CASTING AND MOUNTING- FISH, ETC. 187 



monnting "by taxidermy is to take a cast of tlie specimen and to 

 tlien adjust tlie skin, stuffed by tlie dry-plaster process, into tlie 

 ■cavity of the mould, suffering all to dry therein. 



Fishes are now and then mounted in halves, should one side be 

 very badly mangled ; the effect is not very good, however, and 

 should not be resorted to but in ext^eme cases. 



Large fishes, such as sharks, rays, and sturgeons of great size 

 and weight, must be cast by the "piece-mould" process — 

 described in Chapter XII. The mounting of such as these, by 

 processes of taxidermy, differs from all previously described in 

 this chapter. When of excessive size and weight, they may be 

 *' set up " with wood and iron (see Chapter YII.), or if smaller — 

 say, up to 5cwt. — may be managed by being cut underneath^ 

 along the stomach, from head to tail, and mounted by two short 

 iron rods being screwed into a beam of wood, or bar of iron fitted 

 into the body, now filled out with hay, straw, or, better still, clean 

 shavings, supplemented by tow here and there. "When all is 

 sewn up, and the mouth — if open — modelled by any of the 

 methods described in Chapter XII., the short iron rods pro- 

 truding from each end of the fish must be let into metal sockets 

 (iron gas pipes will often do) screwed into iron feet, supporting 

 all clear from the floor of the museum or room they are to be 

 exhibited in. 



