TAXIDEfcMY. 87 



taking away the cartilages which are in the inside of 

 the head. We must take care not to enlarge the 

 openings of the branchiae; if we do, we must sew 

 them up again, and it is not easy to hide a seam in 

 the skin of a fish. We sometimes, however, repair 

 the defects of mounted fish by employing putty ; 

 and, when it is dry, we paint it the proper colour 

 in oil. 



The sharks are generally of a large size, and for 

 that reason we put a stick in the middle of the body, 

 after having anointed and half-stuffed it. This 

 piece of wood must enter a little into the head, to 

 support it. If we intend hanging this fish to the 

 ceiling, we put some pieces of iron wire at a little 

 distance, fastened to the stick ; these wires will pass 

 across the stomach, and will serve to suspend the 

 animal. This done, we continue to anoint it, stuff* 

 it, and sew it; it will be necessary to introduce the flax 

 by the eyes and mouth to furnish the head ; we then 

 place the eyes; and as the semi-transparent cartilages 

 are in many fish intimately connected with the eyes, 

 we represent them after the animal is dry, with gum- 

 arabic, in which we have put a little powdered 

 starch. * Sharks do not require any varnish. 



What we have just said of fish of this kind, is 

 applicable to a variety of genera. When they are 

 mounted, we put several coats of spirits of tur- 



* That is, we represent the cornea of the e}*e with thii . 



