METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



47 



ply to mix saw-dust with the clay, or saw-dust, plaster of Paris and clay. 

 Where it must be laid on in great masses he uses fine wood shavings 

 mixed with the clay and plaster of Paris. 



Papier- M ache. — It will repay any taxidermist four-fold to learn 

 to make and use a good quality of papier-mache. In fact, it is im- 

 possible for him, in many cases, to produce certain effects without its 

 use. It is indeed very simply made, and when you have experimented 

 with one or two batches of it you will discover what is required to 

 make the proper quality. 



This material has been manufactured in Europe for more than a 

 century, where it has been employed in making articles of ornamenta- 

 tion and use, and its composition has been modified according to the 

 nature of the articles manufactured. 



i shall first describe how to make it for our purpose, and then tell 

 in what way we employ it. Paper pulp, of course, is the first ingred- 

 ient you must prepare. If you cannot obtain it already manufactured 

 you must make it yourself. Take some old newspapers, of the soft 

 kind, tear them into bits and put them into a kettle of boiling water. 

 Beat them or grind them in any manner you choose until it becomes a 

 pulp free from lumps of any size whatever or small particles of paper. 

 Now dissolve some of the best quality of glue in your glue-pot to a 

 consistency commonly used in gluing articles of any kind. Take the 

 pulp from the water and gently squeeze it, but nol until it is perfectly 

 dry. Put the pulp in a bowl and pour in some of the hot glue and 

 stir it until it becomes a sticky mass. Now add some plaster of Paris and 

 again stir the whole together. If, after thoroughly mixing it, you dis- 

 cover that it is too dry to stick fast to some smooth surface add a few 

 more drops of glue or water. The whole mass should be vigorously 

 kneaded through the fingers until it is absolutely free from lumps. It 

 should always be kept in the form of a ball, and it will retain its soft- 

 ness for a day or two by wrapping it in several thicknesses of wet 

 cloth, or by placing it under an inverted bowl. If you desire to work 

 with it a number of days add a few drops of glycerine while you are 

 mixing it. Papier-mache to be of the best quality to work well should 

 be so sticky that when rubbed on the palm of the hand a thin coating 

 will adhere to it. There is positively no better material or composi- 

 tion than papier-mache when it comes to modeling the open mouths 

 of mammals, mending broken bones, modeling entire bones which are 

 to go into "restored" skeletons, filling up the chinks, seams and holes 

 in the skins of elephants or any other animals, restoring the portions 

 of the beaks and claws of birds that have been partly or wholly shot 



