THE REPRODUCTION OF FISHES IN PAPER PULPS 263 



large, the edges of the paper covering the pulp and overlapping 

 the edges of the mould may be raised all around to let the air 

 in to dry the remainder, — the head and lips, where the pulp has 

 to be pressed in to some thickness, being the last to dry ; from 

 four days to a week in a warm room is generally sufficient, but 

 this is a matter of experience, and the greatest care must be 

 taken to let it be sufficiently dry, although there is a stage 

 only known by practice when, after a certain amount of drying, 

 the mould may be put near, not before, a fire, and the model 

 "sweated" out. Usually, the tail and fins being freed, a 

 gentle pulling from the tail end, with a rocking and upward 

 tendency of pull to free the lips, will relieve the model without 

 injury to it or to the mould. 



Directly it is out of the mould, and before it has time to 

 get " bone dry," it should be tacked down upon a board by the 

 waste edges of paper, and allowed to dry. Subsequently, the 

 waste paper around the margin must be trimmed off with a 

 sharp knife, the fins, if necessary, trimmed thinner, and, 

 assuming the model to be a half cast, this must be laid upon 

 a calico-covered board or mount, and fixed by a little pasted 

 wadding under the head and tail, or under any part where it 

 touches the board, and all crevices made up afterwards with 

 pulp (Formula g'^,). 



Probably, however, the latest method adopted — which is 

 applicable to all direct paper or pulp models of a certain size — 

 is better. Directly the model is removed from the board on 

 which it was tacked to dry, a piece of half-inch pine (thinner 

 for small fishes), exactly conforming to the shape of the model, 

 is fitted within it so that it falls a little below the edges all 

 round, and these are made fast to the board by pasted muslin 

 or thin calico. When nearly dry, the model is turned right 

 side uppermost and re-tacked by its waste edges upon the 

 drying-board, and, when quite dry, these edges are cut away. 



