THE CASTING AND MODELLING OF LARV^ 293 



and refusing to come away at all, which necessitated melting out 

 on the stove after all else had been tried and failed. Next, 

 therefore, the moulds were warmed in hot water as for leaves, 

 and sheet wax pressed in and backed by fabric. Again no 

 result, the wax again sticking and having to be melted out, 

 which was singular, seeing that leaves come away from the 

 mould when done by the same process. 



Something was evidently wrong, and, being convinced that 

 the wax itself was not in fault, it was considered that oiling the 

 moulds might give better results. This was done, and the 

 same wax was used in successive layers, each thin sheet being 

 pressed down with the fingers until the combined thickness was 

 too great to be cut by the sharp edges of the segments ; on 

 this a strip of white art fabric (see p. 302) was welded by 

 pressure, and then the whole was systematically pressed into 

 each small depression by placing within the mould a small piece 

 of rag, folded to the thickness required, and kneading it in 

 with a rounded stick or piece of bone until the white fabric 

 took on a ruddy tint from the underlying red wax. This 

 was a perfect success, the bottom half — that showing the legs 

 — coming out easily, with even the feet perfect ; the upper 

 half, however, being deeper, required more coaxing, but came 

 out finely, and of nearly the exact colour of the back of a living 

 specimen. 



The next to be tried was an orange-coloured wax, made by 

 adding, to melted white wax (Formula 98, p. 303), chrome yellow 

 and alizarin crimson (both tube oil-colours), and this was used 

 for the bottom half, and a deep crimson (alizarin again) wax 

 for the upper half or back. 



The upper and under portions having, of course, to be 

 united, they were trimmed around with a small pair of sharp 

 scissors, supplemented by a very small knife, the outlines 

 impressed upon the wax being carefully followed, and the 



