134 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



On resuming work in the morning, each half was set up- 

 right and held by one person, whilst another rammed fine clean 

 sawdust with a crooked iron rod into the bottom of, say, the 

 near fore leg, to make all solid. Some dry paper was then 

 rammed on top, and fixed into position by other pieces of paper 

 glued on both sides, wound around the iron rod, and attached to 

 the inside of the leg. As the limb filled, a wooden " crowder " 

 was used to push in more sawdust and paper alternately, 

 until, coming up to the shoulder, more paper than sawdust was 

 required. Nearing the board, all was made secure by gluing 

 paper or tow in underneath the board and to the edges of the 

 model inside; so as to enclose all flatly up to the board. The 

 hind limb of the same half was now treated in exactly the same 

 way, the result being that both limbs were solid, and cased in 

 by glued brown paper, the body being hollow at the back and 

 front of the board. The next process, therefore, was to fill up 

 behind with the soft paper previously mentioned, and, to assist 

 in its retention, some long strips of calico were glued upon the 

 board at intervals, their edges being allowed to lap over on the 

 top of the back. The stomach was filled up in like manner, 

 care being taken to pad out any accidental flatness which might 

 have been caused by pressure on the model whilst damp — a 

 matter of some importance being that, with care, no disturb- 

 ance of the muscles and other parts previously modelled takes 

 place. Afterwards, brown paper was glued over all until the 

 half model was fairly flat, care, of course, being taken, whilst 

 working, that the board kept its place inside. The other half 

 was treated in the same manner, and thus concluded another 

 day. 



The halves (similar ones are shown on Plate IV.) were 

 left for the night to dry, and work was resumed by securing 

 the fore and hind limb of one half by its nuts, by screwing 

 one with a washer upon the threaded portion of each rod. 



