METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



49 



Melt the gum arable in water, after which boil all the ingredients 

 well together. 



Artificial Branches. — Take a piece of annealed wire of a suitable 

 thickness, fasten it to a stand and wind fine tow around it, binding it 

 firmly down with twine. Bend it to the desired angle. Over the sur- 

 face apply common glue and then cover it with lichen that has first 

 been pulverized. This makes a most natural looking artificial branch, 

 and any number of shoots desired can be made from the main trunk. 

 Artificial leaves should first be fastened at various points on the branch 

 before the glue has been applied. 



The method I employ in making artificial branches is similar to 

 the one just described, except that I spread papier-mache over the sur- 

 face, comb a grain in it to look like bark and paint it to represent the 

 color of the natural surface. Artificial stumps can be made in this 

 manner and decorated round about with grasses and mosses 



In my collection I have a number of specimens mounted on nat- 

 ural cedar stumps admirably arranged and decorated by Mr. Frank B. 

 Webster, and I do not hesitate to pronounce them a success. I shall 

 here quote what he says concerning them : "A good assortment of old 

 roots, obtained from the dead trees in swamps — the soft rotten brown 

 ones and the bleached cedars should be sought after. In fact, the 

 finest and most valuable stumps are some of these choice natural ones. 

 These, with a few principles to work upon, will produce variation of 

 results as great as the imagination." 



Artificial Branches. — Another method of making artificial branches 

 which ver)- closely resemble the natural may be simply and quickl)- 

 done in the following manner : Prepare a skeleton tree of heavy wire, 

 brush the same with glue and wrap with tow to the desired dimensions. 

 Brush glue over the tow and wrap with strips of rags about an inch 

 in width, in order to give smoothness. The tree is now ready to be 

 modeled with what I shall term a plaster; to be made as follows : Into 

 a cup place a quantity of yellow ochre in the dry form, and with the 

 ochre mix a very small amount of dry lampblack. Have ready some 

 well-cooked glue, such as would be used for joining, and pour the 

 same slowly into the dry mixture of ochre and lampblack, stirring 

 until the mass becomes a thick paste or plaster. Get a small twig 

 from a tree and compare in color with the mixture. If the latter is too 

 dark, add more ochre, if too light more lampblack. Now, with an old 

 case-knife spread the plaster over the trunk and branches of the arti- 

 ficial tree. If you want leaves on the tree place them as desired before 

 modeling the branches. Allow the plaster to become hard, and if your 



