Guide to Taxidermy 



135 



better for the novice, before the skin is put on the 

 head at all. The nostrils should be tucked in the 

 cavities made for them and a small wad of cotton 

 pushed in each to keep the skin in position. The 

 upper, then the under lips must be tucked into their 

 recesses and pinned there, using common pins for 

 the purpose, driving them into the plaster with a 

 tack hammer. The tear-duct should be in place and 

 a flat-headed wire nail driven through it into the 

 skull, the head of the nail drawing the skin down 

 and keeping it in the cavity in the skull. The eye- 

 lids are to be carefully tacked into position and a 

 great deal of the success of your mount will depend 

 upon the artistic skill with which you can make 

 these little finishing touches. Witli a sharp-edged 

 skinning knife now cut off the superfluous neck 

 skin, cutting close to the neck board. The head is 

 now rested upon its horns and a temporary board 

 screwed on the back-board. This should be quite a 

 bit larger than the neck-board and should have a 

 large hole bored near the top edge so 3^ou can hang 

 the head up to dry. 



The ear, which is already tinned, should be 

 bent into shape and held in position by driving a 



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