TAXIDERMY AND MODELLING 



square of No. 2, it overlapped No. i to some little distance 

 beyond the arms, and, falling over the lower oiled edge of 

 No. I, made all the part lying behind that and the lower clay 

 walls of No. 2 considerably thicker than the remainder, the 

 plaster being, it may be remarked, allowed to fill in the "neck" 

 or space between that and the body. The clay walls being 

 removed, the curved edge of the plaster was oiled, and No. 3 

 piece was arranged for by packing the body with clay up to 

 the underneath of the surrounding "fin," which was well 

 stretched and pressed flat upon the clay (or putty), fine pins, 

 with the heads cut off, being pressed down through the edges 

 here and there to assist its retention. Two sides and a bottom 

 piece of zinc being arranged around the body, plaster was 

 poured on and within, completing the upper portion of the 

 mould, which now covered the entire sepia. 



When dry, and the walls removed, a board was placed upon 

 the mould and the whole turned over, exposing the under side 

 of the creature. No. 4 piece-mould was made by removing the 

 clay which covered up the underneath of the " fin," placing two 

 sides and a bottom of zinc around the body, the upper or top 

 end being formed of clay, which now came upon the " neck," 

 following and leaving the sigmoid curve of the body free ; this, 

 when the plaster was poured within, completed the whole of the 

 under side of the body up to the "neck." The walls being 

 removed and all edges oiled, the remaining portion was sur- 

 rounded with walls in the usual manner, and plaster was poured 

 in, forming piece-mould No. 5, and last, taking in the " neck," 

 the syphon, and the junder side of the tentacles and dorsal arms. 



All the edges having been previously oiled as described, 

 the pieces readily came apart and released the sepia within. 

 Looking at the " pieces," No. i showed the impression, on the 

 side first cast, of the pair of long tentacular arms and of the 

 two ventral ; on the other side, the impression of the under 



