66 



PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



MOUNTING HEADS, ANTLERS, AND HORNS. 



The heads of the yarious wild ruminants, and those of 

 the larger canivorons animals, when well mounted, make 

 showy and life-like ornaments. Even the heads of do- 

 mestic animals, such as the bullock, goat, sheep, dog, etc., 

 can be made attractive for halls, dming, and club-rooms. 

 To succeed well, a knowledge of their anatomy and char- 

 acteristics is necessary, and great care should be taken in 

 modelling. 



The average sportsman can preserve and mount a head 

 with fair effect, after a few trials ; but good mounting of 

 large animals requires considerable i^ractice and experi- 



MOLDS FOR CASTING HEADS 



ence. I employ two methods for mounting heads. The 

 first is on a cast : Remove the skm as in the preceding 

 chapter ; clean it of all loose flesh over a currier's board or 

 smooth piece of wood with a convex surface. The fleshy 

 parts of the lips and the flesh about the ears must be 

 carefully removed with a small knife. When cleaned, 

 place in pickle over night, or until wanted. I have suc- 

 cessfully kept skins two years in the pickle described else- 

 where. It cleans the skin and coat, partially tans the hide, 

 and prevents the hair from falling out. Next, holding the 



