72 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



and turned a little one side, like a tack-lifter ; the other 

 end is driven into a large wooden handle. Crammers of 

 various sizes will be found useful in all kinds of work. 



Continue to stuff the neck until it is hard and has the 

 desired shape. Draw down the skin tightly with pliers, 

 and nail it firmly all around the edge of the base-board. 

 Put a large screw-hook in the top of the base-board, to 

 hang up the head and facilitate the work about the muzzle. 

 Turn down the skin covering the under jaw, crowd a little 

 clay under it, around the edges, and nail in position with 

 round nails, which pierce the plaster without cracking. 

 Pull down the nose-skin, fill out 

 the nostrils slightly with clay, 

 also the lip, and turn in the dark 

 skin of the lip over the clay, so 

 that the line where the hair com- 

 mences will form the outline of 

 the sides of the mouth. It will 

 be found necessary to make a nar- 

 row fold at each corner of the 

 mouth, in order that the skin 

 may lie naturally. Secure it with wire tacks. Drive 

 a small nail part way into the center of the nose, to 

 hold the muzzle in position when drying. Model the 

 nos^e, insert the eyes, and perfect the anatomy around 

 them by modelling. Crowd the ears full of clay at their 

 bottoms, and sew pasteboard on their insides, to hold 

 them in position, until dry. Model them in pricked 

 position, connect, and draw them slightly together with 

 a needle and thread, and dress down the whole coat 

 with a fine metal comb. Coat the hair well with thin 

 flour paste, applied smoothly with a stiff brush, and hang 

 up to dry. 



When thoroughly dried, remove the pasteboard from 

 the ears, comb out the hair and brush it clean. The 

 paste will come from the hair in small scales, carrying 



END OF CRAMMER. 



