ON THE USES OF OLAY AS A FILLINO MATERIAL. 
33 
2nd. For parts of aniimds^ requiring extreme flatness, such as 
fills and tails of sharks, flippers, feet and legs of turtles, fii]3- 
pers of seals and sea lions, porpoises, etc. 
3rd. For qyarts of a/nimals, requiring marlied peeuliarities of 
form or expression, such as hands, feet and chest muscles of the 
great apes ; trunk of elephant ; nose of moose, tapir and hog ; 
entire head of the horse, dog, ape, monkey, and all the Felidm ; * 
and tlie month and nose portions of all large mammal heads. 
Clay possesses many advantages over eveiy other plastic mater- 
ial that I have tried for filling. Plaster paiis solidifies so quickly 
that it is impossible to nse it. Putty cannot he worked to and 
fro beneath a skin, does not retain the exact form which may be 
given it, it is too oily, requires fai’ too long a time to harden, and 
is also too costly. Papier mache is better than either of the 
above, bnt when used in large quantities it dries veiy slowly, is 
very apt to have a sonr, disagreeable odor, and furthermore it is 
veiy troublesome to prepare and keep on hand as compared 
with clay. 
The clay I use is common potter’s material, which can be pur- 
chased at any pottery for from 1 to 2 cents'per pound. In some 
respects it is better for the purposes of the taxidermist than the 
finer white clay which is commonly used in modeling, bnt in the 
absence of the former the latter can be used. In order to give 
great solidity and toughness to clay, when dry, I always mix with 
it a good quantity of finely chopped tow which is perfectly clean 
and free from sticks or woody fibre. A little experimenting will 
soon enable anyone to see how the clay should be prepared to 
work easiest. 
The advantages of using clay are as follows: It is very cheap, 
easily obtained, can be kept for any length of time by keeping 
the mass wet, it works easily beneath a skin into any foini. It 
dries quickly even when in a large mass inside a skin by exposing 
the animal in a dry atmosphere, bnt on the other hand the same 
* It is of course to be understood ttiat in mounting a head the clay is to be used upon tlie skull, 
to exactly replace the flesh, and is the only fllllng to be used between the skin and the skull. Be- 
fore drawing tlie skin over the skull, cover the latter with soft clay until it exhibits the same form 
and size it possessed before It was denuded of flesh. A considerable mass of clay will be required 
to build up the thick muscles of the cheek and the end of the nose, but on all ruminant animals, a 
very thin layer is all that is necessary on the forehead and along the muzzle. The flesh of the lips 
is also replaced with clay, and when this admirable material is used it is quite unnecessary to put 
any wires inside the lips. Clay alone is amply sufllclent. After the lips are formed with clay, pres.s 
them into place, and if the head has been properly shaped there will be no tension to draw them 
apart. When once Ary they will be as hard and immovable as though carved out of wood. 
