262 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



thickness of from an eighth to a quarter of an inch, and 

 "stipple" it in with a stiff brush, and press it with a rough 

 cloth in such a manner as to knead it well into every interstice, 

 and cause it to take the print of every line. 



Although there should be a sufficient thickness of pulp to 

 well cover the inner surface of the mould, yet if a sixteenth 

 of an inch will do this, there is no need to pile more on. 

 When the pulp has been well beaten in — care, of course, being 

 taken not to damage the mould with too hard usage, — paste on 

 several thicknesses of tissue-paper, followed by thicker " cap " 

 paper, and again by thin brown paper for larger fishes ; but no 

 glue must be used, as it often " pulls," especially if there should 

 be any reason for putting the model near the fire for quicker 

 drying, and also because it will not allow the oil subsequently 

 put on to penetrate the substance of the pulp and paper. 



When laying down the composition, it should be very thinly 

 spread upon the fins, and finished off, indeed, to a thin outer 

 edge with only one or two thicknesses of tissue-paper backed 

 by a piece of pasted muslin. The fins, which may have been 

 removed from the subject and cast upon the same block 

 with it, are better managed by the direct process, i.e. with 

 tissue-paper, pasted side downwards, well worked in with a 

 brush and followed by other thicknesses, say six, of tissue-paper 

 backed with muslin, the hollow part at the base (if only one 

 side is cast) being filled up with tissue-paper crumpled and pasted 

 in, or, better still, with composition (Formula 6 1 ). If, however, 

 both sides of a fin are cast, the thicknesses of paper should be 

 reduced, or the edges will be too thick when the two sides are 

 joined together — which they may be with paste, and tied to- 

 gether temporarily with thread or hemp, after being trimmed 

 around to the exact shape printed by the mould. 



The model will require a few days to dry, according to 

 the warmth of the atmosphere indoors and out, and, if very 



