No. 493] 



MOT.'XTIXG FOSSIL SKELETOXS 



can be lifted out without changing the shape of the mould. 

 The two halves are then placed together properly and 

 filled with plaster, which makes a fairly accurate cast. In 

 many cases I have made the casts larger than the objects 

 by moving the specimen to and fro in the mould to en- 

 large the cavity. When modelling missing bones much 

 time is saved by casting a bone in this manner and then 

 modifying the form to suit, with knife and awl, instead of 

 modelling the missing bones in clay. 



Mounting of Skeletons 



The mounting of fossil skeletons is a problem which 

 can not be explained in a general way. Every skeleton 

 has to be treated according to its size, shape, and con- 

 dition. Skeletons from the size of a cat up to that of a 

 large dog, to be mounted free, can be supported with 

 light soft steel, so that the mounting shows very little. I n 

 case the vertebrae are not to be made detachable for study 

 purposes, a flat rod may be run through the neural canal, 

 which makes the neatest mount. 



Limbs nod ribs supported with flat soft steel, fitted 

 close to the bones, look very well and the mounting is 

 very inconspicuous. All soft bones may be bored and 

 fastened to the supports by screws or pins; harder bones 

 by means of very small flat bands, fitted around the bones 

 and fastened on the main supports with pins or screws. 



I may mention another method which I have introduced 

 in the American Museum that may prove to be valuable 

 for other museums. Skeletons which are soft enough, so 

 that the bones can be bored, can be mounted so that every 

 bone is easily detached in the following manner: The 

 back-bone may be supported by a soft steel rod (flat or 

 half round) running under the vertebral column. Fittings 

 to slide over the rod can be cast in bronze without great 

 expense. Each fitting has a pin fastened to it which runs 



made stationary by being fastened in the supporting rod 

 do not answer' as in many cases it is impossible to get 



