THE CASTING OF A SEPIA 



surface of the six dorsal arms ; and at the junction, that is, on 

 the edge of the mould, the impression of the mouth and beak 

 (see Fig. i, Plate XVI.). Piece No. 2 showed the intaglio, on 

 the one side, of the upper surface of the six dorsal arms and 

 of the head and "neck," whilst the other side showed the 

 print of the " collar," which lies below the " neck " under the 

 mantle (see Fig. 2). No. 3 showed the intaglio of the upper 

 surface of the body (see Fig. 3), No. 4 showed the impression 

 of the entire under surface of the body, and No. 5 showed the 

 remainder, i.e. the under surface of the tentacular and of the 

 two ventral arms, the syphon and its orifice, and also the 

 " collar " coming within the mantle on the under surface of the 

 body. Another and larger sepia was managed in four pieces 

 only, Nos. 4 and 5 of the preceding being united (see Fig. 4, 

 Plate XVI.). 



The moulds, having been slowly dried for some days, were 

 well warmed in an oven (not close before a fire, which invari- 

 ably cracks a dry mould), and just brushed over with colza 

 oil, particular care being taken not to load the surface with 

 much oil, nor to do as was once done in the Leicester Museum, 

 where a fine mould of this very object was utterly ruined by 

 being steeped in boiled oil for a week, with the result that 

 the oil clogged the surface to such an extent as not 

 only to spoil the sharpness of detail, but to form a kind of 

 varnish, which clung to the glue composition, and refused to 

 leave it or let it go, so that the mould had to be broken away 

 with a mallet, piece by piece. 



Sometimes the plaster clings to the glue, or the glue to the 

 plaster, and, in preparing very special moulds, every precaution 

 must be taken to have them quite dry and well oiled for some 

 time previously ; or plunging them for a few moments into 

 very hot paraffin wax, as before directed, will often prevent any- 

 thing from sticking to them. 



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