Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-06-25
ANIMALS OF PAPER.
Specimens Realistically Made by
Government Taxidermist.
Papier-Mache, Composed Largely of
Old Money, Used In the same
Manner as seulptor's Clay
by Experts.


An interesting phase Of the Smith
sonian institutions preparation fol
the coming st. Louis exposition is Il
be found in the government taXider
mist's shop. There, with a few boards
some papier-mache and hide or coat o.
fur, specimens Of animal life are being
made so realistically that if seen out
side Of an exhibition il would be diff,
cult to distinguish them from live
creatures, reports the Washington
Post.
When the workshop was visited late
~ the men were found putting the
finishing touches on two of the beasts
which are 10 be sent as delegates 10
represent their division of the animal
kingdom at the exhibition. One OF
them, a lion, had reached a stage Of de-
velopment where only the fur was
needed to complete it. 1t stood in a
life-like attitude, and its body Of paste
showed ribs and veins and muscles as
naturally as that of a living animal.
The other specimen is a rhinoceros.
This was in a more unfinished state.
Here and there one could see pieces Of
the wire sheeting which is used be-
meath the skin to pad it out in SEM
blance Of the natural body. The head
and feet were roughly outlined, and
the tail was as yet only a twist of rope.
In the adjoining the hide was
soaking in a huge vat of salt and sui
phuric acid, undergoing the tanning
process preparatory TO being placed
on the figure. Whenever an animal
dies at the National Zoo, its skin, if
at all valuable, is sent to the taxider-
mist. In this particular case, however,
the rhinoceTos hide was imported from
South Africa. When brought here it
weighed nearly 1000 pounds, but the
sleeping had shrunken il TO half its
original bulk. In the same cask were
lying a big sharks head and skins Of
every variety going through the same
preservatiYe process which all animal
coatings, from the kid of the glove
maker to the hide Of the whale must
pass through before being used for
practical purposes.
1t must be admitted that the mural
decorations and other furnishings Of
the workrooms are of a somewhat
grewsome character. To stand under a
ceiling festooned with the bones of de-
ceased animals, to gaze upon shelves
ornamented with skulls, or 10 trip ac-
cidentally over the foot of a wild beast
gives one plenty of local color, but il
takes time to become acclimated to
the suggestive atmosphere.
Among his accomplishments, the
chief taxidermist must possess a thor
ough knowledge of anatomy;she must
understand modelling, and be able to
get the proportions for a whole speci-
men from a skull or toe bones, much as
the student of geometry builds his fig
ure upon the given sides and angles.
When an order is sent in, the designer
takes his skin and skull, or whatever
he has to build from, and gauges the
other parts by comparing its relation
to a standard skeleton.
Sometimes, as in the case of the ex-
hibits TO be sent to st. Louis. he goes
TO a menagerie to study from life. The
next step is to set up the fiat boards
used to outline the legs and backbone.
These are held in place by iron rods,
and are covered by wire netting to give
them the proper shape.
The papier-mache, which is largely
made of the pulp of old money and the
usual paste and glue, is used in the
same mi as seulptor's clay. All of
the detail and finishing work is done
with it. 1t is the artistic part of the
process. Finally, when the eyes have
been put in place and the outer coat
has been added, it is nearly two months
since the commencement of the lob:
for, although an imitation lion or tiger
may seem at first thought a simple af-
fair, il is rather an intricate business
to make a scientifically accurate repro
duction Of animal life from a board. a
little wire, some paste and a piece Of
fur.