59 
with fine pointed forceps, a piece of stiff wire, or knitting needle into a 
loop made by the forefinger and thumb. Turn all ends of cotton inward 
to the centre with forceps and shape the cotton to the desired form, using 
the skull as a guide. Skulls that are angular or odd-shaped like a rabbit’s 
should be imitated as closely as possible to make a good looking “skin.” 
Some collectors think that equally good results may be obtained with 
shrews by making head and body filler in one piece, but the writer’s 
experience is that the pointed head of the shrew cannot be made firm 
enough in that way. The tail must now be wired. Splinters of tough wood 
or bamboo are often convenient substitutes for wire. A wire may be 
straightened by putting one end in a vise or around a nail and pulling 
strongly, or by stretching the two ends apart while holding each with a 
pair of forceps. The wire must be small enough to go to the tip of the 
fail skin, rigid enough not to bend easily, and proportionate to the size 
and durability of the skin. Cut a wire the length of the tail plus a little 
more than the length of the opening cut in the body skin. Wire for 
tails that run to a very fine point should be tapered with a file for an inch 
or two. The terminal part of the wire should be slightly roughened with 
a file so that the cotton wrapping will not slip. Wrapping the tail wire 
for a long haired tail is not very difficult, as the only important thing is 
to cover the wire with cotton at all points. Wiring a smooth, short-haired 
tail takes some practice, as the artificial tail must be smooth and tapering; 
its imperfections will be glaring when the skin dries down upon them. 
The tail of the jumping mouse may be taken as a good example. Flake 
off the thinnest possible wisp of fine-fibred cotton, wet the wire so that the 
cotton will stick, and beginning at the tip wrap the cotton firmly around 
the wire, twirling the wire with one hand, and gradually thickening the 
wrapping with the other, following the natural tail as a model (Figure 18c). 
If the wrapping tapers too much at any point it may be built up by 
wrapping on flat, slender wisps of cotton, but care should be used to wrap 
tightly or the cotton may slide into a bunch on the wire when insertion 
is attempted. If this happens, the best thing to do is to wrap a new tail, 
as forcing in a lumpy tail is apt to pull off the end of the tail skin. If the 
tail is spindle-shaped, as in the star-nosed mole or some shrews, wrap the 
wire with cotton to imitate the natural shape of the tail, and cut a slit 
underneath the basal part of the tail in order to allow the wired tail to 
enter. The slit may be sewn up with a few stitches. Painting the wire 
tail with arsenical soap makes it slip in easily, but if dry preservative is 
used, the tail may be wet and rubbed in the powder before insertion in the 
sheath. After working the wire into the tail properly and seeing that the 
skin is not twisted, the body filler may be prepared. 
It is important that all the body filler should go in one smooth, firm 
roll, because if separate bunches are put in the skin, it will be sure to have 
a lumpy appearance when it dries and shrinks. Irregularity is much more 
noticeable in a mammal skin than in a bird skin, as the imperfections of 
the latter are disguised by an overlapping sheath of feathers. Roll an 
oblong piece of cotton until the circumference is roughly that of the body. 
The cotton body will be a little larger than the skinned carcass, as the 
body becomes more or less deflated after death. The skin will also shrink 
down on the body filler to some extent while drying. The intention is to 
make the stuffed skin look like the animal in life. Turn both ends of the 
