Telegram-herald., 1891-09-05
ARTIFICIAL FISHES


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$ osssss Fssh CsaanissAeA-
A very woadsrfal sollsceien Of animals
that live In the waaer b st present bsing
manufactured BY the United States esh
oonmisuion for exhibition - The Worlds
fair in Chicago. Somewhat Les than SEQ
s,soinsas VA illustrate the food and
other economic fshs and reptiles Of this
country. sAoh one reprsssnting specieA
Two sxpsrts, said to b. the most skinfal
men living in this line Of work. areengagsd
In turning oat counterfeit representations
of thiaxs soaly and fnny IN the utmost
imaginable variety.
The extra ordinary thing about these
products Is thst they not only look but feel
like the real creatures which they initiate.
the very substance being ~ the touch 50
hike issh itself that 1t Is difficult Tor any
one who handles the objects and examines
them closely To realize that ne 10 not deaE
ing with the animals themselves So amas-
ingly wei! are they painted that their hues
are the very tints OF nature For example.
you can TAXA q frog In your hand, pinch
him and admire the beauty Of his coloring
without being able To distinguish him from
an actual bastrschiAn just killed.
The secret Of this art. which Is quite .
new one. lies mainly In the composition
employed a. . material. Its basis il glue.
The operator first takes the fsh to be imi-
tatsd and m-Akes . plaster mold from 1t In
the ordinary fashion Then he places .
wooden core inside the mold-a nat piece
of plank Of the same general shape ierves
usually for .he purpose, the object being
~ 81. st kal \
pours into the mold the melted compo-
sitien.
Eight or ten hours later the mold is
| open ID and a perfect counterpart OF the
| fish, a. TO shape, is taken out. So admir-
| ably are all the details reproduced that
each scale is distinct. After the counter
| felt has been hung up to dry for q few
| days it is painted with oil colors in a man.
| ner AS near to nature as possible, fresh
| specimen not long out of water being used
| for copy This done the thing is fin
ished In the process Of molding stiffcn-
ing Is given 20 the fins and tail with ordi-
nary wire mosquito netting
The fishes required for molding and copy
| ing with colors are being sent to Washing
ton es fast az required from the various
| stations Of the fish commission all over the
| country. Most of them at present are be-
| ing obtained from Woods Hou 1t may
be that the experts will be obliged to go
themselves to Galveston, San Francisco
and elsew here in order to secure fresh speci-
mems from the gulf, Pacific and lake
| waters.
Those forwarded hither are wrapped in
cloths IS quickly AS possible after being
captured and packed in ice for shipment
Some superb bullfrogs have just arrived
from southwest Missouri. They are two
feet in length. Turtles of every edible
variety will also be shown in the collection,
including the various terrapins, the snap
per, the green turtle and others. In MAX
ing models Of them the shells and beaks Of
the animals themselves are utilized. About
dozen kinds of snakes which are destruc-
tive to fishes will be represented inciden-
tally.
Lobsters, crabs and other crustacea will
likewise be shown. Some giant crayfsbes
nearly foot long have come in with the
big frogs from the Ozark region.-Wash-
in2ton Letter.