MUSEUMS. 
327 
a couple of wedges. By this contrivance you can 
raise the animal as high as you wish, or you can 
lower it at your pleasure; and the feet will just 
touch the table, without requiring any wire inside 
to support them. I used formerly to put a stick 
into the skin by way of back-bone, with pieces of 
string tied to it at short intervals. These pieces of 
string were passed through the skin, just where the 
back-bone had been ; and then they were attached 
to a gallows above, which gave an excellent support 
to the skin. But I now prefer the other process, as 
I find it more convenient. 
Every thing is now ready for the artist to exer- 
cise his abilities. 
With a piece of iron, from the size of a large 
darning-needle to that of a ramrod (or larger and 
thicker still if the bulk of the animal require it), 
and shaped at one end like a carpenter's pricker, he 
will push out every part of the skin which ought to 
be pushed out, and then reduce with the end of his 
finger any part that may be too prominent ; having 
already made divers small holes in the skin^with his 
penknife, in order to afford entrance to the workmg- 
iron. Thus, a small hole on the top of the head will 
enable him to reach the nose, upper lip, and cheeks ; 
another behind the root of each ear ; another under 
the jaws ; others, again, on the back, that he may* 
reach the legs and remaining parts of the body. 
Under each foot there will also be a hole, to give 
him the opportunity of getting at the toes. The 
lips are by far the most difficult part to manage. 
The operator must have a working-iron in both 
Y 4 
