MODELLING AND SETTING-UP OF A WILD SHEEP 143 



nail. When the paper model was quite finished, — the animal, 

 which was intended for the tiger group, being shown lying 

 prone, as if dead, — its weight was 95 lbs., or say 100 lbs. with 

 patching and putting together, bringing the weight of the 

 finished elephant to 2 1 2 lbs. only, or less than 2 cwt. 



The writer has been often asked what should be done to 

 cure and preserve thick skins, elephants' feet, etc., in India, and 

 the advice given has been that, directly the animal was killed and 

 skinned, the foot or other parts should be steeped in a bath 

 made according to Formula 8 5 (p. 141). Let the skin, or foot, 

 lie in this from two to ten hours, to discharge the blood, and 

 also to harden the tissues, and follow with the second bath 

 (Formula 86, p. 141) in the proportions given ; or, if the skin is 

 at all disposed to be " high," make a thick paste, with hot water 

 if possible, of the burnt alum, saltpetre, and powdered bichro- 

 mate, and let it be rubbed in, outside and in, and it will 

 be more than surprising should they not be perfectly preserved. 

 Arsenic is always useless, and especially in wet weather. 



If the specimens can be dried anyhow before being packed 

 away, it is just as well ; otherwise, should the weather be 

 continuously wet, it is necessary to look them over soon after 

 dressing, and to rub more paste into the folds of the skin, 

 etc., and, should mildew appear, to brush the skin over with 

 Formula 1 1 (p. 36). 



Modelling a Wild Sheep 



A sheep, which was next done, was varied by the paper 

 model being allowed to dry in the mould for some two weeks, 

 when, by careful cutting around and gentle handling, the 

 whole of the two halves came out hard and firm. This wild 

 sheep, or more correctly mouflon, was fixed thus : — A |^" 

 board, as before, was fitted to each half in such a manner as 

 not to rise above the edges. Where the shoulders interfered. 



