STUFFING AND MOUNTING FISH. 
edges of the skin should be neatly executed so as to be covered 
with the hair, commencing at the breast, which permits the 
tow nsed to be more easily supplied when it fails, the stuffing 
should be finished as the sewing proceeds; using a stuffing- 
wire and fine tow or cotton-wool for the purpose. 
The animal is now fixed upon the board it is to occupy, four 
holes being pierced in it at proper distances, the lower extre- 
mities of the wires, forming the limbs, are placed in them, and 
riveted beneath the board in such a manner as to render the 
figure of the animal immoveable. And now the eye of the 
artist comes into play ; the attitude which is most natural to the 
animal when living is now to be imitated, and on the taste of the 
operator will depend whether the imitation is successful or not. 
The mouth is now to be arranged, and the lips moulded into 
form, the nostrils reduced to order and filled with cotton to 
hinder them from shrivelling. Finally, the orbits of the eyes 
are put in proper condition to receive artificial eyes, which are 
held firmly in their place by an application of gum to the edge 
of the pupils, while the ears are held to their places by pieces 
of cardboard or linen, occupying the place of the cartilages. 
And now the animal is left to dry, during which it should be 
looked at daily to see that the skin does not in drying get 
puffed out in some place, or show differences in another — acci- 
dents which should be remedied at once by means of the bodkin 
already described. 
STUFFING AND MOUNTING FISH. 
In most fishes there is a line from head to tail in the middle 
of the body. Place the fish on its side, and, with a sharp knife 
or pair of scissors, clip the gills ; then proceed to clip the skin 
from head to tail down that line ; a paper-knife is the best 
thing for dividing the skin from the body. Having separated 
the skin from one side, cut the back -bone through at both ends, 
and proceed to skin the other in the same way. Remove the 
eyes, and a little flesh under each eye, and rub the skin well in 
the inside with preservative, and sew up the skin again, begin- 
ning at the tail, and sew up by degrees, as it is fitted to its 
proper shape, using wet bran, putting a flat piece of wood in 
the middle of the body, with two pieces of wire fastened in it, 
to support the fish. The wood must be the length of the fish. 
Be careful to mould the fish to its proper shape while it is 
damp ; then let it dry. 
