FISHES, 15 



the plaster is hardened, the boards, etc., are reversed and the 

 rest of the work is carried on from the opposite side of the 

 body. All that portion of the fish which projects through 

 the opening is first cut away, and then all of the muscles, 

 bones and viscera, are carefully removed until nothing re- 

 mains but the skin supporting the fins and its plaster backing. 

 In this condition one side of the skin is entire and on the 

 other side a narrow strip of skin extends around the median 

 line of the body from a quarter to half of an inch in width. 

 The interior of the skin is now dusted with arsenic. The eye 

 is then placed in position and the skin is filled with plaster 

 mixed to about the consistency of cream. The double pointed 

 carpet tacks are then taken, and their points, 

 having been bent as shown in the adjacent 

 figure, are hooked into the strip of skin and 

 the loop embedded in the plaster. A small 



FIG 3 



strip of wood (previously coated with shellac 

 to prevent undue expansion from the moisture), is also em- 

 bedded in the plaster, its upper surface being even with that 

 of the plaster. The two halves of the board are separated 

 when the plaster becomes dry, the skin with its plaster interior 

 is removed from its mould and washed and the fins placed in 

 clips so that they may dry flat. When thoroughly dry, the 

 specimen is mounted on a wooden tablet by screws passing 

 into the embedded block and the whole is ready for exhibi- 

 tion. 



No means have yet been found of preserving the ' natural 

 colors of the fish ; and the only way of representing them on 

 the specimens thus mounted is by means of paints. 



