298 METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



skull a heavy coating of arsenical paste and leave it in that state while 

 you make a manikin of tow and wire. Select a piece of annealed 

 wire sufficiently strong to bear the weight of your subject and several 

 inches longer than the carcass before you. Now wrap this wire with 

 tow and bind it with thread or strong cord, according to the size of the 

 specimen. INIake this manikin as nearly like the serpent's carcass as 

 possible, both in size and shape. Coat the skin and skull once more 

 with arsenical paste. Give the manikin you have made a heavy coat- 

 ing of clay mixed with chopped tow, insert the center wire (which 

 should always be left long enough) into the skull cavity, at the same time 

 arranging the clay-covered manikin in the skin and, after all has been 

 carefully adjusted, begin to sew up the opening. If you desire to give 

 the snake a curled up attitude, it will be necessary to provide an extra 

 wire, which should be wrapped with the body wire in the tow and 

 come out at any point necessary to enter the pedestal in order to give 

 the snake the desired attitude. An additional wire should extend 

 from the tail if two bends or curls are to be made. This is clearly 

 shown in Fig. 3, A, B, Plate LXXIX, and also in Fig. 5. By this 

 method you can place a snake in any desired attitude. For modeling 

 the open mouth, etc., I shall refer the reader to page 207. The eyes 

 are, of course, set in the same manner as those of birds or quadrupeds. 

 All the smaller snakes are best preserved entire in spirits, as directed 

 on page 45. 



In collecting the skins of the large serpents they should be pre- 

 served in spirits or in the salt and alum solution, to make them of any 

 value for mounting. 



The Mounting of Turtles. — The methods which I have employed 

 in the mounting of turtles within the last ten years have chiefly been 

 those laid down by Mr. Frederic A. Lucas, whose skill in this branch 

 of taxidermy is unexcelled. The most humane manner of killing a 

 turtle is with chloroform or by quickly piercing its heart and severing 

 its spinal column after the plastron has been lifted. We have taken 

 for our illustration in the mounting of turtles the hawkbill, that beau- 

 tiful marine turtle whose shell is so valued in commerce. It has an 

 elegant shape, hooked bill, large scales and long, fin-like flippers. The 

 figures we give in Plates LXXIX and LXXX will be sufficient to dem- 

 onstrate methods in other groups. With a small dissecting saw (Fig. 

 4, Plate II) you can cut through under the edge of the plastron on both 

 sides and all the way around the rear portion of it {b^ b to a^ a^ Fig. 1, 

 Plate LXXIX), but not any farther than the points «, a in front. 

 The plastron should remain attached to the front skin. With a long 



