12 THE taxidermist's guide. 



cotton well mixed with preserving powder. The long piece of 

 wire is now passed into the middle of the skull, and after it is well 

 rubbed over with the preservative, it is returned into the skin. 

 The inner surface of the neck- skin is now anointed, and stuffed 

 with chopped flax, taking care not to disten4 it too much. Noth- 

 ing like pressure should be applied, as the frgsh skin is suscep- 

 tible of much expansion. 



Observe that it is always the inner surface which is anointed 

 with the arsenical soap. 



Take care that the first ring of the wire, which passes into the 

 head, is in the direction of the shoulders, and the second corres- 

 ponding with the pelvis, or somwhat towards the posterior part. 

 One of the fore-leg wires is then inserted along the back of the 

 bone, and the point passed out under the highest ball of the paw. 

 When this is accomplished, the bones of the leg are drawn up 

 within the skin of the body, and the wire fastened to the bones 

 of the arm and fore-arm with strong thread, or small twine. 

 Brass wire, used for piano-forte strings, makes it more secure, 

 and is not liable to rot. These are well anointed, and flax or tow 

 slivers wrapped round them, so as to supply the place of the mus- 

 cles which have been removed. To give the natural rise to the 

 larger muscles, a piece of silver should be cut off the length of the 

 protuberance required, and placed in the part, and the silver 

 wrapped over it. This gives it a very natural appearance. 



The mode of fixing the legs, is by passing one of their pieces of 

 wire into the small ring of the horizontal or middle supporting 

 wire. Pursue the same plan with the other leg, and then twist 

 the two ends firmly together, by the aid of a pair of flat pincers. 

 For an animal of the size of a Cat, the pieces left for twisting must 

 be from five to six inches in length. After being twisted, they 

 are bound on the under side of the body wire, with strong thread : 

 the two legs are then replaced, and put in the form in which we 

 intend to fix them. The skin of the belly and top of the shoulders 

 is then anointed, and a thick layer of flax placed under the mid- 

 dle wire. The shape is now given to the scapulae on both sides, 

 and all the muscles of the shoulders imitated. These will be eleva- 

 ted or depressed, according to the action intended to be expressed. 

 The anterior part of the opening is now sewed up, to retain 

 the stuffing, and to enable us to complete the formation of the 



