196 



METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



taken, begin to sew up the opening as I have directed in the mounting 

 of the squirrel, by the understitch, filling in any of the parts that 

 seem to be deficient as you proceed. Continue to sew the opening all 

 the way to the end of the tail. The coyote is now ready to be placed 

 on its pedestal, but only for trial. If the holes you have made to re- 

 ceive the leg irons in the temporary stand are not exactly correct you 

 will have to make others until the legs assume their proper attitude 

 on the board. At this stage the animal may be unsightly in form and 

 attitude, but do not get discouraged. It may need filling here and 

 there where you have overlooked the proportions, or miscalculated ; 

 or, perhaps you have not followed your measurements close enough. 

 Take it from its pedestal, and wherever there is a place in the body 

 that needs filling which you can reach through the seam which you 

 have sewed up, cut the threads in the opening, and fill with tow any 

 part that is deficient in filling, or, distribute the tow in the portions 

 that are too full to other parts that are lacking. In this way you must 

 manipulate, mould and form your animal until it has reached its 

 proper proportions in every part. Study your subject as carefully now 

 as you did before it was skinned, and refer to your measurements, 

 !rawings, casts, etc., constantly. We shall once more place it on its 

 pedestal and examine critically its form, attitude, and the position of 

 the legs. Upon this trial we have succeeded in shaping the coyote 

 nearly as we desire, and it begins to look more natural; the finishing 

 touches, however, will work wonders in its appearance. We can now 

 place washers on the threaded ends of the leg irons beneath the pedes- 

 tal, put on the nuts and screw them up firmly. At this stage the im- 

 portant part of the operation lies in giving the correct form to every 

 part of the animal, and for this you will depend largely upon your 

 measurements, drawings, etc., and also upon your knowledge of the 

 proportions of the living subject ; the latter being, sometimes, all that 

 we have to depend on in mounting specimens from dry skins. We 

 will fill the cheeks out to their natural fullness with chopped tow 

 and potter's clay, and if you have pocketed the lips (see Chapter 

 X), fill the pockets with clay and press them into shape, and make 

 them come close together as in life; in this shape and position they 

 will dry and never shrink. Some taxidermists sew the lips closed 

 with thread, as seen in Fig. 6, Plate XLVI. This is quite unnecessary, 

 and you will never resort to it when you have learned by experience 

 the value of clay for this purpose. Insert the eyes in clay mixed 

 with strong glue-water, or imbed them in papier-mache. The color- 



