Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-05

ant was kept busy fetching water and the
other mixing plaster, while Mr.. Palmer
made the molds. The latter were shipped
the next morning to Washington, the skele-
ton of the whale following. 1t was then
only matter of detail to produce cast Of
the beast in papier mache. At present this
cast is to be seen suspended overhead in the
Museum, on one side the skeleton being
shown and on the other the aspect of the
whale as it was in lie.
PULP MADE OF MONEY.
Papier mache is more convenient sub
stance to make casts of than plaster, espe-
cially for big fishes and such things, because
1t is lighter. Mr.. Palmer employs in this
sort of work the pulp into which the Treas
ury has all the worn-out paper money re-
duced by machines. A thin layer of this
money pulp is first spread with trowel
over o sheet of paper that has been covered
with paste preliminarily. The sheet of pa
per with the pulp-layer stuck to it is then
laid over the inside of the plaster mold,wlth
the pulp next to the mold. Other sheets
similarly prepared and covered with pulp
are put on in the same way until the whole
interior of the mold section treated is cov
cred.
Finally, sheets OF plain paper are pasted
three or more thick over the coating of paper
and pulp thus prepared, and, when
whole has hardened, the section of cast has
only to be separated from the mold and is
found perfect. The sections put together
make up the entire cast OF the fish, alligator
or whatever the creature may be; and the re-
production, after being painted by the artist
of the Smithsonian, Mr.. SCHNEIDER, looks
lIks the living animal itself. All fishes
brought to the museum for such preservation
in copy are taken first OF all to Mr.. Schln-
dler, who makes sketches of them IN colors,
so that subsequently he may be able to re-
produce the tints and markings accurately
upon the casts.
WORK OF SMITHSONIAN AGENTS.
Supplies of land animals for the National
Museum are contributed by private indi-
viduals from all parts of the world. Many
of them are got by exchange with other
museums; others are obtained through Con-
suls abroad who take an interest in collect
ing anything strange they see TO send home
to Uncle Sam; others still are secured by
Government expeditions sent out from
various departments, while yet others are
killed and brought home by agents ex-
pressly dispatched for the purpose. The
Smithsonian has agents at present in Alaska
getting specimens OF walrus, sea elephants
and sea lions, while other agents Of the
institution are trying to get hold OF lew
gorillas and other rare beasts in the interior
of Africa.
There are verv few gorillas left now, and,
inasmuch as the small region in West
Africa inhabited by these fierce monsters is
being settled pretty rapidly. they are likely
to become extinct very soon. The African
expedition has taken six barrels of alcohol
with it. for the preservation of specimens.
Small creatures are most readily kept in
that manner, their preparation on the spot
requiring so much time, while the bigger
animals are skinned without delay. The
skins are poisoned with arsenic and wrapped
up with the skulls and leg-bones, after
thorough drying, for transportation to
Washington, to be stuffed and mounted
here. In the case of very rare animal it is
ususally desired to secure both the stuffed
corpus and the skeleton. This is accom-
plished quite ingeniously by making casts
of the skull and leg bones in plaster to use
in the stuffng, thus leaving the skeleton
intact and making two animals out of one,
as it were. Such was the method followed
in the preparation of Barnum's elephant
Jumbo"