304 MUSEUMS. 



The mouth must be sewed up from the inside 

 (the skin being inside out when you sew it), begin- 

 ning exactly in the front, and continuing the oper- 

 ation each way to the end of the gape. When the 

 skin is taken out of the solution, it must be filled 

 quite full of chaff or sawdust (but I prefer chaff), 

 not minding whether the fur be wet or dry. When 

 this has been done, the skin has almost the appear- 

 ance of an inflated bag, quite deficient in feature 

 and in muscular appearance. ' Rudis, indigestaque 

 moles." It now depends upon the skill and anato- 

 mical knowledge of the operator (perhaps I ought 

 to call him artist in this stage of the business), to 

 do such complete justice to the skin before him, that, 

 when a visiter shall gaze upon it afterwards, he will 

 exclaim, " That animal is alive !" " Stare loco nescit, 

 micat auribus, et tremit artus ! " 



There are now no obstacles, either from without 

 or from within, to impede the artist's progress. The 

 skin is perfectly free from all chance of putrefaction, 

 is quite supple, and will remain so as long as re- 

 quired. There is no hard body inside to obstruct 

 the transit of a working-iron ; there is not anything 

 in the shape of wires to prevent him from lengthen- 

 ing or shortening the neck, body, thighs, and legs, 

 according to his own judgment. 



Now we proceed to support the skin in any 

 attitude the artist may wish to place it in. 



Join two pieces of wood in the shape of a carpen- 

 ter's gimlet, and of size corresponding to the size of 

 the animal. When you have nearly filled the ab- 

 domen with chaff, introduce this machine, and let 



