216 PRACTICAL TAXIDERMY. 



sometimes of service; it lias, however, so little affinity for 

 " sticking " as to come away from almost anything smooth, on 

 the slightest provocation. 



"White lead stiffened with whiting is sometimes useful in 

 taking the place of putty, and is a trifle more durable. 



Perhaps, at the end of this section, it may not be amiss to 

 point out to the modeller that it is of the highest importance 

 that all his tools should be freed from dirt and plaster at the 

 conclusion of his day's work; scarcely anything rusts and 

 spoils tools more quickly than damp plaster left on them. 



To Imitate Blood. — Frequently blood is required to be 

 shown, as in instances where some animal may be represented 

 tearing its prey. Usually this is done by thickly painting 

 on vermilion and red lead mixed with varnish, or brushing 

 on red lead mixed with thick glue, as a base on which to 

 subsequently lay the vennilion. I may point out, however, 

 that blood differs in tint, and that the appearance of torn 

 fiesh, fresh blood, and coagulated blood is best got by painting 

 the parts with wax, and tinting, with a little vermilion, some 

 madder brown, or madder lake (a rather expensive colour), 

 and light red, arranged and blended one with the other as in 

 nature. 



Should you be setting up a large group, such as a tiger tearing 

 open a deer, or a vulture at a sheep, you may represent the liver 

 and other organs in modelling clay or plaster, dried, waxed, and 

 coloured, or by coloured wax alone if the part to be modelled is 

 not large. 



Snow, Frost, and Ice. — The appearances of snow and frost are 

 imitated in a variety of ways. Pounded white sugar; alum 

 powdered, or put on boiling, and suffered to crystallize ; borax, 

 two parts, alum, four parts, burnt in a shovel over the fire ; and 

 various other crystalline preparations. Nothing, however, is 

 half so good as using best S.F. plaster of Paris mixed with 

 powdered "glass frosting" — bought from the glass-blower's or 

 artificial eyemaker's — ^to imitate snow, the powdered glass 

 frosting being thrown upon the foliage and rocks — the latter 

 being gummed or varnished with paper varnish — to imitate ice. 

 Blocks of ice require special treatment with glass and thin 



