SKINNING AND PRESERVING- MAMMALS. 139 



the nose. Wlien the whole of these pieces are shaped to their 

 required measurements, attach them by string or wire to their 

 neighbouring bones in the manner which occurs to you as being 

 the best. Having well secured them, go over the whole with 

 plaster of Paris, mixed with water to the consistence of a stiff 

 paste, merely smoothing it as it sets, up to the required shape 

 with a broad knife. The plaster will soon set, and may be further 

 rasped or trimmed into shape. Plaster alone may be used, but 

 my reason for making a substratum of peat is, that if the former 

 only is used it renders the head unpleasantly heavy. The great 

 advantage which this system has over the former is that, by the 

 unyielding nature of the medium, nothing can possibly shrink 

 or shift, and though this plan is, perhaps, more tedious, and 

 certainly requires more skill in its execution, yet it is, as a 

 matter of course, far preferable than trusting to tow alone for 

 the formation of the head. 



Finally, place some putty or clay in the ears, nose, and around 

 the skin of the lips, and pull the mask over the model. 



Pad the body, and put in the central body wire as before, 

 also the leg wires, but in this system you add another, but 

 thinner, wire to come up the back of each of the fore legs and 

 the front of the hind, not attaching these wires, however, to any 

 point, but letting them come up into the body, and merely wrap- 

 ping them with tow to the large leg wires in the necessary 

 manner. This second wire partly supplies the place of the small 

 bone and muscles of each leg, and its natural appearance is con- 

 siderably enhanced by the application of putty or clay to pad 

 parts of the animal's legs and feet. Being of a yielding nature, 

 until dry, putty or clay may be squeezed and moulded into 

 proper shape to give character to the various parts. In the 

 return of the sinews of the legs, make their peculiar, hollow 

 appearance by stitching through from side to side. Wrinkles of 

 the neck, &c., may be treated in the same manner. Finish as 

 before directed. 



IsTo shrinking can possibly take place in the most important 

 parts ; hence the manifest advantages of this system ; but as in 

 practice it requires some knowledge and experience, I have not 

 ventured to insist upon it previously, as it is too much to expect 

 a tyro to take it up until he is thoroughly grounded in the first 



