TAXIDERMY. 2j9 



ate to be of the size of a fox, we then take an iron 

 wire of such a thickness that four pieces introduced 

 into the legs can support the animal. We then 

 take a piece of about two feet long, but thinner 

 than that destined for the paws, to enable us to 

 form what we call a tail-bearer. We must bend 

 this piece of iron wire at nearly one-third of its 

 length, tp form an oval of it, smaller than the hand ; 

 twist the two ends together, leaving one of them a 

 little shorter than the other, then measuring the 

 iron by the skinned tail, we cut it the same length, 

 independent of the oval. This measure exactly 

 taken, we wrap the wire in flax, taking it by the 

 point and turning it round between the fingers, 

 constantly increasing the flax towards the oval. 

 Rub the flax of this tail-bearer with a little flour- 

 paste, to preserve the shape, and it then has the 

 length and circumference of the skinned tail : it 

 must afterwards dry: introduce a little of the pre- 

 servative into the sheath or skin of the tail with a 

 small brush; we also rub the tail- bearer with the 

 preservative, and put it into the sheath ; the oval, 

 which is now placed within the body, serves to fix 

 the tail to the iron which replaces the vertebral co- 

 lumn. 



We take five pieces of iron wire of the diameter 



of a straw, one of which must be a foot longer than 



the body of the animal, the others destined for the 



legs must be as long as they are. We sharpen one 



c S 



