APPENDIX. 95 



out fastening them to the stand. Then, after making 

 a mould in plaster of the entire body, head, legs, 

 and all, taking care to place the body in some life-like 

 attitude, I place the frame within the mould, and run 

 plaster around it, thus completing the cast. I would 

 advise those who wish to arrive at early perfection in 

 this art, to take a few lessons in plaster-casting. The 

 ears of Mammals should be skinned, and the mem- 

 brane supplied with thin sheet-lead, fastened to the 

 cast or skull with wire. 



Dried skins of large Mammals are mounted upon 

 models made of plaster and clay. 



NOTE TO SEC. II. The Dermal Preservative will be 

 found excellent in preserving the skins of mammals, in 

 fact it completely tans them. Take a moderately sized 

 skin, for example that of a fox ; after skinning as directed 

 for tanning, keep the skin right side out and rub it well 

 with Preservative, keeping it in a warm room and near 

 a fire ; as soon as the skin begins to dry a little, which 

 will occur in a short time, it should be scraped with a 

 blunt knife to remove the inner skin. This peels off in 

 strips ; and, as the skin dries, the scraping should be 

 continued, at the same time the skin should be 

 stretched and rubbed, continuing until the whole 

 becomes soft. Skins that have been dried should be 

 soaked in water in which a quantity of Preservative has 

 been dissolved, then treated as above directed. 



I now mount mammals in a similar manner as I do 

 birds, with equally good results. Clay and plaster are 

 excellent, but great care must be exercised not to over- 

 fill the animal, for if this be the case the skin in 

 shrinking will invariably pull out the stitches where it 



