286 TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



an object, one would suppose, to be modelled from a book- 

 illustration, — the want of scientiiic accuracy is evident, especially 

 in the tentacles and other parts. The triumph of the modeller 

 — no doubt great — is discounted by the fact that no two artists, 

 especially if of different nationalities, will interpret anything to 

 be modelled by eye and measurements in the same manner. 

 Probably, while an American would make it as large as possible, 

 the Englishman would give it a respectable and eminently 

 solid appearance, the Frenchman an elegant and poetic shape, 

 whilst, to carry the idea still further, the German might 

 interpret it as a weird and grotesque monster. Hence it is 

 desirable not to trust to chance, but to nature alone for its 

 rendering ; and how such a simple thing to cast from as an 

 octopus should have been executed in the far-fetched manner 

 described is hard to say. 



Perhaps a description of how a more difficult object, viz. 

 a " cuttle-fish " or sepia, was cast from in the natural state will 

 prove of service. 



The cuttle-fish, having been brought from the sea in the 

 bichromate pickle, was further hardened for a short time, then 

 well washed in cold water, and laid, dorsal surface upwards, 

 upon a smooth board covered with brown paper and well wetted. 

 The tentacular arms and first pair associated with them {i.e. the 

 largest or ventral pair underneath) were arranged as shown in 

 the figure, the other six arms — those dorsad to the mouth and 

 beak — being supported and held from touching the underneath 

 parts by two pieces of soft woolly string, one end of each being 

 loosely tied around three of the dorsal arms, whilst the other 

 ends of the string were each attached to a long " French " nail, 

 one on either side and behind the sepia, hammered a little way 

 into the casting-board. Three sides enclosing these parts up 

 to the string having been formed — two of zinc and the top 

 (third) one of wood, — a barrier of clay or putty was built across. 



