2i8 COARSE FISH. 



set up his fish without any lessons in the art ; but 

 when I state that the case of stuffed fish presented 

 by him to the Piscatorial Society is one of 

 instruc- *-'^® ^^^^ ^"'^ most admired in the Society's 

 tions in collection, the reader can easily judge that the 

 the art of method employed is thoroughly excellent and 

 " ^?"i"^ practical. This case is highly prized by the 

 "^ ^ members of the Piscatorial Society, and was to 

 be seen this summer at the Imperial Institute, Yachting 

 and Fisheries Exhibition. It represents a catch of fish 

 lying on the grass, including roach, dace, chub, bream, 

 perch, pike, and trout. The fish have now been set up 

 for several years, and are in excellent condition, and in 

 all respects quite equal to professional work. Being 

 able to set up one's own fish is a most interesting 

 corollary of angling, and I feel sure the information 

 given by Mr. Wilkinson will prove of value. He 

 says : — 



"It is impossible to reproduce the lovely colours of 

 freshly caught fish in their exact tints ; and I think the 

 naturalist who follows the profession of setting. up fish 

 should also be a practical angler, as he will then observe 

 the proper colours of live fish. This important feature 

 is, I am afraid, much neglected, and the colours of many 

 stuffed fish are in consequence decidedly wrong. I have 

 had no lessons in the art of setting up fish ; but all that 

 I have done has taken me some time to find out, and I 

 have not allowed myself to be discouraged by some 

 miserable failures. As in fishing itself, much patience 

 is required, and I do not advise any one to make his 

 first essay on a two-pound roach or other valuable 

 specimen fish ; for, judging by my first attempt, failures 

 at the outset are inevitable, especially in loose-scaled fish. 

 Thus, roach are difficult to deal with, while perch give 

 comparatively little trouble, their scales being more 

 firmly attached to the skin. The tools required are a 

 sharp knife, a pair of scissors, and one or two pairs of 

 sharp cutting pliers, together with a few surgical needles ; 

 these are all I have used. I wrap my fish in thin paper 

 as soon as possible after capture ; this dries and adheres 

 firmly to the scales, preserving their brightness and 

 position, and, to some extent, preventing extension. 



" On commencing operations, cover one side of the 



