MUSEUMS. 327 



a couple of wedges. By this contrivance you can 

 raise the animal as high as you wish, or you can 

 lower it at your pleasure; and the feet will just 

 touch the table, without requiring any wire inside 

 to support them. I used formerly to put a stick 

 into the skin by way of back-bone, with pieces of 

 string tied to it at short intervals. These pieces of 

 string were passed through the skin, just where the 

 back-bone had been ; and then they were attached 

 to a gallows above, which gave an excellent support 

 to the skin. But I now prefer the other process, as 

 I find it more convenient. 



Every thing is now ready for the artist to exer- 

 cise his abilities. 



With a piece of iron, from the size of a large 

 darning-needle to that of a ramrod (or larger and 

 thicker still if the bulk of the animal require it), 

 and shaped at one end like a carpenter's pricker, he 

 will push out every part of the skin which ought to 

 be pushed out, and then reduce with the end of his 

 finger any part that may be too prominent ; having 

 already made divers small holes in the skin with his 

 penknife, in order to afford entrance to the working- 

 iron. Thus, a small hole on the top of the head will 

 enable him to reach the nose, upper lip, and cheeks ; 

 another behind the root of each ear ; another under 

 the jaws ; others, again, on the back, that he may 

 reach the legs and remaining parts of the body. 

 Under each foot there will also be a hole, to give 

 him the opportunity of getting at the toes. The 

 lips are by far the most difficult part to manage. 

 The operator must have a working-iron in both 

 y 4 



