128 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



under the eyes, about the lips, and between the wrinkles, in 

 order to keep all in position and prevent parts from starting 

 as the work dried. The skin, having been suffered to dry 

 for a day or two, was well hand-stretched all over, except, 

 of course, at the head, which was carefully protected and bound 

 down by the skin of the neck upon the modelling -table. 

 In the meantime the skin, wherever thick and hard, was again 

 pared and rubbed. 



Prior to this the body, being entirely freed of its skin, 

 presented itself as a complete carcase without its head ; and 

 here it is as well to remark that the lungs should be inflated, 

 before a cast of the body is taken, in this manner : — 



After the head is removed, seize the trachea and draw, it 

 out of the neck for a few inches, dissecting around it if neces- 

 sary, then insert a short length of lead piping in the case of 

 a large animal, or glass tubing in the case of a small one, and 

 tie the trachea tightly on to this with stout string. If the 

 tube or cannula has a slight constriction or neck a little way 

 from the end, any danger of its slipping out will be removed. 

 When the tube is fixed, the lungs may be inflated, in the case 

 of a small animal with the mouth, but in a larger one it is best 

 to fix a length of india-rubber tubing to the pipe and inflate 

 with bellows. When the lungs are nearly full, not quite, apply 

 a ligature to the trachea below the tube, tie tightly, and remove 

 the tube. 



The carcase was then laid, with the neck pointing to the 

 left hand, upon a long, stout board, and, the attitude shown 

 in Plate VI. having been selected, the mode of procedure was as 

 follows : — The tail was thrown up and the limbs placed some- 

 what in position ; this, however, had the obvious disadvantage 

 of presenting merely a flat surface, such as would appear on a 

 basso-relievo, the body being flat, with no curves on the upper 

 or under surface, and the uppermost limbs (those of the 



