180 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



proper sliape. Gently press tlie skin all over with the hands, 

 deftly patting it with a small piece of smooth flat board to 

 reduce any lamps, and to get the putty to work evenly over the 

 surface. Get some short wires and set the head, with the mouth 

 open as much as you require. One wire may be pushed through 

 the nostril, another may go under the tongue, and a third 

 parallel to it beneath the under-jaw. Arrange the teeth, some of 

 which you will find loose, and, with "needle points," fix into 

 position the gill-covers, which tie over with a little wrapping 

 cotton to keep them from springing up out of place. ISText look 

 to the fins, under which put some pieces of peat, covered by stiff 

 card-board, and nicely display them, pinning them down and 

 binding the wrapping cotton over them. 



As a last operation, go over the whole of the 'outside skin with 

 the carbolic formula, 'No. 15. When this dries, which it will do in 

 the course of an hour or so, varnish the whole upper surface with 

 best clear " paper " varnish, which will have the effect of keeping 

 the skin and scales in position. Let the fish be now put by in a 

 moderately warm situation to thoroughly dry, which will, in the 

 case of a large specimen, take about a month. The skin is then 

 like leather, with no colour in it at all, and must, of course, be 

 subsequently coloured up according to nature, the eyes put in, 

 and mounted in a case with appropriate water-weed; notes 

 on all of which will be found in Chapters XII., XIII., and XIY. 



Sawdust or bran may be used for stuffing the fish, which, with 

 the addition of putty and tow to certain parts, will shape it up 

 very fairly. Some taxidermists use tow alone, but this I do 

 not think advisable. 



Small fish, up to 2ib., may, after skinning, have a bent wire 

 inserted as before, and be filled entirely with plaster of Paris, 

 which must be mixed in readiness, and poured in the skin to fill 

 out every pai*t. The cut edges of the skin are now Drought 

 together, and the whole fish turned over to show its proper side 

 and rapidly patted into shape, before the plaster has time to set. 



Beautiful models of the thicker-skinned .fishes may be made 

 by this method, but rapidity of execution is a sine qua non. 



As the student progresses he will find that it will not be 

 necessary in all cases to cut through the scapular arch of the 

 under side to clear out the head. As a proof, I may mention that 



