224 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



necessary, to do this. When the skin is re-sewn where any 

 stitches have been cut, and is again brought better side upper- 

 most, it will be seen that the head is perhaps too flat and has 

 dropped down too much upon the board, causing the gill- 

 covering to open widely ; this must be remedied by propping 

 the nose from the board with wedges of wood, kept in place by 

 nails. The mouth may now be set and the fins spread as 

 before directed, and the specimen may be treated and dried as 

 usual. When it is thoroughly dry, the stitches are cut and the 

 plaster shaken out, care being taken meanwhile not to crack nor 

 injure the skin in any way. 



The specimen is now completely hollow, and might remain 

 so, but, to prevent possible accidents, it will be as well to pack it 

 inside with paper, or tow, or shavings, just sufficiently to keep it 

 out, and, when nearly full, the shaped board previously mentioned 

 at p. 223 is brought into use, and is inserted in the skin, and 

 the edges nailed down upon it with tacks, the protruding wires 

 fixed in the board being used to fasten it upon anything else. 

 The wires may be dispensed with and long screws used instead, 

 or screws may supplement the wires, as circumstances determine. 



The advantages of this method are, that the plaster appears 

 to more perfectly adapt itself to the filling out of the skin, and, 

 when removed, leaves the specimen light and firm. It is 

 possible, but not very practicable unless great dexterity has 

 been attained, to fill the skin of small fishes with wet plaster, 

 bringing the cut edges together, and putting all rapidly into 

 shape before the plaster has time to set, but only thick-skinned 

 and small fishes can be managed thus. 



Heads only of large fishes are sometimes set up, and then 

 plaster may be run in between the skin and bone, and all the 

 parts of the mouth made up with any of the modelling-com- 

 positions mentioned in Chapter III. 



If it be absolutely necessary to retain the skin of a fish. 



