64 We Explore Dead Lodge Canyon 



most careful scraping and cutting I got some 

 bone exposed, I filled it with diluted shellac or a 

 thin solution of ambroid, a cement I like better 

 than shellac, although it is costly. Then it must 

 be left, ( for a bone wet with shellac is like mud ) , 

 until thoroughly dry, and hard. The rock, too, 

 must be held together and strengthened in the 

 same way. What seemed for weeks an impossi- 

 ble task, became possible; as I got the bones 

 harder and harder. I had a solid mass to work 

 against with steel tools. These were either small 

 chisels or scrapers, made by beveling off the end 

 of large harness makers straight awls, (made in 

 Germany ) , or I used tools George made especial- 

 ly for me. He became quite skilful in tempering 

 tools. It is needless to say that the tools that 

 can be used in preparing one specimen cannot be 

 used for another. Where the rock is not too 

 hard, a saddler's crooked awl is very useful, but 

 with the skull referred to it would have been of 

 no use whatever. Patience, and unremitting en- 

 thusiasm, and the hope of success, even with this 

 specimen the worse one to prepare I ever saw, 

 have made success possible. 



So the preparation of these Red Deer River 

 Dinosaurs, require courage and patience, not 

 only for me, but for the boys, working incessent- 

 ly and going slowly to the finish. We must have 

 complete control of our nerves, a moment's im- 

 patience might wreck a specimen we have sought 

 for years. It is a great achievement to mount 



