3IO 



METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



porary pedestal go over it carefully, marking in the wrinkles and 

 working out the prominences, and, if needful, adding, by way of the 

 mouth, clay and tow to complete the throat. 



"In mounting small turtles the wires of each end are secured as 

 follows : Having made the tail and hind legs, bend an eye in the tail 

 wire, opposite the inner ends of the legs, pass the leg-wires through 

 this, and twist all firmly together. Fasten the neck and front legs in 

 a similar manner, and twist the wires of both ends firmly together, so 

 that the united wires form a sort of backbone. . 



" In making the legs of small turtles be sure that they 2,x^ flattened 

 instead of round, and before skinning note well their shape. Fasten 

 the leg-wire solidly to the bone, and wrap firmly and smoothly around 

 with tow, forming a leg much smaller than the finished one will be. 

 All the vacancy is to be supplied with the clay and tow mixture, which 

 can be modeled into shape from the outside. It will be remembered 

 that in the beginning it was noted that it would greatly facilitate the 

 mounting to make a cut along the foot and under the lower part of the 

 leg. Through this cut superfluous clay can be removed or additional 

 clay introduced ; and it is a very easy matter to sew up this cut in such 

 a manner as to render it practically invisible. The manipulation of 

 clay will be found at first somewhat aggravating, as it will persist in 

 going where it is not wanted rather than where it is ; but without the 

 use of such a material it is practically impossible to correctly mount 

 a turtle. The neck-wire of turtles can be fastened to the head by run- 

 ning it into the occiput and down through the base of the skull, and 

 then twisting it upon itself. Be careful to get enough clay on the 

 upper back portion of the skull to properly supply the great temporal 

 muscles, as any deficiency there will create a very ugly, shrunken ap- 

 pearance. Modeling the neck and its junction with the fore legs is th« 

 most difficult part in mounting, and unfortunately no directions can be 

 given which will insure success. The main thing, after the mechan- 

 ical part of the work has been mastered, is to study well the form of 

 the living and dead animal, and to strive to reproduce that form 

 exactly. " That is good enough," is a phrase I am sorry to say most 

 of us use, but it is a very mischievous little sentence, and can usually be 

 translated — that is not good enough. There is no royal road to good 

 taxidermy, nor can it be done by machinery, nor by the use of unlim- 

 ited tools. Tools are a great help, but they are only a help, and to do 

 good work you must be careful, thoughtful and observant. Without 

 those requisites, although your work may be good enough, it will never 

 be good. Occasionally in the making of groups, or in mounting spec- 



