SKINNING AND PEESEEVING MAMMALS. 143 



Insert tlie part marked A inside tlie liead up to tlie return 

 B; this being inserted exactly in tlie middle of tlie skull, 

 bore two or more boles through the latter at the forehead, 

 and make fast the bone to the wood by strong screws. Block 

 on each side of this board and inside the jaws with pieces of 

 peat nailed on with " French nails " (Points-de-Paris) or pieces 

 of pointed wire. At the place marked B (A to B being now 

 hidden) make up with wet plaster of Paris, which, while filling 

 up, serves also to steady the prop. Fill up the orbits with any 

 pieces of loose peat, paper, &c. Now carve a large piece of 

 peat for each side, cut to the shape of the cheeks, and attach 

 them to the jaw bones in their proper positions with wires 

 driven right through into the board, fill also the bone of the 

 nose with peat roughly cut to shape. Cut another piece of 

 peat for the swelling of the under jaw, and entirely model up 

 with peat the front and sides of the neck. Next mix some 

 plaster of Paris, and go over the whole of the peat with it, 

 bringing it up level to the bones, nicely smoothing it over 

 with a knife, and, as it sets, adding more where required, or 

 shaving it off if in excess — in short, replacing the flesh, where 

 it has been removed, with peat and plaster. The front view 

 should now present a somewhat even appearance; the nice 

 swelling of the cheeks being well rounded off, as also under 

 the jaws and on the top of the nose, &c. 



Now draw the skin nicely over the model, taking care especi- 

 ally to get the eye holes in their proper places around the 

 orbits. This being a guide for the truth of that part of 

 the head, drive two wires through the skin, into the bone 

 above the orbits, to keep it in its place. Sew the hair in 

 position round the horns. Being now qualified to judge as 

 to the size of the neck -block, you will cut an oval, or rather 

 egg-shaped, piece of wood, out of inch stuff, to the required 

 size ; this determines the breadth and length of the neck at 

 the back. The head-block of Fig 26 being cut off along the 

 dotted line D, it of course stands to reason that if the neck- 

 board (Fig. 27) is screwed on to it along its centre, the head, 

 if the board is placed against a wall, will now look downwards 

 at the angle determined by the cutting of D. 



Having firmly screwed the oval neck-block to the prop, or 



