribs attached have been put 

 in place, hang the backbone to a framework similar to that 

 used for suspending the alligator (Plate XIV.), or, what is much 

 better, to the ceiling, by two small ropes attached at the neck 

 and pelvis. 



With the pliers now twist tightly together the wires under 



