222 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



from the skin, it is, in the case of those who are not artists, 

 and do not know how to reproduce the natural colour, advis- 

 able to omit this, and to varnish the skin as quickly as possible 

 after the fish is finally arranged ; some part of the colour will 

 often be retained for a time, and, indeed, the fish-mummifiers 

 rather pride themselves on the fact that they do varnish their 

 fishes and do not colour them — which is, perhaps, just as well 

 in their state of knowledge, as a leathery effigy is, possibly, 

 preferable to one overloaded with green and red paint and gold 

 and silver leaf! 



The fish will be properly dried in a month if kept in a 

 warm situation (it may be hung up on its board near the 

 ceiling of the work-room), and the corks, braces, threads, and 

 wires may be removed, the eyes inserted, the skin, if not 

 previously varnished, may be slightly oiled outside and coloured, 

 and the fish will then be ready for removal to its proper back- 

 board, which is either a coloured or papered tablet, or to the 

 case in which it is to rest, the wires being necessary, in either 

 alternative, to affix it. 



All the preceding instructions, though ostensibly dealing 

 with a species of fish which never grows to any size — 4 lbs. 

 being phenomenal, — are yet applicable in their entirety to 

 much larger fishes, and, indeed, a pike has been in the writer's 

 mind whilst describing the use of some of the tools and some 

 of the processes. 



Improved Methods of Setting up 



The following is an improved method of filling the skin, 

 by which, probably, better results may accrue as regards the 

 shape, with, perhaps, greater facility of execution : — 



Let the fish be measured as before, and, having provided a 

 piece of stiff paper, mark it quite an inch smaller, all around, 

 than the size of the fish, allowing also for some reduction of 



