176 ON PREPARING SPECIMENS FOR MUSEUMS. 



according to the size of the subject, into the neck, to represent the 

 spinal bones. An articulated bone skeleton is easily formed on this 

 principle, which being covered with tow to represent the muscles, and 

 the prepared skin sewn over it, a fac-simile of the original is produced 

 capable of being placed in any position the operator pleases. Other 

 advantages over the old plans are, that the skull, or even the entire 

 skeleton is preserved, and an unchangeable likeness obtained. In the 

 ordinary way, however modelled the head may be, yet upon the skin 

 shrinking, it is more or less distorted, a circumstance which does not 

 occur in the present plan ; for if care be taken that the drying proceeds 

 equally, the minutest parts are all completely preserved. 



The escape of spirit so much complained of by those who keep wet 

 preparations, may be alleviated in the following manner : — Take a 

 portion of one of the toys, commonly sold under the name of Indian 

 rubber balls, not unlike a globular bladder, and having pulled it for 

 some time between the fingers, it will stretch to an astonishing tenuity, 

 being then drawn tightly over the mouth of the vessel containing the 

 preparation, it will, on being let go, contract round the edge, and form 

 a stopper, impenetrable to the vapours of either water or spirit, and its 

 elasticity allowing it to yield to the expansion of the enclosed liquids, 

 remedies the chief cause of the escape of spirit in the former modes : 

 for expansive force having hence established a passage through the old 

 elastic stoppers, vapour was expelled at every increase of temperature, 

 a neat appearance may be given to bottles or jars covered in the 

 manner shown, by tying a piece of coloured paper over the Indian 

 rubber, and pasting beneath a collar of the same. It is unnecessary 

 to observe that the India rubber should not be wetted during the ope- 

 ration of stretching, as in that state it is apt to tear. 



In mounting fish, particularly flat-fish, having covered one side of 

 the specimen with a slight covering of gum, and laid over this a piece 

 of silver paper, lay the fish with the papered side uppermost in a tray 

 made of board or sheet lead, having slightly touched it with oil. Pour 

 over it plaster of Paris just about to set. When quite firm, reverse 

 the whole, and remove the intervening parts of the fish from the 

 exposed side to the skin of the papered part ; an operation which a 

 little experience will render easy. Then fill it up with a cement made 

 of bees' wax and rosin melted together, which must be very cool before 

 it is poured in, otherwise it will cause the skin to curl up. When cold, 

 remove the plaster and silver paper, and wash the skin with a varnish 

 thus compounded: — Take six parts of gum arabic, and one part of 

 gum tragacanth dissolved in water, and squeezed .through fine linen ; 



