104 



Guide to Taxidermy 



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Be sure that the hair all lies smoothly. The body 

 of your animal is hard enough to withstand any 

 shrinkage of the skin, yet it can be j^inched with the 

 fingers to accentuate any curves desired; by clever 

 manipulation, very natural specimens can be made. 

 I f you are to have a nut in the specimen's paws, put 

 it in before drying, cutting the wires off just short 

 enough to insert in holes bored in each side of the 

 nut. Many taxidermists sew up the mouths of 

 small animals from the inside as soon as they are 

 skinned. This answers very well for commercial 

 taxidermy, but the results cannot compare to those 

 obtained by pinning the lips to the plaster form. 

 Squirrels, especially, always show their front teeth 

 and should, also, when they are mounted. Several 

 times a day, for three or four days, while the squir- 

 rel is drying you should run the hand down the tail, 

 the wrong way of the fur ; this will keep it standing 

 on end and give the tail the fluffy appearance of 

 life. On page 91 is a well mounted squirrel, in a 

 correct position, as he sits on a log eating a nut. 



