132 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
relation to the mounted skeleton, an enlarging apparatus was devised 
by which measurements taken on the small model could be trans- 
ferred and enlarged to full size. The framework for the large 
beast was plotted out by means of this enlarging apparatus and 
each piece was patterned on paper for the carpenter to follow. 
On the completion of this large frame, galvanized wire screen of one- 
half inch mesh was used over the frame, as a foundation for the 
plaster work on which to transfer points taken from the sketch. 
After locating and fixing some thousands of points by means of 
nails driven in the plaster work, it was only necessary to build 
up to the heads of each nail and we thus had a roughly blocked 
out full sized plaster model. 
It now became necessary to make a thin shell over the outside 
of this form which could be removed in sections and taken down 
to the exhibition hall and reassembled. The first step in this 
was to lay out certain areas all over the large manikin, which 
when entirely covered made twenty-seven separate pieces to be 
made of a thin, strong, hght and durable combination of 
materials. Each area was covered with paper to prevent the 
material used from adhering to the manikin, then fine steel wire 
screen (about the mesh of fly screen) was fitted over one of these 
areas and was made to take the exact contour of the modeling 
by stretching and rubbing the screen with a blunt steel tool 
especially made for this purpose. Here and there, in order to 
keep the screen snugly in position, a wire brad was driven in 
place just far enough to hold and then turned over so as to be 
removed easily when required. “Akeley’s mixture,’ which con- 
sists of felt paper pulp, whiting, glue and boiled linseed oil was 
then rubbed into and through this layer of wire screen. ‘This 
hardened in 24 hours and the brads could be removed without 
danger of it loosening the form. This process was repeated until 
three layers of wire screen and this mixture had been applied. 
With one section complete, the area next adjoining it was made 
in exactly the same way, without removing the first, and the 
process continued till the entire manikin was covered and a total 
of twenty-seven sections or pieces about three-eighths of an inch 
thick had been made. When removed, the inner side of these 
pieces was sized and then reinforced with wooden ribs accurately 
cut from cardboard patterns which had been scribed to conform 
exactly with the contour of the manikin at the particular point 
