262 



METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



than it is ou the other; make it so accurate and so well-balanced on 

 all sides that it will bear the closest scrutiny from every view. Fill 

 the body out to its natural size, but never too full ; the latter is the 

 most common fault to be found in the work of the beginner. Remem- 

 ber that the legs of your mammal are never perfectly round and thick ; 

 on the contrary, the thigh is broad and flat and the muscles of the upper 

 arm are of a similar shape, but not so broad as those of the thigh. The 

 examination of a single mammal when skinned will reveal all this and 

 many other points which are unnecessary to describe. In mounting 

 quadrupeds, as in birds, be sure that the heels are brought close together ; 

 do not spread them far apart. A quadruped in life cannot walk or stand 

 with the heels very far apart unless it is deformed. This point is well 

 illustrated in a number of figures in Plates LX to LXVI inclusive. 

 One of the most important parts of a mounted animal is the head. 

 Every detail of the body may be most perfectly wrought, but if the 

 head and face be poorly finished, the chief beauty of the specimen is 

 lacking : the life expression is gone. The ears, lips and nose must then 

 have your special attention in their preparation, and the eyes must be 

 set with the greatest care. The time necessary to model and develop 

 this particular part of the animal depends, of course, altogether upon 

 the character of the head and the shape the mouth is to assume. The 

 beginner should be very careful when mounting an animal with its 

 mouth open. 



In using the clay, papier-mache, the wax and tube colors, the best 

 judgment must be exercised. These have all been discussed in former 

 chapters. You may approach more nearly to perfection if you will often 

 be your own critic. Allow no mounted mammal to pass out of your 

 hands that has not undergone your inspection. You should be able to 

 assert the excellence of your work, or "damn it with faint praise," or 

 somebody will do it for you. It is better to shoulder the responsibility 

 and let your specimens speak for themselves. 



I will say with Mr. Lucas, that nine-tenths or more of the carniv- 

 ores mounted by taxidermists have their mouths wide open, and are 

 trying to look fierce without having any adequate cause for so doing, 

 and without, in the least, showing their emotion by their attitude. 

 Animals rarely open their mouths without accompanying the ac- 

 tion with an equally expressive movement of the limbs. A knowl- 

 edge of methods in taxidermy by which we can overcome difficulties 

 in the construction of the frame-work, is absolutely necessary, but a 

 mere knowledge of methods will not give the artistic eye and skilled 

 hand necessary for attaining the best results. While practical methods 



