The evening times., 1896-10-14

this work has been finished the huge object
is given place among hundred other such
contributions from the dark continent.
| An old lion weighing 252 pounds is also
to be seen at the Museum and was skinned
| and Set in the same way.
| The mounting of birds is quite a simple
thing, as 1t is not necessary to wash or cast
| them.
| THE first process, whether for making a
skin or for setting up, is, of course, the re-
l moval OF the body, leaving the skin ant
| feathers intact. To do this. lay the bird
upon its back and m axe the incision through
which the body is to be dra wn, in the CEN
ter OF the breast After carefully with
drawing the body, the taxidermist proceeds
! to stuff the skin with pulp made of saw
| dust saturated with a weak solution OF ar
| senic and alum. After sewing up the in-
| cisicnhe brushes he feathers out thoroughly.
| and the specimenis ready for mounting.
Perhaps one OF the most interesting parts
OF the Museum specialists work is that OF
preparing and setting up specimens Of fish
| and other aquatic animals.
The necessary materials for setting up a
fish are, several pieces of soft wood, some
sticks about three -fourths of an inch square,
plaster of paris. glycerine, tissue paper.
pins and double pointed carpet tacks.
The outline of the fish, without fins, is
marked On two pieces OF hoard which are
held together hy pieces of the square sticks
tackled across the ends, and then that por-
tion corresponding to the body is cut away,
So that we have strips OF wood, one fol-
luwing the dorSal and the other the ventral
contour OF the fish. The fish is then placed
in the opening and the various fins are eN-
tended and fixed in position with the pins,
the boards in the meantime being supported
so that one side of the fish can freely ex-
tend through the opening in the Joined
boards.
PREPARING A FISH FOR EXHIMTIoN.
Strips OF tissue paper are then Wet with
glycerine and laid smoothly over the fish,
| and a coating of plaster is poured over the
same side. when the plaster is hardened
the boards and fish are reversed and
the rest of the Work carried Oh from the
opposite side.
Al that portion OF the fish Which pro
ieots through the opening is first cut
away, and then all the muscles and bones
are carefully removed until nothing re-
mans but the skin supporting the fins and
its plaster backing. In this condition one
side a narrow strip OF skin extends around
the entire body from a quarter To half inch
III width. The interior OF the skin is now
busted with arsenic. The eye is then placed
i'll position aud the skin filled with plaster,
mixed about the consistency of cream.
The double pointed carpet tacks, with
their ends bent, are hooked into the strip
of skin, and thcloop embedded in the plaster
The two halves of thread are separated
when the plaster becomes dry, the skin with
its plaster interior is removed from its
mold and washed, and the fins placed in
clips so that they may dry fiat.
When thoroughly dry the specimen is
fastened upon a wooden tablet, and the
wEole is ready for exhibition. No means
have yet been found to preserve the natural
oolors of fish.
Thcreis now on itsway to the Smiths oman
the body Of young fin seal, which is to lie
mouuted directly on its arrival, and placed
in the geological room. The process pf skin
ming and setting up these animals is quite
simple. and when finished they make cx-
cce'iingly pretty groups.