The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-11
SKINS AND SKELETONS.
RECONSTRUCTION OF ANIMALS At
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM.
Putting ste Dngong into Proper shape
How tEe Exact Proportions Are He-
prod uced-A Msnikiu Of Wood
skeletons aud Eyes.


various other mammals, in . moro or less
completed state, stood around, and seemed
Ia be watching the man who was giving
vicious thrusts with a long iron poker or
ramrod through a hole in the patient du'
gong's back. Overhead swung big croco
dile, near him huge sturgeon was poised IN
the air, as IL he had stopped in AN aerial
voyage to stare at the man with the poker.
This was tho workshop of the taxitermist,
in ono of the buildings attached "a tho Ma
tional museum
The taxidermist. Mr.. William r. Horna-
day, was engaged in fashioning the head Ut
the dugong One II his assistants was ram
ming tho stuffipg home In the body OF
the beast In another part OF the room
an assistant taxidermist was putting the
finishing touches on little African deer
called harnessed deer on account OF the
PECULIAR markings dpon its body, and In an
other corner an assistant was haying rat
"a South American rat--that weighed
fourteen pounds. aud could get away with a
whole refrigerator full Of provisions in one
foray. The dugoug, the reporter was told
would not be ready TO make its public ap
pearance probably before August When IL
has been filled out and assumed the form Of
lie, tho iugong will lie laid aside for q
month 10 dry aud shrink. Then, when we'll
seasoned, the holes in the hide will be
patched up with papier mache and the hole
will be painted life like color. This paint
will form an artificial substitute for the ep-
iermis, which has been removed. The du
gong is considered a rare specimen.
As some Of our readers may not be famil-
iar with the appearance OF these creatures
it may DO of interest to state that approach
iny a dugong from the rear one would be
likely to mistake Il for q whale 1t has a
forkei tail. AMI resembles the cetacelns in
form Il has two f'ppers like seal, and
the head would remind u person who does
not make eloso scientific distn ctions OF a
walru.. There arc two small tuskS, which
do not protude out of the mouth. These
creatures ale huntol on the Australian
coast for their oil II Is seldom, however.
that the hide of one Is obtained perfect
enough for the purposes Of the taxidermist.
This dugong, which is about ton feet long, Is
the only ono possessed in this country.
All Of the various stages OF the taxider-
mistS work were illustrated in the different
specimens about the w rk room. The rat
had just been received from philadelphia.
Before it, skin was removed 1t was laid out
OH large sheet OF paper, and an outline Of
its form was drawn from it. Its various
parts were measured, ami the figures were
written down on the paper just as . tailor
writes down the measure Of customer who
has ordered a suit of clio hes. These data
are useful to the taxidermist in reprod ucing
the exact proportions of tho beast or some
animals ca SITS ars taken, and sfterwarl the
tnxidermist can rcfer to 1t rs model. II is
n practice 10 secure the cast Of one animal
Of each class, which will make q record
useful afterward in treating any creature of
that class or family.
The drawing aud measurement havins
been made. the skin Is carefully removed.
This is then subjected u a bath or pickle,
which removes the grease, and still leaves II
rliable. Such iifelike results a those pro-
duced by the modern taxidermists can NOT
he so easily produced from dry skins The
skin being ready, the tsxidcrmist first gives
his attention TO the animals legs, stuffing
the body out loosely and roughly. There
was an apo In this stage. The legs we're tol
erably firm and postured naturally, but the
body was stuffed out roughly. Sons Of tho
viscera Of straw proruded from large hole
in the ANIMAL abdomen. The taxilermi
In treating larger animals constructs n sort
Of skeletons of wood, which is called mani
k.n. This frame is built out with plaster or
c.ay l,.d the skin placel over that
Exp .,r..nts were made some time ago 70
test the practics...h'y of me ,.!as d east ot
tie dead animal and i,rvtchIag tie skin
over the cat The result however. were
nos satisfactory. Tie awkward stiffness Of
death was reproduced too faithfully by the
cast. When tho animal has been Oiled out
roughly the taxidermist begins to work
over il carefully. filing in, taInping. dis.
tributing the stuffing material evenly and
bringing out to iife-liks PERFECTION all the
psculiaritic' of form. This process is tedi-
Gus and requires a thorough study OF the
anatomical Teculiarities OF the animai'
treated. In his work the Ia axSdsrmist must
make a study Of the movements and me-
chanism Of animals.
instantaneous photography helps him In
this particular and furnishes him with IN
accurate record OF tue pos are or attitude OF
animals un Ter different circumstances. To
give tho appearance Of lie to q spec linen il
Is necessary to copy some life like attitude.
II the legs were to b made rimpty like four
p ,sts stiff and straight up aud down. like
the legs Of tae animal In t,y Noah's ARK,
and the boly merely stuffed out. like
u pillow, till il could hold no more stuffing
taxiderny would be q trade eaSly learned,
but as practicsd by Mr. Hornaday and mod
ern taxidermists 10 has attained tbs dignity
OF q science
Separated from Mr.. Hornaday's room by
a wooden partition is another workshop.
One could fancy, upon peeping into 10, that
the skeleton. after being relieved Of their
skins in the taxidermist's snctum, assem-
blei in this room to express their indigna.
tion at such treatm mt Skulls, complete
skelst ,n', ribs, vertebr@. and bones OF oil
kinds are scattered about the room From
the timbers overhead arc susrended long
rows Of skeletons, representing every corner
and cross roads Of creation. Among the
lot Il coiled the sinuous skeleton OF q large
python The bleached bones Of Q little whale
are laid out on bench on ons side Of the
room. The other side Of tho room Is taken
up with ths bony remains Of = huge animal
now in course Of reconstruction. and looking
like the sea. worn skeleton of an old wreck
stellerins. or rytinA. IL 10 . secOnd cou<in
of the ding 'ng lying In Mr.. Hornsday's
room, but It's line Is now extinct. The 70
mains are found on the islands Of Behr ng's
strait Tho sea COW has been extinct for
about two hundred years
When menageris animal dies IT, body Is
scat to the taxidermist at the National mu
scum. There arc on hand now In one OF the
stosehouses OF the museum, material enough
70 keep Mr. Hurnalay and his force bu, " for
q long time without receiving any further
additions One thing noticeable in speci.
mems OF modern taxidermy Is the natural
appearance Of the eyes. Glass eyes arm mada
for the varioes animals, IN which nature q
coxnssr fsited in shade. color. depth, and
general appearance n clio ely - in thosl
furni;hsd BY oculi.ts for the DE of men whs
have occasioo TO supply an optical deQ QSikncy
In little drawer In Mr.. Hornadays foou
can Be- found q large assortment of eyes thu
seem TO have lsapsd out of sbsir s0ck6ts
Ths fierce, glsring syes OF ths tixev, and tb.
mock. vslyety eye OK the timid fawn IN
down togesher in the n,illS.nial peses Of I
taxidArn,ist's drawer.
Why He Lsst His Job
lNsy York Tines
SWELL" SaL the driver ofa coal cart d
bis wife. they've got . new man TN my
place. and I've lost my joh."
sW'hY, what was sas truublsr she asked.
Il vaS sitting on my cart while the load
sas beng wsishsd." he exclaimed. "whsr
she bsrs eAms out and said my service,
would BE- no longer required"
Bat tAsss must have pesa come rsasor
Tor youv dischssyer
sT1,>rs yas Tha nav man w~i~hu